TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) is fighting for victory after a day of mixed fortunes for the reigning World Champions on the first stage of Rally Raid Portugal.
Following an eight-week break since the season-opening Dakar Rally, the DKR GR Hilux crews returned to FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) competition for round two of the 2026 season, taking place in Portugal and Spain.
The opening day’s action was split across two sections. The first took crews through a fast 177 km loop across tree-lined terrain which was muddy in parts after recent heavy rain. A road section brought competitors back towards the Grândola service park for a technical and twisty 3 km timed section to conclude the day.
After demonstrating its strong potential by earning stage wins and challenging for overall victory on the Dakar Rally in January, the all-new DKR GR Hilux made its European competitive debut in Portugal. It features a new tubular chassis for increased torsional stiffness and reduced weight, as well as a stronger transmission.
On very different terrain to the Saudi desert, Seth Quintero and Andrew Short again showed they are a force to be reckoned with. The #203 was on the pace from the start. After an intense fight at the front, Quintero and Short finished the opening day in second, just 17 seconds behind pace setters João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa.
Multiple Dakar Rally class winner Akira Miura is competing with TGR W2RC for the first time, and just his third time in the Ultimate category of W2RC. The Japanese driver is no rally-raid rookie, however, having won the Stock class of the legendary Dakar Rally five times with a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Miura, competing alongside navigator Armand Monleón, concentrated on building his experience behind the wheel of the #204 DKR GR Hilux he will drive for the remainder of the W2RC season. The pair finished a solid day one in 20th place in the Ultimate class.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings suffered misfortune in their #202 DKR GR Hilux. They damaged the rear suspension in an impact with a tree after around 40 km, necessitating a 30-minute roadside repair and meaning they ended the day 22nd in the Ultimate class and with a mountain to climb to reach the top 10.
After an eventful opening stage, Thursday sees the second of five stages on this edition of Rally Raid Portugal, including the longest competitive section of the rally at 377 km. Competitors will drive the 548 km from Grândola – close to Portugal’s western coast – across the border to the Spanish city of Badajoz.
Quotes:
Henk Lategan: “It was not a good day at the office for us. Early in the stage I made a mistake, got the car sideways, and we slid in between two big trees, which I hit with the right rear. It wasn’t the biggest impact, but it was enough to damage the rear suspension. We tried to carry on but it was doing more damage, so we stopped to repair. That cost us a lot of time, which is a blow for our race hopes, but we will get back in tomorrow and keep pushing. There are still stage points available and constructive things we can try on the car.”
Seth Quintero: “It was a really good, if tricky, day for us. The roads are very unpredictable and narrow, muddy, with lots of water crossings. Very early on we decided it wasn’t worth taking big risks. We just focused on finding our rhythm and it worked out better than expected. We finished second, not far off the stage win, scored some good points and put ourselves in good position for the rest of the rally. I think tomorrow will be tricky and we’ll do our best to get another good result.”
Akira Miura: “This was my first day competing with TGR W2RC, so it was exciting, but I was also a little bit nervous before start. I had some bad luck during the stage and hit something, but I could still finish. The most important target for me is to finish this rally. I will keep going and push to be better every day.”
Source: Toyota
Photo: Rally-Raid Network / ImagensDesportivas.pt
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