The fastest TGR crew in the tenth stage, which started and finished at the bivouac near the tourist town of Alula, was rookie driver Saood Variawa, and his French co-driver, Francois Cazalet. The pair had been steadily improving their pace over the course of the event thus far, and their tenacity paid off when they set the 11th-fastest time on the 371km-long special stage. While they relinquished 13min 1sec to the leaders on the stage, they remain in 18th place overall, with just two stages to go in Saood's first ever Dakar Rally.

Saood and Francois were followed home by Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon, who set the 12th-best time on Stage 10. The Brazilian driver and his Spanish co-driver were just 1min 31sec slower than their teammates, but were left wondering what might have been, were it not for two punctures that forced them to slow their pace significantly. They also survived a scare when their car ground to a halt with a fuel pressure warning, but a quick reset of the system was all that was needed to get the GR DKR Hilux EVO T1U back on its way. The pair remain in third place overall, with a comfortable buffer of 25min to the car behind them. What's more is that their finishing position on Stage 10 puts them behind the car in fourth place on Stage 11, which is an ideal position from which to monitor and control their pace.

Stage 10 brought disappointment for TGR's Guy Botterill and co-driver, Brett Cummings. The pair were the pick of the TGR crews on the previous stage, but a navigational error early on Stage 10 cost them dearly. The pair lost nearly 20min to the leaders and recorded only the 19th-fastest time on the day. Despite this setback, they are still in 9th place overall, just 7min behind teammates Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy.

Giniel and Dennis were forced to slow down after two mid-stage punctures. The TGR crew were running an experimental setup on their rear dampers, but this made the GR DKR Hilux EVO all but undrivable. They may have suffered the punctures as a result of the car's errant handling, and the best they could muster on the day was the 23rd-fastest time, 26min 56sec behind the stage winners. They remain in 8th place overall, with two stages to go.

TGR's Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz made their intentions of winning stages after dropping out of contention early in the race clear. However, this ambition was dealt another blow on Stage 10, after a particularly hard landing following a steep drop-off that was not marked in the road book. The pair managed to retain control over their car, but both rear dampers were irreparably damaged in the landing, and they were forced to wait for assistance from the team's technical truck. This dropped them out of contention on the stage, but they will re-enter the race for Stage 11, with the hope of securing valuable World Rally-Raid Championship points.

After their mishap, the pair had the presence of mind to warn the crews behind them of the danger, and most likely saved a number of crews from a similar fate. While the team is disappointed with their result on the day, one can applaud their camaraderie, which is clearly in the spirit of the Dakar Rally.

Stage 10 was won by Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winoq, driving a privately-entered version of the Toyota Hilux EVO, with Eugenio Amos and Paolo Ceci achieving 4th place on the stage in a similar machine. Romain Dumas and Max Delfino brought their Toyota Hilux home in 5th on Stage 10, while Juan Yacopini and Daniel Carreras were 7th. The final Toyota Hilux in the Stage 10 Top 10 was that of Guillaume de Mevius and Xavier Panseri.

Stage 11 follows next, and will take the crews from the bivouac at Alula to the coastal city of Yanbu via a stage totalling 529km. This includes a starting liaison of 6km, as well as a closing liaison of 103km. The terrain for Stage 11 is expected to consist mainly of dirt and stony tracks, which may cause more punctures for the crews. This is the penultimate stage of the rally, and the final long stage of the event, which will come to an end in Yabu on Friday.

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“One thing that you can be sure of on the Dakar Rally, is that you can never be sure of anything! Today proved that once again, when our crews dealt with a variety of challenges during the stage. We are proud of what our crews have achieved thus far in the race, and with only two stages remaining, we are hopeful for a good result. Our latest GR DKR Hilux EVO has proven to be equal to the task of taking on the Dakar Rally, and we are looking forward to the final two days of the rally.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“While our outright results today may seem somewhat disappointing, we are pleased with Lucas and Armand's performance, which has secured them a near-perfect road position for the tricky penultimate stage. At the same time, Seth and Dennis showed true camaraderie by warning the crews behind them of the dangerous drop-off that destroyed the rear suspension of their car. As a team, we will learn from Seth and Dennis' mishap, and use the knowledge in our quest to build ever-better cars.”

