TOYOTA

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• There’s no time to wait. At only 18 years of age, Saood Variawa took on his very first Dakar in January 2024. The South African did it in style too as he reached the finish line in 17th position, even managing to capture 5th spot on stage 11. A year later, he went a step higher with a first ever stage win despite finishing 25th.
• In the Variawa family racing runs in the veins. His grandfather Abdul started competing in the 90s and his dad Shameer was a Dakar competitor in 2019 back in Peru. At the time, Saood had come to visit and was already astonished by the size of the event.
• Since then, Shameer has become the head of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team and naturally chose his son for one of his Hilux pickups.
• The young man’s journey to the Dakar actually started on circuits. He indeed first started by karting reaching the highest of FIA championships. Then came touring cars and it wasn’t before 2022 that he started shifting to off-road rallies.
• Saood who also enjoys gaming as well as the wildlife carried on his apprenticeship during 2025, competing in all legs of the W2RC season even managing to finish 6th at the Rallye du Maroc. He also took claimed his first ever title in the South African Rally-Raid championship as well as competing the touring car championship. 
• At his side, the Johannesburg native will again be counting on the precious help of Frenchman François Cazalet who was chosen for his experience to teach young Saood the specifities of off-road racing.