Stage 3 of the 2025 South African Safari Rally, brought to you by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, saw the Marathon Stage come to a close, as crews returned to the rally headquarters at Sun City following two days of intense rally-raid racing without technical assistance.
For TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA), the day presented another demanding test of navigation and endurance, with both crews working hard to overcome the challenge of starting near the front of the field.
The stage covered 518 kilometres in total, with a 246 km competitive section, preceded by a 9 km liaison, and followed by a 263 km road section. Terrain conditions were as tricky as any seen so far in the rally, featuring vast grasslands, soft sand, rocky ridges, and an absence of clearly defined tracks — especially in the early parts of the route. For the crews tasked with opening the road, the difficulty was compounded by the low morning sun and limited reference points in the open veld.
Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#211), fresh off a breakthrough stage win on Stage 2 — their first ever in the World Rally-Raid Championship — were first into the special on Stage 3. Despite the navigational burden of opening the route, the pair kept things tidy and pushed through the toughest terrain with a clean run.
“Today was always going to be tough,” said Botterill. “At the driver briefing last night we were warned that the navigation would be even harder than yesterday, and it definitely was. I think we did a fantastic job today. Although our times don’t show it, I actually think today’s drive was better than yesterday’s. We drove close to 100 kilometres with no road at all — very, very tricky to navigate. Dennis did a great job, no punctures, and we kept it all clean and tidy.”
The South African pairing finished the stage in 18th place, 10min 10sec off the fastest time. Their consistency and measured approach across the Marathon Stage sees them maintain 15th position in the overall standings, now 20min 25sec off the rally lead.
Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet (#212) also faced a stern test. Having started second on the road, the young crew struggled with fatigue following a freezing night in the bivouac and found the terrain particularly taxing. “Today wasn’t the best of days,” said Variawa. “I think I got a bit sick after the cold night at Marathon camp. We had a rough day — picked up a puncture, got lost a bit. We were overtaking and being overtaken by the same car a few times. But we’re still in the race and holding on.”
Despite the challenges, Variawa delivered a solid finish, crossing the line 22nd on the stage, 15min 04sec down. The crew now sit 14th in the general classification, 18min 06sec off the overall lead.
Both TGRSA crews reported no major technical concerns, and the GR Hilux EVO continues to demonstrate strong reliability and all-surface performance, even under the unique conditions of a self-supported Marathon Stage.
As it stands after three of five stages, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa remains focused on consolidating their position, while continuing to climb the leaderboard. With two stages remaining — and navigation, terrain and strategy playing increasingly critical roles — the outcome of the rally is far from settled.
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 |
Published by: Karabo Sethusha
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