Guy Botterill:
“A very tricky stage again today. We didn't start off so good, we got lost right in the beginning and it took us some time to find the road. Then we sat in the dust for 450km, so very tricky, lots of rocks, very easy to make a mistake. But I think our pace was good, so I know our overall result won't show the speed that we were going, but we were with the Audis all the time. Lucas was in front of us and then we overtook him when he got a puncture. Unfortunately, we lost an epic amount of time right in the beginning.”

Lucas Moraes:
“For us, the stage was nerve-wracking. We got two punctures and to be honest, I don't know where because we were driving the same way that we have been driving the whole rally. Then, 10kms to the end, the car just stopped. We reset the car and went off again! But hey, we are here, we're good and still third overall, so let's keep fighting. We probably lost eight minutes, despite all the things that happened, so we were probably going to be right there in the top five again. But to be honest, we are in a great position for the next stage, because we are right behind the crew in fourth place overall, so we can keep an eye on them over the whole stage.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“Yes, it was a tough stage. Made it a bit tougher for ourselves, as we tried something different in the rear dampers. But it made the car almost undriveable, and I think it's because of that that I had two punctures after 30km in the rear. Then we had no more tyres, so it was like driving like a grandma to the finish. There was nothing else we could do...”

Saood Variawa:
“We had a puncture about 10 kilometres in, and we had to change that. Chicheret got past us, and then we were with him for a long time. Then he had a puncture and we overtook him again, and we were driving together up until 60 or 80 kilometres in. Eventually, he started to pull away from us and unfortunately, my shoulder got really sore. I was in a lot of pain, so I backed the pace off a lot. I'm feeling a little bit better, but my shoulder is killing me at the moment.”

Seth Quintero:
“Everything was good and we were on the right line, but then there was an unmarked danger that it seems like everybody hit. But, I think the leaders got to throw a couple more rocks, so by the time we got there, the rock caught us. The drop wasn't too bad, but the way that we caught the rocks that were down there was kind of the end for us. We broke two dampers even though it really wasn't too hard of an impact. All the force had to go somewhere, and it went to the dampers... We sat there for an hour or two, making sure nobody else made the same mistake. So, definitely not the day we wanted.”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“Today's stage was a tough one for most of our team, as navigation seemed to play a big role in the outcome. Even so, I am pleased that all five our GR DKR Hilux EVO T1Us remain in the race, with just three stages to go. Dakar 2024 has proven to be one of the toughest editions in recent memory, and we are encouraged by the toughness and reliability of our cars. The next three stages are a critical part of the event, and while our positions in the overall standings are secure, the race isn't over until the final stage is complete.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“Stage 9 of the rally proved somewhat disappointing from a W2RC point of view. The navigational difficulties our crews experienced precluded them from scoring meaningful points toward the World Rally-Raid Championship, but even so, Lucas and Armand remain in third place in the overall standings. This bodes well for our target of attaining a podium position at Dakar 2024, and with a good starting position for tomorrow, we have every reason to remain hopeful of this result. At the same time, I want to congratulate Guy Botterill with his performance today - an excellent result from the Dakar rookie!”

Guy Botterill:
“Yes, we had a good run. Brett was fantastic on the notes. We were driving on these flat rocks and you can't see any tracks. So, it's very, very tough to see the road. But we pushed a bit harder today. I think we did a fantastic job and our pace was really good. The car ran fantastic, and we are really happy.”

Lucas Moraes:
“Yeah, almost a great stage, to be honest. I think we were second on the splits and just two, three minutes behind Loeb. But then we got badly lost. I believe we lost around eight minutes trying to find a way. It was a tricky, tricky job today, but hey, we're still third overall, we can't complain. The car is one piece and we'll keep going.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“It was actually quite a beautiful stage. It all went well for us until about 260km in, then we missed the waypoint. We triggered the next one before we could turn around, so you can't go back and get it. So, obviously got a penalty for that. And then we had a puncture, and the next waypoint was also tricky. We lost another 10-15 minutes there trying to find that waypoint, so not a good stage at all.”

