TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) began its 2026 Dakar Rally challenge and the defence of its FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title with the opening Prologue stage in Saudi Arabia.
The Dakar Rally is one of motorsport’s toughest competitions and the 2026 edition covers around 8,000 km, with nearly 5,000 km 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 in Saudi Arabia.
The opening Prologue stage featured 22 km of fast-paced competitive action north of the Red Sea city of Yanbu, which included 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 #203 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 #204 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 16th 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 #202 DKR GR Hilux. They finished 47th, 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 a total of 518 km of driving, including 305 km 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.
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. It was a good start to our Dakar, and it’s been nice to get things going with our new DKR GR Hilux. The whole TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC 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. We are looking forward to the rest of the rally. 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.”
Source: Toyota Gazoo Racing
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