Lucas and Armand recorded a largely uneventful run, only relinquishing some time to the leaders due to a slow puncture near the end of the stage. They managed to bring the car home without changing the wheel, though the tyre was down to the rim by the time they reached the finish. Even so, they have now moved up into 3rd place overall, 1hr 0min 35sec behind the overall leaders. They are also within 40min of 2nd place, and with five tough stages to go, anything can still happen.

Seth Quintero and co-driver, Dennis Zenz, was the second-fastest GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U crew on Stage 7. The Californian driver and his German navigator posted the 9th-fastest day on the stage, only losing time due to some tricky navigation early in the stage, as well as a concern with the alternator in their car, later in the day. They lost 17min 16sec to the stage winners on the day, but unfortunately remain out of contention in the overall standings, where they find themselves in 41st place overall, after a technical setback during the opening week of the race.

The three South African TGR crews followed their two teammates, with Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy spending the bulk of Stage 7 driving together with Seth and Dennis. They, too, fell foul to some navigational challenges, but still posted the 11th-fastest time on the stage, just 8min behind their teammates. Giniel and Dennis are in 5th place overall, 1hr 40min 07sec behind the lead.

Guy Botterill, one of two rookie drivers in the team, has shown remarkable pace over the opening week of the event. Together with experienced co-driver, Brett Cummings, Guy has largely avoided any problems, and as a result finds himself in the overall Top 10 of the rally, just 13min behind the man in 8th place. Guy and Brett had a tough outing on Stage 7, however, with a number of minor but niggling issues showing up in their otherwise reliable car. They were able to manage the electrical and electronic challenges of the day well, and still recorded the 16th-fastest time on the stage. They lost 32min 16sec as a result but will be aiming to further improve their position in the general classification over the coming stages.

TGR's final pairing of rookie driver Saood Variawa, together with co-driver Francois Cazalet, lost time on Stage 7 due to a problem with the rear differential on their car. They were forced to stop and refill the unit with oil, before continuing. They also suffered a puncture and struggled to get maximum power from the turbo-charged V6 engine in their GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U. In the end, these challenges cost them 1hr 20min 5sec on the stage, dropping them down to 21st in the overall standings. Despite this, the young driving continues to bank each stage as experience for the future, and the pair are looking forward to the upcoming stages of the rally.

Stage 8 follows on Monday, January 15th, and will take the crews from the bivouac at Al Duwadimi to the city of Ha'il via a stage of 458km. The terrain in this area is expected to be a mixed bag, adding to the complexity of an already demanding race. The final week of the rally will see the crews visit Ha'il before moving to Alula for two stages; and then the final two stages near the coastal city of Yanbu, where the race will finish on Friday.

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“Quite an exciting day I think. Lucas getting a good result, jumped up the leaderboard. Pity for the puncture though, but it's expected. So, I think now with him he's just got to keep his head cool day by day. I kept on saying it's not over till it's over. So, we've still got five days left and we'll concentrate on what we need to do. And hopefully we'll achieve it.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“Stage 7 brought valuable W2RC points for our team, and I am grateful to both Lucas and Seth for their continued pursuit for points here at Dakar 2024. They have been fully dedicated to the championship, and today brought a good haul of points. At the same time, Lucas and Armand improved their position in the overall rankings to third place, bringing them back into a provisional podium position with five stages to go. It is also gratifying to see six Toyota Hilux race cars in the overall Top 10 of the race, underscoring the toughness and reliability of our cars. I would also like to thank our technicians and mechanics for the sterling job they did, rebuilding the cars during the Rest Day, which allowed our race crews to capitalise on today's stage.”

Lucas Moraes:
“We had a great stage because we were basically opening the stage together with Sainz and Loeb from the beginning. And we managed to have a good pace. Near the start, it was very tricky and Armand did a great job, so it was important for us to match Sainz' pace. Towards the end we got a slow puncture, maybe 40km to the end, and we decided to keep going because the pressure was going down very slowly. But with 5km to go we got to the rim, so we had to slow down a lot to just cruise to the finish. But, hey, we moved to third overall. We were fighting for the podium and still have a long rally ahead of us. And we were happy that the team delivered an amazing car yet again.”

