TGRSA SWEEP THE PODIUM AS SAOOD VARIAWA CLINCHES 2025 SA RALLY- RAID CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AT THE BUSHVELD 400
• 025 Title for Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet
• Podium lockout for TGRSA at final round of season
• Focus shifts to upcoming Dakar Rally
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa( TGRSA) ended the 2025 SA Rally-Raid Championship in spectacular fashion by taking all three podium positions at the Northam Zondereinde Bushveld 400, while 20-year-old Saood Variawa and his French navigator, Francois Cazalet, clinched both the Overall and Ultimate FIA T1 + Championships after a dramatic and fiercely contested final round. This makes Saood not only the new youngest race winner in the history of the SARRC, but also the youngest champion- a record previously also held by former teammate Henk Lategan.
The season decider unfolded across Limpopo’ s rugged bushveld, with dry riverbeds, tight game-farm tracks, steep climbs and muddy patches after recent rain shaping a route that was as punishing as it was breathtaking. With only three points separating Variawa / Cazalet from their main rivals, Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer( Ford), at the start of the weekend, the pressure was immense, and the title remained undecided until the final kilometres of Saturday’ s racing.
TGRSA set the tone early by locking out the top four positions in Friday’ s 22 km Prologue, where the visiting Portuguese crew of Joao Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro topped the times. They were followed closely by Guy Botterill and Oriol Mena in second, with Variawa / Cazalet just five seconds further back. Saood’ s younger brother, Sa’ aad, together with Zaheer Bodhanya, also started strongly, ensuring that TGRSA controlled the front of the field heading into the day’ s 88 km Stage 1. By the end of Friday, Botterill / Mena had posted the fastest combined time to lead the event overall, setting the tone for what would become a strategic Saturday for the Kwazulu-Natal driver.
The championship narrative took a decisive turn on Saturday morning. Botterill and Mena were tasked with opening the road, a role that demanded precision and also formed part of a broader strategy to assist Variawa /
Cazalet in gaining the cleanest possible road surface for their title push. Guy later reflected that he was pleased with the outright pace during qualifying and the opening loop, but emphasised how he“ had to position ourselves in a good place for the team so Saood could fight for the championship.” After losing time early while opening the road, Botterill and Mena were able to push again later in the day, ultimately winning the final loop and securing third overall, rounding off the TGRSA podium lockout.
At the front, a decisive blow to the competition came when Woolridge and Dreyer suffered a series of setbacks, placing them under pressure. With their title rivals compromised, Variawa and Cazalet remained focused despite punctures and navigational challenges. They produced a calm, mature performance that belied their youth, winning the event in a total race time of 5
WORDS IN ACTION 38 NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2025