TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team has taken a clinical and controlled approach to the deserts of Saudi Arabia in the first 4 stages of the 2020 Dakar Rally. Legends Nasser Al-Attiyah / Matthieu Baumel sit second place in the car ranking, 2 mins 26 seconds behind Stephane Peterhansel / Paulo Fiuza with team mates Giniel De Villiers / Alex Haro Bravo 6th and Bernhard Ten Brinkie / Tom Colsoul 7th, 18 minutes back on the leaders.
Competing at Dakar since 2012, TOYOTA GAZOO is fielding a mixture of experienced rally-raid specialists alongside relative newcomers to the discipline. Those newcomers, F1 legend and Dakar rookie Fernando Alonso sits with experienced navigator Marc Coma in 13th, 26 minutes down on the leader due to a costly puncture on the first stage.
All four crews will compete in the latest version of the rally raid-proven Toyota Hilux, built and developed in South Africa. The 2018 Dakar Rally saw the introduction of an all-new Hilux which was described by Glyn Hall, Team Principal, as a technological leap forward and proved itself from the get-go with a second and third place on its Dakar Rally debut before winning the event outright a year later. Following TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s philosophy of “making ever-better cars”, the team has continued to refine the Hilux and the latest iteration will spearhead the team’s Dakar Rally campaign. The Hilux features independent suspensions, mid-mounted engine and all-wheel drive, with the 5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine sitting just behind the front wheels.
#300
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar), Driver
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally Winner (2011, 2015, 2019)
- FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Winner (2008, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Mathieu Baumel (France), Navigator
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally Winner (2015, 2019)
- FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Winner (2015, 2016, 2017)
#304
Giniel de Villiers (South Africa), Driver
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally Winner (2009)
- Rally of Morocco Winner (2003, 2006, 2007, 2019)
Alex Haro (Spain), Navigator
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally 2nd (2019)
#307
Bernhard Ten Brinke (The Netherlands), Driver
Career Highlights
- Rally of Morocco Winner (2011)
- Dutch Rally Champion (2009)
Tom Colsoul (Belgium), Navigator
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally Winner (2012)
- FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies Winner (2018)
- Rally of Morocco Winner (2012)
#310
Fernando Alonso (Spain), Driver
Career Highlights
- Le Mans 24 Hours Winner (2018, 2019)
- FIA World Endurance Championship Winner (2018/19)
- Formula 1 World Champion (2005, 2006)
- Dayton 24 Hours Winner (2019)
Marc Coma (Spain), Navigator
Career Highlights
- Dakar Rally Winner (2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015)
- FIM Cross Country Rallies Championship Winner (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014)
