Toyota dominates 2022 Dakar Rally with the Hilux
Toyota's Nasser Al-Attiyah claims 4th Dakar Championship
The 2022 Dakar Rally has officially come to a close. While several manufacturers were gunning for the title, it wasn't a close race. Toyota once again won the Dakar Rally, with driver Nasser Al-Attiyah claiming the overall victory in the new GR DKR Hilux T1+. Nasser made the win look easy, crossing the line 27 minutes and 46 seconds ahead of second-place finishers 9-time WRC Champion Sebastian Loeb in a Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX) Prodrive Hunter T1+.
This win is the second for the Hilux after the 2019 race. Compared to the 2021 Hilux challenger, the new DKR Hilux T1+ features a wider body, larger tires, increased suspension travel, and shares very little with the production pick-up truck. It also has a new powerplant under the hood. Gone is the 5.0-liter V8, and in its place is the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 sourced from the all-new Land Cruiser 300.
Nasser and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel played a big role in winning the overall title. The duo claimed three stage victories during the rally raid, including the prologue stage on New Year’s Day. As a result, they were never in danger of losing the lead, even if Loeb had secured two wins. Meanwhile, Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings gave Toyota another victory by winning the final stage of the rally despite a tire puncture.
“Such an amazing feeling to win Dakar! We lead right from the beginning, and managed to control the pace throughout the race, making it an amazing win. I’d like to thank Toyota Gazoo Racing and all our sponsors for the support. I’d also like to thank our Team Principal and Technical Manager, Glyn Hall, for building this fantastic new Hilux T1+. It was an amazing Dakar and I am extremely happy,” said Nasser.
Apart from the new Hilux T1+, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Land Cruiser 200 managed a one-two finish, claiming its 9th consecutive win in the production car category.
