Stage 4 of the 2025 South African Safari Rally, brought to you by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, delivered a day of redemption and reward for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA), with Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet (#212) claiming a commanding stage win, and teammates Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#211) storming back to finish in third place on the day.
The 693 km route — the longest of the rally — included a 470 km road section and a 224 km competitive stage around the greater Sun City region. The looped route took competitors across a mix of fast-flowing bushveld roads, rocky sections, sandy tracks and open savannah. With near-perfect autumn weather and minimal wind, dust lingered on the stage, adding to the difficulty for crews running mid-pack.
Despite not feeling 100%, Variawa delivered an inspired drive, mastering both terrain and pace. “I’m still not 100%, but we had a good stage. I’m happy with the performance,” said the 19-year-old. “We actually had a malfunction with the torque meter, which caused us to lose a lot of power. So in the last 100 km we pushed the car to the limit, knowing we didn’t have full power. We managed to hold the lead and I’m super happy — with the team, the car, myself, my navigator — everything played out well today.”
Variawa’s time of 2hr 09min 05sec was enough to secure the stage win by 58 seconds over G. de Mevius / X. Panseri (X-Raid Mini JCW).
For Botterill and Murphy, the day was also one of strong recovery. “It was really good for the team — Saood first, me third — we’re happy,” said Botterill. “We made a few mistakes early on which cost us time, but in the second half of the stage, Dennis and I were absolutely flat-out trying to make up ground. We had no idea where we stood, but I knew we were pushing. To finish third, considering where we were this morning, I’m really pleased.”
Their performance saw them cross the line just 1min 19sec behind their TGRSA stablemates, further cementing the GR Hilux EVO’s consistency and capability across the varied terrain of the Safari Rally.
Both TGRSA crews reported no mechanical issues following the stage — a further testament to the car’s renowned durability and the effectiveness of the support teams back at Sun City.
While the individual stage results were cause for celebration, the overall classification remains tightly packed. Variawa and Cazalet moved up to 12th overall, now 14min 23sec behind the leaders. Botterill and Murphy improved to 13th, just 18min 01sec adrift.
With one stage remaining, the rally remains wide open for gains — and potentially, heartbreak — as competitors prepare for the final test: Stage 5, a 222 km loop around Sun City featuring a 111 km special stage broken into two liaison sections. With surface conditions ranging from savannah gravel and turf to black sand and scattered rocky outcrops, it’s expected to be fast and punishing — a fitting finale to Southern Africa’s first-ever W2RC event.
South Africa Safari Rally 2025 – Stage 4 Results
| 1. #212 S. Variawa / F. Cazalet | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | 2hr09min05sec |
| 2. #222 G. De Mevius / X. Panseri | (X-Raid Mini JCW) | +00:58 |
| 3. #211 G. Botterill / D. Murphy | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +01:19 |
| 4. #242 D. Schröder / H. Köhne | (PS Laser Racing) | +02:13 |
| 5. #204 S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +02:16 |
| 6. #229 J. Els / J. Swemmer | (Red-Lined Motorsport) | +02:33 |
| 7. #205 H. Lategan / B. Cummings | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +03:13 |
| 8. #219 S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (The Dacia Sandriders) | +04:22 |
| 9. #277 G. Woolridge / B. Dreyer | (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) | +04:31 |
| 10. #227 N. Roma / A. Haro | (Ford M-Sport) | +05:16 |
| 11. #203 L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +05:46 |
South African Safari Rally 2025 – Standings after Stage 4
| 1. #205 H. Lategan / B. Cummings | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | 10hr59min53sec |
| 2. #219 S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (The Dacia Sandriders) | +00:39 |
| 3. #222 G. De Mevius / X. Panseri | (X-Raid Mini JCW) | +02:41 |
| 4. #204 S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +02:48 |
| 5. #203 L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +02:59 |
| 6. #277 G. Woolridge / B. Dreyer | (Neil Woolridge Motorsport) | +03:45 |
| 7. #227 N. Roma / A. Haro | (Ford M-Sport) | +04:14 |
| 8. #225 C. Sainz / L. Cruz | (Ford M-Sport) | +04:27 |
| 9. #242 D. Schröder / H. Köhne | (PS Laser Racing) | +06:09 |
| 10. #221 M. Prokop / V. Chytka | (Orlen Jipocar Team) | +13:26 |
| 11. #212 S. Variawa / F. Cazalet | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +14:23 |
| 12. #211 G. Botterill / D. Murphy | (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing) | +18:01 |
Published by: Karabo Sethusha
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