Al-Attiyah: 2019 Dakar Rally win should prompt more Toyota backing
Nasser Al-Attiyah believes his 2019 Dakar Rally success will prompt Toyota to increase its backing of the Gazoo Racing South Africa team in the future
Al-Attiyah claimed his third Dakar triumph in his Toyota Hilux by 46 minutes over his nearest rival, X-raid Mini's Nani Roma, marking the first time Toyota has ever won the event.
It follows Al-Attiyah's previous successes with the factory Volkswagen team in 2011 and with the X-raid squad in '15.
Toyota's Dakar effort is not a full manufacturer outfit, despite running under the same Gazoo Racing banner used for the marque's other efforts that include its World Endurance and World Rally championship operations.
Al-Attiyah is hopeful the South Africa-based team, which also ran Giniel de Villiers and Bernhard ten Brinke this year, will get more support from the parent company as a result of his win.
"It was my dream to win [the Dakar] a third time," said Al-Attiyah. "We also gave the win for Toyota for the first time in their history. I'm sure Toyota Japan is proud of this.
"Now we [have] put Toyota in first place, I am sure we are coming for the next three, four years very strong," Al-Attiyah said.
"The team's missing a little bit of the budget, we are not a manufacturer [team]; we are a private team with a little bit of support from Gazoo Racing.
"But I am sure Toyota will now come with an official team for Dakar."
Toyota's maiden Dakar triumph follows the manufacturer taking its first-ever Le Mans 24 Hours win and the WRC manufacturers' crown in the last 12 months.
In the Dakar, Al-Attiyah never relinquished the overall lead after the third stage, as challenges from X-raid men Stephane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz, as well as Peugeot privateer Sebastien Loeb, fell apart.
De Villiers also led after the second stage before being forced out of contention when he hit a rock on stage three, meaning a Toyota driver led overall after every stage of the rally.
Gazoo Racing SA team principal Glyn Hall, who said prior to the event that this year's Dakar was a "must-win" event for his team in the wake of Peugeot's withdrawal as a factory squad, hailed his team's "perfect job".
"We have been 100 percent reliable with Nasser, absolutely zero problems," Hall told Autosport.
"When you have a car that has no trouble and a driver that is really focused on winning the rally and does not care if he does not win the stage, then we have a perfect situation."
Nasser Al-Attiyah claims Toyota's first Dakar Rally victory
Why Loeb cannot be allowed to give up on Dakar
Le Mans winner Jani makes ELMS LMP2 switch after Porsche exit
Le Mans winner Neel Jani will contest the 2023 European Le Mans Series with the Duqueine LMP2 team following his exit from Porsche at the end of 2022
Armstrong admits sense of urgency to impress as IndyCar rookie
Ex-Formula 2 racer Marcus Armstrong says he needs to "do well immediately" in IndyCar because Chip Ganassi Racing’s personnel have shared so much information with him.
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
Laser Tools Racing continues in BTCC with Hill
The Laser Tools Racing name that was carried to British Touring Car Championship titles in 2020 and 2021 will continue in the series after all with Jake Hill.
The positive future implications of Audi's creditable Dakar debut
OPINION: Audi has been a disruptive presence on the 2022 Dakar Rally, with its new hybrid RS Q e-tron taking three stage wins so far. Its impressive pace and resilience on one of the world’s toughest tests also bodes well for the Dakar’s future as it seeks to attract new manufacturers
How Prodrive plans to use trial by Dakar to spur it to victory
Having tasted plenty of success in the World Rally Championship in the past, Prodrive took its off-road excursions to a new level with its first Dakar Rally entry this year. Now well-versed in the challenges that the famous rally-raid event possesses, Prodrive can learn from those lessons for next year's tilt at Dakar honours
Why Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
The nine-time World Rally champion is heading to the Dakar Rally with an all-new project, and is joining up with the team he often fought against in the WRC - Prodrive - in his quest to finally add the most famed rally raid of them all to his bulging CV
Richards on Prodrive's new Dakar challenge
With a stunning success record in motorsport, Prodrive is targeting a new crown by entering the 2021 Dakar Rally. David Richards provides an update on the programme, how COVID has slowed its plans and its options on who sits behind the wheel of its new car
Why Alonso is already exceeding expectations in Dakar bid
How significant was Fernando Alonso's first cross-country rallying podium on a Saudi Arabian event last weekend? Very. The next leg of his post-F1 quest for versatile glory is going very well so far...
What Alonso learned from his best Dakar test yet
Double Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso took on one of his biggest challenges yet in the five-day Dakar warm-up event, Rally Morocco. Alonso gives his thoughts on his progress in a "bittersweet" event, and whether he will contest the Dakar
Why Alonso must heed Loeb's Dakar failures
Fernando Alonso is edging closer to a Dakar debut, but he should take heed of the lessons rallying legend Sebastien Loeb has learned through several near-misses, despite his promising performances at the event
Why Loeb cannot be allowed to give up on Dakar
Sebastien Loeb has been the fastest man on the Dakar Rally since he first appeared on the legendary event, but he's still not won it after four dramatic attempts. That story cannot end here
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.