W2RC 2026 result after Round 1: Dakar Rally

Every year, the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) hits the ground running with the Dakar Rally. This iconic event is not only the opening round, it is also the longest, most unforgiving and, for many, the highlight of the entire season. Toyota has won the event three times since 2019, and the works Gazoo Racing team hoped to leverage that experience to kick off the W2RC 2026 season with updated crews and a new, stronger DKR GR Hilux prototype.

However, nothing can be taken for granted in the 5,000 miles of punishing Dakar Rally action. As you can read in the following stage-by-stage report, Toyota’s three-car works team succeeded in overcoming misfortune, technical challenges and the harsh desert environment. All three Hilux prototypes crossed the finish line on their competitive debut. And although the team was in contention for victory until the last few days, there was no repeat of last year’s podium.

So what happened? Please read on to find out.

W2RC 2026: Dakar Rally result – Prologue to stage four

Prologue: The opening stage was a flat-out 13.5-mile sprint around the Dakar Rally’s start-finish point at the Red Sea. Crews were tasked with climbing through desert sand before descending over rocky terrain to reach the chequered flag. Aware that this was only the start of a fortnight of tough competition, Toyota’s works crews decided on a measured approach.

Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short led the charge and brought their #203 Hilux home in fifth place, just 14 seconds off the lead. Despite driving through the dust of other competitors, teammate Toby Price made an assured debut with Toyota at the wheel of the #204 Hilux, moving up to 16th by the end. Meanwhile, Hank Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings suffered an early puncture, which, on such a short opening stage, lost the pair a lot of time and race positions.

Stage 1: The 2026 Dakar Rally truly got underway with this 320-mile inland loop. The fast yet undulating route began on gravel before reaching the mid-stage pit stop zone. It then passed through rocky plateaus and finished with a wider, high-speed section. Sharp roadside rocks throughout the stage meant a high risk of punctures, and with minimal availability of spare wheels it was once again necessary to be cautious, play the long game and ensure all three Hilux models remained in the fight for victory.

A reversed starting order meant that Lategan and Cummings actually opened the stage. Unfortunately, the pair suffered two separate punctures within 60 miles, and with no further spares available until the pit stop they had to slow right down and tiptoe through the rocks. Nevertheless, a determined drive after the mid-stage refresh helped the #202 Hilux stay in touch with the leading pack. Price and co-driver Armand Monleón also picked up a puncture, this time immediately after the service, while Quintero and Short suffered both a puncture and a two-minute penalty for speeding in a controlled zone. The Toyota trio completed the day in 16th, 17th and 18th positions.

Stage 2: A later starting position – and therefore a cleaner route – gave the Toyota crews an opportunity to dominate this 250-mile stage in their new Hilux prototypes. Which indeed they did, capturing three of the top four positions. Interestingly, by the end of the day, GR Hilux prototypes earned a clean sweep of the top five positions.

Quintero and Short were towards the front from the start and moved into the lead around 90 minutes in. A commanding performance over the remainder of the stage saw them win by over 100 seconds – a result that elevated the #203 Hilux into second place overall, just seven seconds from the lead. Lategan and Cummings didn’t start quite so well and lost precious time to two early punctures. But they battled back strongly and finished in second place, their #202 Hilux now elevated to fourth overall. Meanwhile, Price and Monleón narrowly missed out on their first podium together, having finished fourth in the #204 Hilux.

Stage 3: The longest stage so far, this section was run almost entirely at altitude and traced a fast, four-hour route through winding canyons. Punctures remained an ever-present threat and the Toyota crews succumbed multiple times to the razor-sharp edges of the rocks strewn throughout the course. Time taken changing the destroyed wheels penalised the trio by dropping every member out of the top ten.

Lategan and Cummings led Toyota’s charge in the #202 Hilux. Although two punctures in quick succession forced them to ease off the pace, they concluded the day in eleventh overall, within touching distance of the top ten. Hardest hit by punctures was Quintero and Short, who exhausted their supply of spare wheels and had to rely on Price and Monleón to donate one of theirs. Significant time was lost and both parties were forced to preserve what was left of their tyres and limp over the line.

Stage 4: Staying on high-altitude sand and gravel tracks, stage four marked the start of the Dakar Rally’s first two-day marathon. This required the crews to complete back-to-back race days without technical assistance from their backup teams – or, for that matter, anything more comfortable than a standard-issue tent to sleep in and more tasty than ration packs to eat.

