The team is expected to arrive at Terminal A (Arrivals) of the airport at around 09:30.

The 2025 Dakar Rally brought not only victory for Toyota, but also a second place overall for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (#211). The works GR Hilux EVO crew led the race overall for 9 stages but eventually lost out to Yazeed Al Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk in their Toyota Hilux by just 3min 57sec after two weeks of racing across the Saudi Arabian landscape.

Says Henk Lategan: “It was a bittersweet race for us, to come all of this way, do two weeks of racing over thousands of kilometres, late nights, early mornings and then to miss out by four minutes! But to get onto the podium is fantastic. It’s our first podium and it’s a great achievement. It’s amazing what the team’s done and what we could manage with this race. I’m proud of what we did. We’ll keep trying, we’ll keep pushing this year, we’ll improve the car, we’ll improve ourselves, we’ll gain more experience, and we’ll come back stronger next year.”

Glenn Crompton, Vice President Marketing (Toyota SA Motors) adds: “It’s an incredible experience. The team, the car, brilliant. The Toyota, which was built in South Africa which was built by South Africans and which was supported by South African brands, has delivered another successful Dakar. To be here among the best of the best in the world in the toughest race, and to podium, to lead the race, to win stages with such a young team, it’s just incredible. I think everyone back in South Africa must be so proud of the team, must be so proud of the guys, because they’re playing with the big boys here and they’re delivering. So, obviously the most important thing about this whole event is – it’s not a bakkie, it’s a Hilux. And what a Hilux. It’s a Hilux 1-2 at the Dakar.”

• And already home is the only other South African team making it into the Top 10. The Midrand-based Century Racing Factory Team, managed a sixth and a 10^th place overall with the South Arican drivers Brain Baragwanath and his navigator Lenora Cremer behind the wheel of the car finishing in tenth place overall. The Century Racing Factory Team had 10 entries in the Dakar, of which six vehicles completed the race. Brian tells Dealerfloor that their team and one other were the only private teams in the Top 10 competing against all the factory teams. “It was a very tough race, with fierce competition but we are happy with this year’s performance and will build on it for future races,” he says.

The Top 10:

1. Y Al Rajhi / T Gottschalk - Overdrive Racing.
2. H Lategan / B Cummings - Toyota GAZOO Racing.
3. M Ekström / E Bergkvist Ford M-Sport.
4. N Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger - The Dacia Sandriders.
5. M Guthrie / K Walch - Ford M-Sport.
6. M Serradori / L Minaudier - Century Racing Factory Team.
7. J Yacopini / D Oliveras - Overdrive Racing.
8. J Ferreira / F Palmeirp - X-Raid Mini JCW Team.
9. S Quintero / D Zenz - Toyota GAZOO Racing.
10. Baragwanath / L Cremer - Century Racing Factory Team.