Emphatic victory for Botterill and Henry Köhne at GR Stella 1 000 Rally

Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) delivered a commanding performance at the 2026 GR Stella 1 000 Marathon this past weekend, with Guy Botterill and Henry Köhne claiming overall victory after leading South Africa’s toughest rally-raid event from start to finish. The three-day marathon, contested over almost 1 000km of demanding terrain around Stella in the North West province, tested crews, machinery and strategy to the limit. It proved an ideal showcase for Toyota’s commitment to quality, durability and reliability (QDR), with three GR Hilux IMT EVOs finishing inside the overall top five, while Toyota also secured the manufacturers’ award.

Botterill and Köhne laid the foundation for victory on Friday by posting the fourth-fastest time in the Qualifying Race before winning the opening two stages to take the overnight lead. From there, the pair opened the road throughout Saturday and Sunday, facing some of the event’s most challenging navigation through long grass, sparse tracks and classic desert-race terrain. Faultless driveDespite the disadvantage of running first on the road, the crew never relinquished their advantage, bringing the GR Hilux IMT EVO home in a winning time of 9hr 49min 53sec after six competitive stages.

It marked a dream first outing for Köhne alongside Botterill, who produced a faultless drive to secure victory in South Africa’s premier marathon rally-raid event. It was a tough few days, leading the way all the way and opening the road throughout. Henry did a fantastic job.

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Today was super difficult, but we had a flawless run with no mistakes, and it is really special to win Toyota Gazoo Racing’s home event. “A thousand kilometres of racing is no joke, especially in this terrain, but we are super happy to stand on the top step of the podium.”

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