The third stage of the 2025 South African Safari Rally, hosted by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, concluded with crews returning to Sun City headquarters after two days of self-reliant rally-raid competition. The Marathon Stage tested competitors with navigation complexity and rugged terrain, as Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) crews Guy Botterill/Dennis Murphy (#211) and Saood Variawa/Francois Cazalet (#212) battled to advance their positions.
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Spanning 518 kilometres, the stage included a 246 km timed section through grasslands, soft sand, and rocky ridges, with limited visible tracks. Early starters faced additional hurdles, including low morning sun and sparse landmarks in open veld conditions.
Botterill and Murphy, buoyed by their Stage 2 victory in the World Rally-Raid Championship, opened the route on Stage 3. Despite navigating uncharted sections exceeding 100 km, the pair avoided punctures and errors. Botterill acknowledged the navigation demands: “The briefing warned today would be tougher, and it delivered. Dennis excelled, and while our time doesn’t reflect it, our focus was on clean execution.” They completed the stage 18th, 10 minutes 10 seconds behind the leader, holding 15th overall.
Variawa and Cazalet, starting second, grappled with fatigue after a cold night at the Marathon bivouac. A puncture and navigational setbacks slowed their progress. “It wasn’t our strongest day,” Variawa admitted. “We lost time overtaking and retracing steps, but we’re still fighting.” They finished 22nd on the stage, 15 minutes 04 seconds adrift, climbing to 14th overall.
Both TGRSA crews reported no significant mechanical issues, underscoring the GR Hilux EVO’s durability in remote, unsupported conditions. With two stages remaining, tactical navigation and terrain management will prove decisive. TGRSA remains poised to improve standings as the rally heads toward its final phases, with overall results still wide open.
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South Africa Safari Rally 2025 – Stage 3 Results
1. | #200 | N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger | (The Dacia Sandriders) | 2hour53min29sec |
2. | #225 | C. Sainz / L. Cruz | (Ford M-Sport) | +00:05 |
3. | #209 | M. Serradori / L. Minaudier | (Team SRT) | +00:29 |
4. | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (The Dacia Sandriders) | +01:22 |
5. | #205 | H. Lategan / B. Cummings | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +02:34 |
6. | #227 | N. Roma / A. Haro | (Ford M-Sport) | +02:52 |
7. | #203 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +03:38 |
8. | #277 | G. Woolridge / B. Dreyer | (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) | +05:23 |
9. | #211 | M. Prokop / V. Chytka | (Orlen Jipocar Team) | +06:03 |
10. | #222 | G. De Mevius / X. Panseri | (X-Raid Mini JCW) | +06:05 |
18. | #211 | G. Botterill / D. Murphy | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +10:10 |
22. | #212 | S. Variawa / F. Cazalet | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +15:04 |
South African Safari Rally 2025 – Standings after Stage 3
1. | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (The Dacia Sandriders) | 8hour47min05sec |
2. | #225 | C. Sainz / L. Cruz | (Ford M-Sport) | +00:23 |
3. | #205 | H. Lategan / B. Cummings | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +00:30 |
4. | #203 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +00:56 |
5. | #227 | N. Roma / A. Haro | (Ford M-Sport) | +02:41 |
6. | #208 | B. Baragwanath / L. Cremer | (Century Racing) | +02:54 |
7. | #277 | G. Woolridge / B. Dreyer | (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) | +02:57 |
8. | #204 | S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +04:15 |
9. | #211 | M. Prokop / V. Chytka | (Orlen Jipocar Team) | +04:30 |
10. | #222 | G. De Mevius / X. Panseri | (X-Raid Mini JCW) | +05:26 |
14. | #212 | S. Variawa / F. Cazalet | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +18:06 |
15. | #211 | G. Botterill / D. Murphy | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +20:25 |
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