As a result of their mid-place finishes the day before, Toyota’s three Hilux prototypes started in the middle of the Ultimate class pack – an unplanned bonus that allowed them to avoid some of the inherent risks of opening the stage. Needless to say, the crews took advantage of this and aimed to recover significant time on their rivals.

Lategan and Cummings took the lead within the opening 60 miles and maintained that dominant performance to build a substantial seven-minute advantage in their #202 Hilux. This stage victory also elevated the pair into the overall lead, nearly four minutes clear of their nearest competitor. Meanwhile, Price and Monleón kept a strong pace to finish seventh on the stage, and Quintero and Short delivered similar consistency to finish in 11th.

Dakar Rally result – stage five to stage nine

Stage 5: Relatively refreshed after their overnight camp, the crews began the second part of the rally’s first marathon stage – a section that required complete concentration. The 230-mile route started on fast sandy tracks before leading into rockier sections and difficult-to-spot tracks that increased the risk of missing waypoints.

Having led the pack in stage four, Lategan and Cummings were the first to leave. This gifted them the most treacherous surface and most difficult navigational challenge. Yet although they finished in 16th place – 12 minutes behind the stage winners – the advantage they had previously accumulated was enough to preserve their overall lead.

Price and Monleón were also among the first to leave. They made a cautious start and increased the pace later but suffered a puncture and lost further time choking on the dust of other competitors. Meanwhile, Quintero and Short started the stage later and enjoyed a smooth run to earn a top ten finish. Their time could have been even faster had they not caught up with and assisted the #204 Hilux crew to the finish line – a gracious move that repaid Price’s kindness back in stage three.

Stage 6: After the treacherous rocky terrain of previous days, stage six took place entirely on sand. And while that change proved easier on the tyres, 200 miles of endless dunes brought its own challenges in terms of navigation and dust.

Lategan and Cummings held the overall lead at the start and established a competitive pace in the #202 Hilux. However, time lost finding their way in the dunes dropped them down into second place overall. Quintero and Short were among the front-runners throughout the stage and held second at the midway point. A missed waypoint in the afternoon dropped the pair a further place to third but still climb the overall leaderboard. Finally, Price and Monleón showed strong pace in the #204 Hilux and narrowly missed out on a podium finish.

Stage 7: After a well-earned day of rest following stage six, the battle for Dakar Rally honours resumed at high speed. The 540-mile route included a 285-mile timed section through dunes, rocky surfaces, vegetation and dust, the combination of which posed a navigational challenge.

The first 250 miles of the day were brilliant for Lategan and Cummings, who looked set to seize a comfortable win and reclaim the overall lead in the #202 Hilux. However, an impact in the final few miles destroyed a rear damper, driveshaft, anti-roll bar and the radiator. It forced the pair to limp home at a snail’s pace, which allowed 12 rivals to reach the finish line before them. Unfortunately, this incident dropped them to fourth place overall.

Meanwhile, Price and Monleón maintained a top-three-challenging pace throughout the day in the #204 Hilux. Although they missed a podium finish by just six seconds, their two consecutive fourth place finishes have elevated the pair to 12th place overall. Quintero and Short also recovered time throughout the course of the day and concluded in 18th place overall.

Stage 8: This high-speed stage through spectacular landscapes included the longest competitive section of the entire rally, some 300 miles long. But while competitors had challenging tracks and navigation to think about, long term strategy also came into play. Because a strong result in stage eight would dictate an early start in stage nine, the first day of the second marathon, and the daunting task of opening the road for everybody else.

Following their frustrating stage seven, Lategan and Cummings were immediately on the pace in their repaired #202 Hilux. Despite an early puncture they took the lead around the midway point but couldn’t build a significant gap. So to minimise their risk the following day that took a strategic breather on the roadside and eventually finished second – now with a reduced, six-minute gap between themselves and the overall leaders.

Team-mates Quintero and Short moved into the top four just before the midpoint and narrowly missed a podium finish by just eight seconds. Then Price and Monleón delivered another consistent performance to move up into eleventh place overall, within five minutes of the top ten.

Stage 9: Having started the day in the overall top three, Lategan and Cummings aimed to reduce their deficit to the lead during this final two-day marathon stage. However, their hopes were dented early on. They started second on stage and about 25 miles from the pit stop zone suffered a puncture and a power steering fault. This was rectified by the team but it set them back 13 minutes, later compounded in the second half of the day by an additional puncture and a smashed windscreen that increased the deficit to some 25 minutes. Nevertheless, by wearing protective goggles and being shadowed by the guardian angels of Quintero and Short in the final part of the stage they limited the damage.

