They are back! The pilots of the potent GR Hilux IMT Evo were met by adoring crowds celebrating a podium finish and multiple stage wins during the 2025 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. 
Looking for a new or used Audi? Find it here with CARmag!
At the helm of the return on Wednesday at O.R. Tambo International Airport were Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings who secured the runners-up position at what is considered the most gruelling race in the world. Dubbed the “Dakar Heroes” on local soil, the local narrowly missed out on Saudi local Yazeed Al-Rajhi’s first place by the second smallest margin in the sport’s history. Regardless, motorsport fans gathered on Wednesday morning to chant the local Toyota Gazoo Racing crew through the customs gate and back onto home soil.
View this post on Instagram
As a reminder, the GR Hilux used in the Dakar rally is locally designed, manufactured and developed and despite Lategan missing the top step of the podium, Al-Rajhi and his Hilux nonetheless proved that South Africa is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to rally raid. Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet managed to take the top spot of stage 3, making the local the youngest stage winner of the race and further cementing the nation in the world of off-road motorsport.
Related: Single SA-Bound Audi RS 6 Avant GT is Heading to Auction – With a R4.5 million Reserve
Local rally legend Giniel de Villiers signals his retirement from his professional motorsport career with his arrival back home but during the Toyota State of the Motor Industry ceremony didn’t allude to his plan of being completely done in the motoring sphere. Looking forward, the Gazoo Racing team intends on building on the successes from the 2025 Dakar rally and implementing them throughout the local SARRC season and other international events throughout the year.
Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles here with CARmag!
