TGR goes to Italy for third round of Baja

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Dakar-winning crew of Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver, Mathieu Baumel, will be campaigning their mighty GR DKR Hilux T1+ at this weekend’s Baja Italy, which is Round 3 of the FIA’s World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. While the team’s main focus remains firmly on the Dakar Rally and the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), Nasser and Mathieu also find themselves at the top of the Baja standings, following wins in Saudi and Qatar earlier this year.

Bajas are inherently shorter, sharper events than the full W2RC races, but even so, they contribute considerably to TGR’s overall test and development milage, which is invaluable in preparing the GR DKR Hilux T1+ for the Dakar Rally.

With only five events on the 2023 W2RC calendar, including the Dakar Rally, it is imperative for the team to compete in additional races; and to conduct independent testing of the car. But beyond the upcoming races, the month of July also marks an extremely busy period for the TGR W2RC team.

First up is Baja Italy, which takes place this weekend, from 7-9 July. The action will get under way with a competitive section of 78km on Friday, with more racing sections following on Saturday and Sunday.

Next up, the team will be taking part in the spectacular Goodwood Festival of Speed in United Kingdom, 13-16 July, followed by the Baja Aragon in Spain, which takes place on 20-23 July.

QUOTES:
Alain Dujardyn, TGR W2RC Team Principal: “We are very excited to be leading both the W2RC standings as well as the Baja standings, at this point in the year. With the team starting a busy period, we have plenty of racing and entertainment to look forward to, starting with this weekend’s Baja in Italy.”

Nasser Al-Attiyah: “It is great to be back in action, and we are looking forward to taking part in Italy this weekend. Our GR DKR Hilux T1+ is ready; we are ready; and I can’t wait to get the racing under way.”

Mathieu Baumel: “Baja racing may be shorter than traditional rally-raid races, but they still offer plenty of challenges – both to the driver and the navigator. Nasser and I have won this race twice in the past, but we certainly won’t be expecting and easy time in Italy. This can be a tough race, but we are well prepared for it.”