Seth Quintero:
“Yeah, today was a lot of fun actually. I really enjoyed the stage. Started off pretty slow, I thought at least, just trying to save fuel. But looks like we were leading the entire day. And then, unfortunately, a little bit of an alternator issue. We lost power and lost a bunch of time. And I got to a waypoint, and I got a little turnaround there. But yeah, other than that, it was a great day. The team's got everything fixed. We got five more to go, so a lot more fun to be had!”

Giniel de Villiers:
“A long day, with very difficult navigation. I don't know how the guys up front did it, but they did an incredible job. We struggled a little bit, and we were with Seth for a long part of the day, but we both got lost for quite some time. I think more than 10 minutes at the one place, looking for the right way. And then we also got lost in the beginning. It was a tricky stage, and we lost a little bit too much time with the navigation. At least we're here, so we'll fight again.”

Guy Botterill:
“That was a very difficult stage for us. We were going very well until Brett called the halfway mark and very shortly after that the wheels on the bus came off a little bit. We had an electrical issue and we started losing volts, so the alarm on the dash came up. We stopped, changed batteries, went to the secondary battery and that sort of fixed that. But then soon after that the car got hot, we lost oil pressure, we lost water pressure... So, we had to take it fairly easy and unfortunately it started getting hot in the dunes. It was very difficult to keep a car cool in the dunes. So, not our best day but we got to the end. On the other hand, we are really chuffed with our midway performance. Some days you have good days, some days you have bad days and today was not the best day for us. With that said, we're still in the race and we can fight tomorrow.”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“We are extremely pleased with our results on the first ever 48 Hour Chrono stage. This was a long, tough test for both the crews and the cars, and we are very happy to have them all safely back in the bivouac. Now, our focus will turn to preparing the cars for the second week of the rally, which promises to be just as tough as the first.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“Our crews truly showed their mettle yesterday and today, as they fought their way through the 48 Hour Chrono stage. To have four of our five cars in the stage Top 10 is very gratifying, and testimony to the toughness of the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U. The good results from Stage 6 have also seen three of our crews move into the overall Top 10, putting us in a strong position for the second week of the race. As a matter of fact, we have Lucas and Armand in the overall Top 5, which is a fantastic achievement.”

Lucas Moraes:
“For us it was really great because we started the stage in 10th overall and ended up in 4th. We made quite a jump in the standings, which was really important for us after a tough Stage 5. But we just have to give it to the team: The car was perfect the whole marathon stage. We kept plugging away both days, no stopping and at a good pace as well. Managed to get 4th on the stage and jump to 4th overall. Couldn't be happier with the first week. We got a stage win for the team as well. Just looking forward to the next week.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“It was a very hard stage. Just endless sand and dunes; really soft sand and hard dunes to climb. We had to manage our fuel a little bit. We finished with five litres of fuel at the refuel stop. So, you know, the last 60km we really had to try to keep the revs below 3,500. But we managed to make it. And then, obviously, we camped in the desert and did the other 150km this morning. But a super tough stage. We moved up a couple of places overall. So, I think we deserve a nice rest day to get ready for the second week, which looks equally tough.”

Seth Quintero:
“The Chrono stage was tough. I love the concept, I love racing for two days straight. It was really a big marathon stage and then getting to hang out with everybody at whatever camp you made it to. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of 600 kilometers of dunes, to be honest. That's just me, I'm not a big dune guy. But no, other than that, it was a really fun time hanging out with everybody at night, making food, and it was like a Dakar spirit type thing. Going into the second week, it's everything to gain, nothing to lose at this point. So, we're gonna go out and at the minimum try to get top three every day. We've really got absolutely nothing to lose. We'll be 100% all day long, every day, and we'll see what happens.”

Guy Botterill:
“Unbelievable, this 48 Hour Stage was no joke, it was just dune after dune after dune. In the first bits of dunes the guys pulled me quite a lot as I was learning, and then the second half of the dunes I managed to hang onto them, and then at the end, I felt comfortable enough to have a go and overtake them and push a little bit faster. We made it to the end but it was really difficult in there, especially if you've never been in dunes like that before. Brett, I know I've said it a few times, but he's done an absolutely amazing job keeping us on the right track. A lot of the time, there were really difficult waypoints and he managed to get them, so really chuffed with that. And yeah, for us to be in the top 10 for the first half of Dakar is phenomenal. My main goal was to first of all get to the rest day, and now we reset again and start again in a day's time.”

