Quintero/Zenz wins Dakar Stage 1 for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

• Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz fastest overall on opening stage
• Four TGR crews in Stage 1 Top 10
• All six GR Hilux EVOs completed the stage without major issues

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing started Dakar 2025 with a solid performance on the opening stage of the race. Despite offering a stern test over 413 km of sand and rocks, all six GR Hilux EVOs reached the finish in the town of Bisha without any serious issues. Seth Quintero (USA) and co-driver Dennis Zenz (DEU) were the pick of the bunch, setting the benchmark time of 4hr 35min 08sec, 45sec ahead of the second-placed crew.

The Californian driver clearly decided not to take part in any strategies for the upcoming 48h Chrono stage, opting instead for pure pace. The TGR crew initially lost time when they stopped to assist a fellow competitor who had crashed mid-stage, but the organisers adjusted their stage time accordingly, and Quintero/Zenz were crowned as Stage 1 winners.

- Advertisement -

Quintero/Zenz (#204) reported a clean stage, as did their young teammates, Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet. The 19 year-old driver is taking part in his second Dakar Rally, and recorded a solid third place on the opening stage. Variawa/Cazalet trailed the leaders by just 1min 48sec, putting two TGR cars on the stage podium in the process.

Lucas Moreas and Armand Monleon, in the #203 GR Hilux EVO, finished in 8th place, after managing their pace towards the end of the stage in a strategic move, aimed at securing a good road position for the upcoming stage. The Brazilian driver showed excellent pace throughout the stage, but opted for a more cautious approach given the 48h Chrono which features as Stage 2 of this year’s Dakar Rally.

South Africa’s Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (#211) ran into the dust of slower competitors ahead of them, hampering their progress in the stage. This cost them significant time, and the situation was exacerbated by the failure of their navigation equipment, some 120km before the end of the stage. Even so, the TGR crew posted the 10th-fastest time, 4min 12sec behind Quintero, putting four TGR cars in the Stage Top 10.

A similar fate befell teammates Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#205). The South African crew started lower down the order than their teammates, and quickly caught up with the cars ahead of them. The thick dust held them back, and cost the pair significant time. They finished 7min 16sec behind the leaders, in 15th place. Despite this, they are well-positioned for Stage 2, and remain upbeat about their prospects.

The final TGR crew of Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz (#206) lost time when the Engine Control Unit (ECU) on their car suffered a glitch that put the car into ‘limp mode’. In this self-protection mode, they lost nearly half the engine power, and lost 10min 26sec in the process. The problem cleared itself towards the end of the stage, which allowed the veteran crew to finish in 19th place, still well within reach of the leaders.

Next up is the 48h Chrono Stage, which serves as Stage 2 of the rally. This special stage is run over two days, with the crews starting near the bivouac in Bisha. The total timed section for this stage is 957km, and includes sand, rocks and some of the first dunes of this year’s rally. To add intrigue to the longest stage of the event, the crews will start the stage as normal, but will have to stay over at the nearest of seven mini bivouacs when the clock reaches 4pm. They will then resume racing at sunrise the next morning, and complete the stage taking them back to Bisha.

The 48h Chrono caused some upsets during its inaugural use during the 2024 Dakar Rally, but this year’s Chrono comes much earlier in the race, is run over more varied terrain than last year, and features nearly twice the distance. As such, it may prove pivotal in the outcome of the race, and a clean run through this imaginative test is crucial, especially so early in the rally.

The Dakar Rally will head from Bisha to Al Henakiyah for Stage 3, before the crews take on the Marathon Stage to Alula in Stage 4. Stage 5 will bring them to the northern town of Hail, for a much-needed break, before taking on the second week of the rally.

DAKAR RALLY 2025 – STAGE 1 RESULTS