Thanks to a later starting position, Price and Monleón battled their way into the top ten by the midpoint. That trajectory continued into the afternoon, challenging for the top three and then capturing their first podium by the end of the day. That strong performance brought the #204 Hilux into seventh overall – a welcome conclusion that no doubt assisted their overnight camp under the stars.

W2RC 2026: Dakar Rally result – stage ten to the end

Stage 10: Having suffered being their own mechanics and cooks, the not-so-happy campers woke up to another demanding day of competition, which for this second half of the second marathon stage included a 260-mile timed section over fast, undulating dunes.

Lategan and Cummings initially kept up their challenge for outright victory and moved into the top three soon after the midpoint. At this point, overall standings begin to take priority over individual stage honours. However, in keeping a strategic position in pace with the lead vehicle their #202 Hilux suddenly ran out of fuel about six miles from the finish line. Fortunately, Price and Monleón weren’t far behind and displayed their team spirit by towing the stricken crew home. Despite this difficulty, the #202 crew still finished seventh and moved up into second place overall as other rivals lost time. These included Price and Monleón, and Quintero and Short, who were now in ninth and 13th place respectively.

Stage 11: One of the fastest stages of this year’s events effectively turned the tables on Toyota’s Dakar Rally hopes. A wheel bearing issue some 85 miles into the stage left the #202 Hilux stranded, and although Lategan and Cummings bravely limped along on three wheels they were forced to stop six miles later and wait for the spare parts truck. They eventually completed the remaining 125 miles but the repair had cost them almost four hours and any hope of a podium finish.

In contrast, Quintero and Short enjoyed a trouble-free stage and were among the front runners throughout. Their fifth-place finish kept the #203 Hilux in 11th place overall, with two stages remaining. Similarly blessed were Price and Monleón, who showed superb consistency and finished 13th in order to move up into eighth place overall. They admitted it was hard to pass their team-mates in the #202 Hilux but they weren’t carrying the necessary parts to effect a repair.

Stage 12: Determined to continue pushing for stage honours and the best possible overall finishing positions, Toyota’s three Hilux crews drove all-out on this penultimate day. Price and Monleón – now the team’s highest placed pair – were in contention for their second podium finish from the start. They showed consistent performance throughout the 190-mile timed section and finished third in the #204 Hilux, within just 85 seconds of victory.

Also gaining ground after their fightback from time lost to punctures was Quintero and Short. Another strong run for the #203 Hilux earned the crew a promotion into ninth overall. Meanwhile, two punctures ruined what would otherwise have been an enjoyable stage for Lategan and Cummings. Nevertheless, the pair edged a few places up the leaderboard.

Stage 13: The concluding day featured a relatively short 65-mile timed section on gravel tracks through mountainous terrain. Lategan and Cummings ended their rollercoaster rally on a positive note with third place, just 13 seconds from victory. Price and Monleón were 14th, while Quintero and Short finished the final stage in 22nd. These valliant efforts weren’t enough to alter each crew’s final positions.

Two-time motorcycle winner Price competed with Monleón for the first time. The pair showed pace and consistency in their #204 Hilux and were the top Toyota crew in eighth overall, just 52 minutes behind the winners after 5,000 miles of racing.

Quintero and Short were never quite able to overcome the hour-or-so lost to punctures in stage three. Despite showing impressive speed and consistency over the remaining stages the #203 crew finished ninth. Meanwhile, the pair who had fought for victory for ten stages had their hopes dashed by the smallest of components. This wheel bearing issue cost Lategan and Cummings four hours yet the pair demonstrated their resilience and fought back to 21st place.

Although the driving crews represented the frontline of the team’s efforts and showed remarkable team spirit to support each other, the technicians behind them worked tirelessly during the stages and in desert bivouacs to prepare the vehicles, no matter what punishment they had been exposed to.

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 #202 DKR GR Hilux in the fight for victory.

Following another demanding Dakar Rally, Toyota Gazoo Racing will take valuable lessons from its experiences. These will contribute to building an ever-better DKR GR Hilux to take on the rest of the 2026 W2RC season.

Dakar Rally final standings

W2RC 2026: manufacturer championship standings

W2RC 2026: Where next?

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