Saood Variawa:
“Super tough, it was crazy! The Chrono Stage in the Empty Quarter was insane. And to make it 10 times worse, I was nauseous from early in the stage. I stopped twice to throw up and didn't feel well the whole of yesterday. At the bivouac I got some meds from the medic and stuff. And today was actually quite good, our pace was decent. We caught a lot of guys ahead, passed them, and at least we're at the end of the first half of the race.”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“A stage such as today's 48 hour Chrono is always a worry. The fact that we can't service the cars in their remote bivouacs, and that we can't speak to the crews, is very frustrating from a team management point of view. With that said, we do know that all five our cars have arrived safely after racing was paused, and from what we can tell they are all ready to go racing again in the morning.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“While we are very happy to have our crews safely in the various bivouacs, we are also bitterly disappointed that Yazeed crashed out of the stage, and also out of contention for victory. We were extremely proud to see him and Timo lead the Dakar Rally in a privately entered Toyota Hilux EVO, and had high hopes for a good result. With that said, we are relived that the crew are unharmed, and we wish them well for the remainder of the race, if they are able to continue.”

Lucas Moraes:
“Well, we finished the first part of the 48-hour stage. I believe it was a great day for us. We don't know our times, but we do know we passed a lot of cars! We had one problem finding one of the waypoints, and we lost maybe three minutes hunting for it. But we are here safely, with only 170km to do tomorrow, so we'll keep going!”

Seth Quintero:
“I'm gonna say this as nicely as I can, and without me getting in trouble: You couldn't pay me a million dollars to go to that stage again. That was the roughest, longest, toughest... What other words could I use? Anyways, it wasn't fun. It was not too much fun, but we're here. It was nice to get most of the kilometres out of the way. I think we did 400 or so. We were in the car for seven hours. It's rough and it's not over. So, we got another 170 to do tomorrow. A couple more hours in the dunes, what's a few more, right?”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“Firstly, I would like to thank the team of technicians who worked tirelessly to prepare Seth's car for the stage. Changing an engine overnight is a tough ask at the best of times, but doing it under pressure, after the car arrived late in the bivouac, is testament to the toughness of our team. Today, Giniel proudly flew the flag for the team, showing amazing tenacity after a few unlucky stages. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come over the next two days, as well as the final week of the event. Tomorrow's Chrono stage promises to shake things up a lot, and we wish our race crews well with this new and unique challenge.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“While it was disappointing for Lucas and Armand to relinquish time to the leaders, and dropping down the order to tenth place, we are grateful that the rollover was gentle, and that they are uninjured. They are still in contention overall, and we wish them all the best for the upcoming stages. At the same time, Seth an Dennis fought back bravely after the disappointment of their Stage 4 exit. But, the team worked extremely hard to prepare the car for action over night, and it was fantastic to see them bring the GR Hilux EVO T1U home in what would have been fifth place. Unfortunately, the penalty for the engine change in their car was applied today, somewhat tempering our joy at their performance. Finally, it was amazing to see five of our Toyota Hiluxes in the stage Top 10, as Yazeed and Timo continue to lead the race overall.”

Lucas Moraes:
“We were going very well until about halfway, when I started feeling sick with motion sickness. I stopped to take a rest, but I rolled the car as we were coming to a stop. So, I had to wait for the car behind us to recover the car and then we kept going. But I was feeling sick four times in a row, so we lost a bunch of time. Still, we're here; we survived somehow, ready for the 48-hour stage. The car is not too damaged, so all good.”

Guy Botterill:
“It went okay, considering this was my first proper 100% dune stage. A little bit nervous in the beginning I know, but in these very tricky dunes we just tried to keep it smooth and tidy and not make any mistakes. I think we went pretty well considering the little experience I've got in the dunes, so I'm not unhappy with that. I know it's not the quickest time, but we needed to get the car to the end and I need to build on my experience, so I'm really happy with today and how it went.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“Very tricky dudes today. In the beginning it was very difficult to read and with the bright visibility it was quite tricky. So, we just tried to keep it nice and clean. Tomorrow's stage and the day after is going to be very important. I think we got a reasonable finishing position. So, I think that's very good for tomorrow. We had a good day today, no punctures, no issues.”

