TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA steadies on Stage 7 before Variawa delivers Dakar Stage 8 victory

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) emerged from a mixed Stage 7 at the 2026 Dakar Rally with all three crews still firmly in contention, before delivering a standout performance on Stage 8 as the rally intensified in the southern dunes.

Stage 7: Steady progress amid challenges

Stage 7 on Sunday marked the start of the second week of the Dakar and took the field deeper into fast, flowing terrain and sand, placing a premium on accuracy and tyre management.

João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro, in car No.240, led the Toyota effort with a strong second-place finish on the stage, ending the day 11th overall and keeping themselves within striking distance of the top 10.

Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena, in car No.218, were forced into a damage-limitation drive after an early puncture but brought the car home safely in 14th on the stage. They completed the day 17th overall.

For Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet, in car No.213, Stage 7 proved more problematic. An early puncture, compounded by navigation issues and a late damper problem, cost significant time. Despite the setbacks, the crew reached the finish and ended the day 15th overall.

With all three cars intact, Toyota regrouped overnight ahead of a long and demanding Stage 8 loop around Wadi Ad Dawasir.

Stage 8: Variawa claims victory as Toyota delivers across the board

Stage 8 delivered one of the toughest tests of the second week, combining extensive dunes, rocky canyons and riverbeds over a long, fast loop. For TGRSA, it was a day defined by resilience and reward.

Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet produced a superb drive to claim the stage win, pushing through dust and traffic after starting further back in the field. Their relentless pace over the closing kilometres secured victory by just three seconds.

“Today was quite difficult, especially with the dust and traffic,” said Variawa. “But we managed to pick them off one by one and push hard towards the end. Winning by three seconds shows how close it was, but I’m really happy. It’s our second stage win and the car was amazing.”

The result lifted the pair to 13th overall as the rally moved closer to its decisive final phase.

João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro faced a more challenging day in car No.240 after picking up a puncture just a few kilometres into the special. Running second on the road thereafter, the duo was forced to manage pace carefully through reduced visibility and changing conditions.

“It was a long stage and we had an early puncture,” said Ferreira. “After that, the pace was difficult because we were second on the road. But we’re alive and now it’s time to prepare for the second and last marathon.”

They finished the stage in 17th position and remain inside the overall top 10, sitting 10th heading into the Marathon stage.

Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena also showed solid pace, particularly through the opening half of the stage. A slow puncture and more complex navigation towards the end, however, cost them time.

“It went really well until about halfway,” said Botterill. “Then we picked up a slow puncture and navigation got a bit tough towards the end. But it wasn’t a bad day in the car and we’re in a good position for tomorrow.”

They completed Stage 8 in 18th position and remain 17th overall.

Attention now turns to Stage 9, which marks the start of the second Marathon Stage of Dakar 2026. The route from Wadi Ad Dawasir to the Marathon bivouac features a 410km special stage with no service assistance at the finish, placing renewed emphasis on mechanical sympathy, navigation accuracy and strategic decision-making as crews prepare to service their own vehicles overnight.

DAKAR RALLY 2026 – STAGE 8 RESULTS

1st: S. Variawa / F. Cazalet (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – 4h20m35s

2nd: H. Lategan / B. Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) – +00:03

3rd: M. Ekström / E. Bergvist (Ford Racing) – +00:29

4th: S. Quintero / A. Short (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) – +00:37

5th: N. Al-Attiyah / F. Lurquin (The Dacia SandRiders) – +01:16

6th: C. Sainz / L. Cruz (Ford Racing) – +01:29

7th: G. De Mévius / M. Baumel (X-Raid Team) – +02:00

8th: S. Loeb / E. Boulanger (The Dacia SandRiders) – +03:02

9th: N. Roma / A. Haro (Ford Racing) – +03:38

10th: B. Baragwanath / L. Cremer (Century Racing Factory Team) – +03:48

17th: J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +07:25

18th: G. Botterill / O. Mena (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +07:55

DAKAR RALLY 2026 – STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 8

1st: N. Al-Attiyah / F. Lurquin (The Dacia SandRiders) – 32h32m06s

2nd: M. Ekström / E. Bergvist (Ford Racing) – +04:00

3rd: H. Lategan / B. Cummings (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) – +06:08

4th: N. Roma / A. Haro (Ford Racing) – +09:37

5th: C. Sainz / L. Cruz (Ford Racing) – +10:39

6th: S. Loeb / E. Boulanger (The Dacia SandRiders) – +17:25

7th: M. Guthrie / K. Walch (Ford Racing) – +23:00

8th: M. Serradori / L. Minaudier (Century Racing Factory Team) – +25:04

9th: L. Moraes / D. Zenz (The Dacia SandRiders) – +29:55

10th: J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +35:08

13th: S. Variawa / F. Cazalet (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +48:52

17th: G. Botterill / O. Mena (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) – +1:11:31