Saood Variawa:
“It was actually a really nice stage. I enjoyed the whole stage even though there were a few tricky parts. We got through it and our pace was actually quite good. We stopped around the 230km mark, because we had a water pressure warning. So, we stopped and checked everything, but I think it's just a sensor. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time there but we're at the end another safe day, so we're looking forward to the next few days.”

Seth Quintero:
“I started off really well, had a lot of fun cruising with all the guys. And then, I don't know, right off the start we kind of felt something that was wrong with the car. It got progressively worse, so we have some things to figure out back in the bivouac. But I'm sure team will get it all dialled in, and we'll be back to fight another day.”

QUOTES:

Shameer Variawa, SVR Team Principal:
“Stage 8 was a very good one for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. All five our cars performed faultlessly, despite the mixed terrain of the route. We also achieved some very good stage results, with three cars in the Top 10. This sets us up in a great position for the closing stages, with the same three cars in the overall Top 10. I'm also please with Saood's progress today - he finally recorded a clean run after a couple of tough stages, and we can see it in his results. He was 19th on the stage today, which will give him a much better starting position tomorrow.”

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal:
“As the final stages of the 2024 Dakar Rally approach, I am excited to have Lucas and Armand in a podium position; and two more of our crews in the overall Top 10. I would like to wish them well for the coming days, as this race has proven highly unpredictable, and anything can happen. Our cars have proven their quality, durability and reliability in the past, and we will be leaning on these attributes again as the race enters the final stages. I am also very pleased with our progress in terms of the W2RC. Especially Lucas and Armand have been scoring significant points towards the championship, and I am hopeful that they will continue to do so until the end of this very tough race.”

Seth Quintero:
“The strategy for the next four days is different than I think mo nst. I'm really just gonna go out and hammer down. Whatever happens, happens. I'm gonna try to get as many stage points as I can for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team, and make sure we're in a good spot for the Constructors Championship. But yeah, today was a good day all in all. Got some points and we'll continue to push.”

Lucas Moraes:
“I guess we have to keep this strategy that we are using of being smart, being fast but also looking after the car. I mean, it's really important to keep up the pace and stay in the top five. Of course, Loeb is trying to do everything to catch Sainz, so we are on the stands watching these two fight it out. We are in a great position and have to keep fighting, keep the car in one piece and keep going.”

Giniel de Villiers:
“Today was not too bad. I'd lost a bit of time in the end in the rocks. I was too cautious, so I gave away two minutes there, which I only realised at the finish. We made some small changes on the suspension, which I think is working better now. We'll see over the next couple of days. It's going to be a very tough stage tomorrow, and the second last one is going to be seriously tough. So, you know, anything can still happen. We'll just keep our noses down and try and keep them clean.”

Guy Botterill:
“Today was good. We went out in some seriously technical dunes. They weren't very big dunes, but very technical. We had a steady pace. The Audis passed us, and I sat with them for quite a long time. I think I picked up the pace a little bit just being behind them and learning and seeing what they could do. I've learnt a lot, and picked up the pace quite a bit in the sand dunes. And then we got onto the flat stuff where I'm pretty good. Unfortunately, we picked up a puncture, which was very frustrating. But all in all, I think it was a good day and the car was going very well.”

Saood Variawa:
“It was a tricky stage, especially with navigation. But we made all the waypoints, and we did a perfect job. In the start, we lost a bit of time in the dunes. But towards the end we were doing quite well. Unfortunately, we had a lot of dust and the last 50 kilometres we were just sitting in dust, driving an average of 50 km/h. It's tough coming from the back, but at least we'll have a much better starting position for tomorrow. I just want to say thank you to the team and the mechanics that stayed up till five in the morning prepping the car, after all the issues that we had yesterday. Thank you to them and thank you to the team for everything.”