Saood Variawa:
“We started right at the back, I think in 107th(of all Car category). And we started late in the day. We passed a lot of trucks, a lot of cars. It was a tricky day in the dunes. A lot of drop-offs when we were going in the dunes. But we made it to the end. I think we also climbed our overall position up from back where we were. And at least we're in a better sort of position for tomorrow in the chrono stage. So, we look forward to going forward and learning from that. And obviously picking up the pace and get towards the faster pack. Unfortunately, the last 20 kms we were driving in the dark, so we couldn't even see the dunes properly.”

Seth Quintero:
“Actually, this stage wasn't too bad. I mean, it was only 118 kilometers or so. So, it was a short one, but took us a while to get through here. That sand is super soft coming from the back all broken up, but all in all, had a great day. I mean, considering the mechanics finished up the car at four or five this morning, I took off at seven. It's an impressive feat to bring it back here and be pretty close to the top guys again. But yeah, I'm stoked for tomorrow, 48 hours long. I don't really know what to expect out of it. We got a great starting position and we'll see what happens.”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“Today was a tough one for us. Seth and Dennis were forced to stop and wait for assistance. They arrived in the bivouac quite late, and the technicians will be working on the car this evening. As for the rest of the crews, we are very happy with Lucas and Armand's performance, especially considering their lack of experience in opening the road. Unfortunately, the other guys had to deal with a number of small issues, including punctures, but we are confident that our GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U has the necessary pace to remain competitive in this race.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“It was very disappointing to see Seth and Dennis forced to retire from today's stage. They are now effectively out of the race in terms of overall victory but will hopefully continue to fight for W2RC points throughout the remainder of the Dakar Rally. As for Lucas and Armand, they did an admirable job from the front of the field and will now be in a strong position from which to attack.”

Lucas Moraes:
“Well, it's part of the rally and the learning for me, because I never had the experience of opening a Dakar stage. So, it was very tricky in the beginning. It was more my fault than Armand's because I was still pushing very hard. And maybe when you are leading, opening the lines, you need to slow down just a little bit and make sure you are on the right path. We lost maybe 6 or 7 minutes around the 60km mark, and that's when Yazeed passed us. Also Ekstrom and Nasser came past, so it became a bit of a mess. But still, we finished very close to the top 10. We are in a great position overall in 4th, and tomorrow the dunes of Empty Quarter starts, so we're looking forward to it.”

Guy Botterill:
“Today actually went quite well. I think the first split, we were in eighth position. And then we got two punctures quite quickly, one after each other. We think the bodywork got stuck in the tyre, because we changed one and then immediately we got another puncture on the same side. Then we out of spares and we coasted in. So, I think all and all, performance was pretty good. The times don't show our true pace, but it was reasonable. We are in service and we're happy about that.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“We had another frustrating day. This morning, I caught the car in front of me, obviously in the dust. I lost some time there but managed to get past him. Unfortunately, a bit further on, we just clipped a rock and got a puncture. Seth came past me, the other guy that I just passed also came past again, and I immediately had to drop back another few minutes in the dust, which also made navigation difficult. Then I saw Seth on the side of the road and I stopped with him. He told me his whole underbelly is full of oil and there was nothing we could do to help him. We will just have to try again tomorrow.”

Saood Variawa:
“A very tough stage. We had no power for some reason, and the car didn't pull through the gears from the start of the stage. About 50km in we stopped when we had a puncture and we checked if all the boost pipes were seated properly. But all seemed well, and we had to continue. But at least we're here at the end and we look forward to the next few days, and hopefully we can continue this finishing routine and make it to the end.”

Seth Quintero:
“Not finishing today's stage was bitterly disappointing for us, especially as we started the stage at a very good pace. However, now our focus must shift to the W2RC and bagging as many points as possible for the championship. Also, I would dearly love to win the 48-hour Chrono stage, so that's what I'll set my sights on.”