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De Villiers, Al Attiyah & ten Brinke fly Gazoo flag

Toyota Gazoo Racing SA confirmed at Saturday’s Killarney Gumtree World Rallycross that it will once again field three updated Toyota Hilux racers for Dakar 2019. South African Dakar hero Giniel de Villiers will yet again partner with Dirk von Zitzewitz for their 12th Dakar together, Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah returns with Mathieu Baumel  and Dutch Bernhard ten Brinke has a new new co-driver in Xavier Panseri.

“Dakar may be four days shorter this year,” team manager Glyn Hall explained. “But ten days in Peru takes more effort than fourteen days normally does — in fact we have ordered the same amount of fuel for this dune-heavy Dakar. “Last year we brought this Hilux’s debut early at a late point and that brought a few challenges, not least with how the vehicle worked with its tyres, but this year we are better prepared.”

“This is going to be an interesting Dakar,” Giniel de Villiers concluded. “I know from Morocco that the Mini buggies Peterhansel, Sainz and Despres will drive are easier to follow than the Peugeots were last year and they have been struggling with reliability, so it should be a good race with them -- the only real question mark is Loeb in a privateer Peugeot…”

Dakar starts 7 January with a stage from Lima to Pisco before heading to San Juan de Marcona and Arequipa before two marathon stages to and from Tacna back to Arequipa for the rest day before returning to San Juan de Marcona for a loop on Day 8 before heading to Pisco, where Day 9 sees a loop before the final run back to Lima.