Toyota Gazoo Racing ends Safari Rally fourth stage on a high
Teenager Saood Variawa and French co-driver Francois Cazalet on their way to winning stage four of the South African Safari Rally. Picture: Toyota Gazoo Racing
Stage 4 of the South African Safari Rally delivered a day of redemption and reward for Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, with Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet claiming a commanding stage win and teammates Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy (#211) claiming the final step on the podium.
Longest stage done
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.
Despite not feeling 100%, teenager Variawa produced a masterful drive to win his first stage of this year's event.
'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.
ALSO READ: Stage 3: No let up for Toyota Gazoo Racing on South African Safari
'We managed to hold the lead and I'm super happy – with the team, the car, myself, my navigator – everything played out well today,' said Variawa.
Variawa's time of two hours 09 min 05 sec was enough to secure the stage win by 58 seconds over the X-Raid Mini of Guillaume De Mévius and Xavier Panseri.
For Botterill and Murphy in the second Toyota GR Hilux EVO, stage four brought a further confidence boost.
'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.'
One stage left
Their performance saw them cross the line one min 19 sec behind their Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teammates.
While the individual stage results were cause for celebration, the overall classification remains tightly packed.
Variawa and Cazalet moved up to 12th overall, 14 min 23sec behind the leaders. Botterill and Murphy improved to 13th, 18 min 01 sec 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.
ALSO READ: Toyota Gazoo Racing hits back as Safari with double stage podium
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