Dakar Rally challenge begins for Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC

• All-new DKR GR Hilux makes its Dakar Rally debut
• Seth Quintero and Andrew Short fifth after 14-mile opening stage
• Toby Price and Armand Monléon 16^th
• Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings delayed by puncture

Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) began their 2026 Dakar Rally challenge and the defence of their FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title with the opening Prologue stage in Saudi Arabia on Saturday (3 January).

The Dakar Rally is one of motorsport’s toughest competitions and the 2026 edition covers around 8,000 km, with more than 3,000 miles of competitive action across 15 days through spectacular and varied terrain. After intense preparations to fine-tune the all-new DKR GR Hilux for the challenge, the new vehicle – which benefits from a new tubular chassis and strengthened transmission – was finally unleashed on the opening Prologue stage. This featured 14 miles of fast-paced competitive action north of the Red Sea city of Yanbu, including challenging canyon sections. Crews climbed through desert sand during the first half of the stage, before a descent over bumpy, rocky terrain to reach the assembly point.

With two weeks of competition to come, TGR W2RC made a measured start to safely navigate the first test. Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short led the charge on the opening day, bringing their No203 DKR GR Hilux home in fifth place, just 14 seconds off the lead.

Two-time bike category winner Toby Price made an assured TGR W2RC debut at the wheel of the No204 DKR GR Hilux alongside Armand Monleón. Despite driving through dust from other competitors, they gained time during the second half of the Prologue to move up to 16^th by the end.

Henk Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings were running in the top five around the halfway mark of the stage before a puncture cost them time in their No202 DKR GR Hilux. They finished 47^th, one minute 38 seconds behind stage winners Matthias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist, who led a Ford Racing one-two ahead of Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch. Guillaume de Mévius and Mathieu Baumel were third for X-Raid Team.

Stage 1 of the 2026 Dakar begins on Sunday and features 322 miles of driving, including 189.5 miles of special stage, outside Yanbu. The competitive section begins on rocky terrain and takes crews through narrow passages, before finishing over a faster sandy route across small dunes.

Team quotes

Henk Lategan: “That was not a good start to Dakar 2026 for us. We were seriously unlucky because we hit a rock, which struck exactly on the tyre valve and caused a puncture. It also caused some bodywork damage, and the guys are now busy preparing the car for Stage 1. It was a fast Prologue, flat-out all the way, and on a short stage like that, when you have a puncture, unfortunately you lose a lot of positions. With the starting order being reversed for Stage 1, we will probably be opening the stage, which is not what we would have wanted but there’s a long, long way to go and we’ll keep pushing.”

Seth Quintero: “The Prologue went really well for us. The whole team has been working so hard to get these cars ready and it’s paying off. A strong top-five finish is promising, and I think it’s only going to get better. It’s going to be a long 14 days, but we’ll go out and enjoy it.”

Toby Price: “I am happy to be here again. It was a fast stage, so it’s been nice to shake the cobwebs out. It’s the first time for me working with Armand in the navigator’s seat on the Dakar and it went well. We started to adjust to the DKR GR Hilux over the first few kilometres, then we felt really good. We caught the car in front and hit a bit of dust, which affected our time. All in all, the car feels strong and I feel confident in it. We’re in the race so let’s go for it on Stage 1.”

Dakar Rally – Provisional Prologue Result*

*Results correct at the time of publication

ENDS