SKF South Africa and SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing Partnership: Steering innovation and driving success

In one of motorsport’s most demanding arenas, a partnership forged in engineering precision and high-performance ambition has proven its worth. SKF, a global leader in bearing technology and innovation, celebrated a remarkable milestone in partnership with SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing, taking 2^nd position overall as well as clinching a stage win by the youngest competition in history at the 2025 Dakar Rally – a gruelling 8,000km endurance race across Saudi Arabia’s most unforgiving terrain.

SKF has supported Toyota GAZOO Racing through product sponsorships for many years, and this enduring and successful partnership continues to thrive under Toyota GAZOO Racing’s new ownership – SVR (Shameer Variawa Racing).

All four SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing cars participating at Dakar 2025 relied on SKF’s premium bearing solutions, which are used in critical vehicle systems including the wheel hubs, complete steering assembly, gearbox, drive train and suspension.

“We are incredibly proud of SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing and especially of Saood Variawa’s exceptional performance at this year’s Dakar,” comments Danfred October, Business Development Manager Automotive & Commercial at SKF. “This is a time-honoured partnership built on trust, innovation and mutual respect for excellence. To see our technology support a stage win at Dakar is incredibly rewarding.”

The 2025 Dakar Rally was a debut event for SVR under the leadership of Shameer Variawa. His 19-year-old son, Saood Variawa, made history by becoming the youngest competitor ever to win a car stage at Dakar, taking victory in Stage 3. This achievement was not only a personal triumph for Saood, but also a testament to the strength of SVR’s technical team and the reliability of every component in their Toyota Hilux.

“Dakar is the world’s toughest rally, and reliability is king,” notes Saood. “The Toyota Hilux is one of the most reliable vehicles out there, and having SKF as a partner added to our confidence. Knowing we had the best bearings in the car allowed me to push to the limit.”

Despite facing early adversity with a collision during the prologue stage that cost the team eight hours in repairs, SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing showed resilience and came back stronger in the following stages.

“Taking on Dakar is no small feat – it takes a focused, driven team and dependable partners to meet that challenge,” asserts Shameer Variawa, Owner of SVR Racing South Africa and Team Principal of SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing. “We’re proud of our first Dakar under SVR and grateful to SKF for their unwavering support and top-quality bearing solutions. This partnership delivers mutual benefits – we get reliable bearings and race-winning cars, and SKF gets proof of their product’s durability under extreme conditions.”

SVR continues to compete globally, having just returned from a rally in Abu Dhabi and gearing up for rounds of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship in Portugal, Morocco and South Africa. In addition to racing, SVR lends technical support to racing teams in other countries, further showcasing their depth of expertise.

Shameer concludes: “With SKF’s support, we look forward to the rest of the 2025 racing season with confidence!” SKF’s involvement with SVR Toyota GAZOO Racing highlights more than just a sponsorship; it is a partnership built on performance, trust and innovation. Together, they are re-imagining and re-inventing what’s possible in the future of motorsport