If three Dakar Rallies and two World Rally-Raid Championships aren’t sufficient to persuade those who the Toyota Hilux is the highest rally raid automobile in the present day, how in regards to the Hilux successful all 5 W2RC races in 2023?
Toyota had already clinched the producer’s championship on the penultimate spherical in Argentina, however put the cherry atop their title on the Rallye du Maroc as Yazeed Al-Rajhi recorded his second win of 2023 after the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem. He led a 1–2 end for Overdrive Racing with Denis Krotov in tow, the latter scoring his greatest profession W2RC end.
Each of Al-Rajhi’s W2RC wins got here on consistency as he did not win any phases however the frontrunners dropped out. Al-Rajhi himself by no means completed worse than fifth throughout the 5 days.
Nasser Al-Attiyah solely wanted 4 factors to safe the title when he led Al-Rajhi by fifty-one getting into Morocco. He and his Hilux shortly achieved that by successful the primary two phases, and he seemed poised to assert his fourth victory in 5 races. The latter ended up falling aside in Stage #4 when one of many rear driveshafts broke, forcing him to drive in front-wheel-drive earlier than the ensuing pressure led to the fitting entrance driveshaft giving method too. He bowed out of the rally altogether on the fifth and remaining leg with a crash simply ten kilometres in. The identical had occurred in Abu Dhabi when he gained the primary three phases solely to crash out whereas Al-Rajhi took the win.
Whereas definitely not a perfect finish to the season and probably his Toyota tenure as his free company standing stays within the air for 2024, Al-Attiyah nonetheless waltzed away with the title by twenty-four factors on Al-Rajhi. Juan Cruz Yacopini completed fourth total and third amongst W2RC rivals to safe a Toyota podium sweep of the ultimate standings.
“2023 has been a implausible 12 months for the TGR W2RC staff,” mentioned Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC boss Alain Dujardyn. “We began by successful the Dakar Rally and, after nice dedication and wonderful teamwork, managed to safe all three W2RC titles. That is the second consecutive 12 months of W2RC success for us, an achievement we’re all very pleased to rejoice.
“I want to supply my heartfelt because of all of the engineers, mechanics, businesses and sponsors concerned in our 2023 marketing campaign. With out their collective efforts, in addition to these of the drivers and co-drivers, we might have been capable of obtain all our objectives. Lastly, I’d additionally wish to thank the broader Toyota household within the service park, together with the privateers who marketing campaign in our vehicles. Their sportsmanship and camaraderie all through the season have been the ultimate, and it’s a pleasure to repeatedly push the boundaries for higher collectively. The GR DKR Hilux T1+ has confirmed its energy and sturdiness as soon as once more, and we look ahead to embarking on an additional journey with this magnificent automotive in 2024 and past.”
Whereas Toyota reigned supreme for yet one more season, Group Audi Sport had loads to look ahead to as they put together for his or her swan tune Dakar Rally in 2024. After a disastrous Dakar in January and soul looking over the following few months, the staff returned to the W2RC with a vengeance in Morocco as Mattias Ekström gained the Prologue and beat Al-Attiyah for the Stage #3 win on tempo, although he was already out of total competition as a consequence of an hour-long penalty for lacking a waypoint on the primary stage.
Even with Ekström unable to contend for the general, team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel picked up the slack by successful Stage #4. It was the Dakar legend’s first stage victory on the earth championship for the reason that 2022 Rallye du Maroc‘s remaining day as an Open Automotive entry. Peterhansel narrowed the hole to only 3:49 behind Al-Rajhi going into the final stage, just for Audi’s Dakar demons to hang-out him once more within the first thirty kilometres.
Bahrain Raid Xtreme, Toyota’s main rival within the championship, skipped Argentina to deal with Morocco even when it meant sacrificing Sébastien Loeb‘s hopes of vying for the title. Sadly for the Prodrive programme, Loeb was one other Stage #4 sufferer as he crashed right into a ditch whereas operating second total. Orlando Terranova salvaged the race for the staff by successful the following day, although a damaged suspension in Stage #2 prevented him from making inroads within the common rating. Non-championship driver Cristian Baumgart was the lone Prodrive Hunter within the high ten.
Krzysztof Hołowczyc completed twenty-second after his Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus‘s energy steering failed from the very first stage. He spent the remainder of the rally attempting to handle the steering together with suspension points. Whereas the struggles prevented Hołowczyc from bolstering Mini’s standing within the producer’s championship, Prodrive’s personal troubles allowed Mini to hold on for third by simply two factors.
“It was very onerous as a result of we had been driving on the restrict of our automotive to see how a lot we might push the automotive and the place our limits are,” Hołowczyc recapped. “The wonderful factor is that each one the manufacturing facility vehicles had issues, the vehicles had been stopped on the phases as a consequence of breakdowns, and we practiced the identical. After six days, we’re a lot smarter in regards to the endurance of the automotive and what we are able to afford. We have now to do not forget that the Dakar, for which this rally was a check, could be very lengthy and we now have to verify the automotive is in a single piece. There the winners are on the end line. We survived the Rallye du Maroco, Łukasz (Kurzeja) improved navigation rather a lot and we are able to say that the following step is finished.”
Regardless of not competing for factors, Nani Roma impressed within the maiden W2RC race for the M-Sport Ford Ranger, ending third total.
As is customary, the rally serves as a costume rehearsal for these operating the 2024 Dakar Rally, that means T1 was full of distinctive names hoping to experiment in new rides. Guillaume de Mévius was considered one of these drivers because the T3 common completed twelfth in his first T1 begin. Pau Navarro, who had an even bigger soar from T4 to T1, shortly impressed as the highest T1.1 subcategory driver although was set again by a damaged driveshaft and tyre punctures.
T1 total outcomes
T1 stage winners
Total winners
W2RC standings
Not like T3 and T4, T1 doesn’t have its personal standings and as an alternative makes use of a championship through which the aforementioned classes may also earn factors primarily based on their finishes amongst all FIA W2RC entries.
Drivers’ standings
Co-drivers’ standings
Co-drivers don’t earn factors if their driver is just not competing for the W2RC.