Poulter takes on Qatar rally

TOYOTA Gazoo Racing driver Leeroy Poulter, who is the defending South African Cross Country champion and unbeaten in the local series for the past two years, is competing in this week’s Qatar Cross Country Rally - the fourth of 11 FIA World Cup rounds in 2017.

For this race, which started on Tuesday and ends in Doha on Saturday, Leeroy has German navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz beside him in the South African-built Gazoo Hilux. Navigator Rob Howie, who has driven with Poulter for all of his offroad career, is sitting this one out to give Leeroy some experience with a different team-mate. Von Zitzewitz normally races alongside driver Giniel de Villiers, who is also absent from the Qatar round.

The Gazoo team is testing a number of new parts on the Hilux, and is treating the Qatar Rally as a preparation event ahead of Dakar 2018.