Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC complete the Dakar Rally

• Three all-new DKR GR Hilux show strong potential in the gruelling 5,000-mile context
• Toby Price and Armand Monleón finish eighth on their TGR W2RC debut together
• Seth Quintero and Andrew Short recover to earn a top-10 finish
• Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings fought for victory before suffering technical problems, finishing 21^st
• 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship continues with RAly-Raid Portugal, 17-22 March

Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) survived two weeks of intense competition in extreme conditions to reach the finish of the 2026 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with two all-new DKR GR Hilux finishing in the top 10.

Three DKR GR Hilux lined up for the start on 3 January, carrying the team’s hopes of overall victory. After overcoming misfortune, technical challenges and the harsh desert environment on the 5,000-mile route, all three crossed the finish line in Yanbu, but there was no repeat of last year’s podium finish.

On its competitive debut, the all-new DKR GR Hilux – which benefits from a new tubular chassis and strengthened transmission – demonstrated impressive performance. It earned two stage wins over terrain which ranged from razor-sharp rocks to undulating dunes, and was a contender for victory until the final days.

Two-time motorcycle winner Toby Price and Armand Monleón competed on the Dakar Rally together for the first time. They showed pace and consistency in their No204 DKR GR Hilux and were the top TGR W2RC crew in eighth overall, 52 minutes behind the winners, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin (Dacia Sandriders).

Seth Quintero and Andrew Short were left to rue a costly Stage 3, when a series of punctures cost the No203 DKR GR Hilux more than an hour. They showed what might have been over the remaining stages with consistently fast performances, but they could not recover all the time lost and finished ninth.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings fought for overall victory for 10 stages, overcoming a series of punctures, on-stage repairs and even running out of fuel. But a wheel bearing issue on Stage 11, while running second overall, finally ended the hopes of the No202 DKR GR Hilux crew. However, their never-give-up spirit kept them in the rally and despite losing almost four hours, and they finished 21^st.

The rally concluded with Stage 13, featuring a relatively short 65-mile timed section on gravel tracks through mountainous terrain around Yanbu. Lategan and Cummings ended their rollercoaster rally on a positive note with third place, just 13 seconds away from victory. Price and Monleón were 14^th, while Quintero and Short finished the final stage in 22^nd.

Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist won the stage for Ford Racing, from Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger (Dacia Sandriders).

On one of the most demanding events in motorsport, which pushed vehicles and team members to their limits, TGR W2RC demonstrated its resilience by battling through highs and lows.

The technical crews worked tirelessly in desert bivouacs to prepare the vehicles, no matter what punishment they had been exposed to. They played their part even during the stages, such as changing a power steering unit in only 13 minutes during a pit stop zone to keep the No202 DKR GR Hilux in the fight for victory.

The drivers and navigators showed remarkable team spirit to support each other. Whether it was donating precious spare tyres to a team-mate in need, or Price and Monleón compromising their own performance by towing Lategan and Cummings more than six miles to the finish line, the crews worked together as one TGR W2RC team.

Following another demanding Dakar, TGR W2RC will take valuable lessons from their experiences, which will contribute to building an ever-better DKR GR Hilux to take on the rest of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) season.

After a well-earned rest following the rigours of the longest event on the calendar, TGR W2RC will step up the defence of their manufacturers’ title when the next round of the season takes place in Portugal on 17-22 March.

Team quotes

Henk Lategan: “It was not meant to be our year, it seemed. We had a lot of setbacks, but every time we had a bad day, we went back and motivated ourselves to keep pushing. We had some really good days as well and it was unbelievable that we were still fighting for the win until Stage 11, considering everything that happened. That’s very promising for the future. Bringing a new car to the Dakar is always difficult and we’ve shown a lot of potential. There’s a lot to learn from this race, and a lot of positives to take. We know what to improve on already and we’ll come back stronger.”

Seth Quintero: “It’s been an amazing couple of weeks and there are a lot of positives to take away from this rally. The biggest positive is how the car performed. We didn’t have a lot of testing time, so to be able to fight every single day at the front was impressive. That’s confidence inspiring for myself and the whole TGR W2RC team. Now we need to keep working to get better every day. Obviously, we are not the happiest with ninth, but from the first day of the rally we gave 110 percent every day and it’s nice to come away with a top 10 for the team.”

Toby Price: “I’ve enjoyed every minute of these two weeks, it’s been a lot of fun. Working with Armand has been amazing as well, and he’s done such a good job. It’s a great feeling to reach the finish line. I set myself a goal to finish in the top 10, and I would be extra happy to be in the top eight. The time difference is more than I wanted, but I hit my goal so I can’t complain. Thank you to Armand and to everyone in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC team for all their effort and support. It’s been a fantastic experience to be part of this team.”

Dakar Rally – Provisional final standings*

Dakar Rally – Provisional Stage 13 result*

*Correct at time of publication

ENDS