W2RC 2026 result after Round 2: Rally-Raid Portugal

Following an eight-week break since the season-opening Dakar Rally, the crews returned to the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for round two of the W2RC 2026 season, which took place across Portugal and Spain. Here, Toyota’s pairing of Seth Quintero (below) and co-driver Andrew Short took the new DKR GR Hilux prototype to its well-deserved first podium finish after battling the weather and intense competition in the hard-fought Ultimate class.

How did the five-day event pan out in Portugal? Please read on to find out.

W2RC 2026: Rally-Raid Portugal result – stages one and two

In the week leading up to the start of round two, Toyota Gazoo Racing announced a revised line-up for the four remaining events of the W2RC 2026 series. Joining the regular crews of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (car #202), and Seth Quintero and Andrew Short (car #203), would be Toyota Auto Body’s multiple Dakar-winning driver, Akira Miura.

Best known for his epic performances in a production-based Land Cruiser, the Japanese driver would begin his new adventure alongside experienced navigator Armand Monleón (car #204), who was assigned to support Miura’s transition to the Ultimate class and Toyota’s new DKR GR Hilux. In honour of his history with Toyota Auto Body, Miura’s Hilux (above) would still race in the team’s blue and white livery.

Stage 1: The opening day’s action was split across two sections. The first took crews through a fast 110-mile loop across tree-lined terrain, which was muddy in parts after recent heavy rain. A road section brought competitors back towards the service park for a technical and twisty two-mile timed section to conclude the day.

It was very different terrain to that experienced in the Saudi desert, but Quintero and Short again showed they were a force to be reckoned with. The pair decided early on to avoid big risks and focus on finding their rhythm, a strategy that worked out better than they expected. The #203 Hilux was on the pace from the start, and after an intense fight at the front the crew finished the opening day in second place, just 17 seconds behind the pace setters who, incidentally, were also in another DKR GR Hilux.

Miura and Monleón put in a solid, experience-building performance. Fighting some nerves and nursing the car through to the end after an impact, Miura crossed the line in 20th place. Meanwhile, Lategan and Cummings suffered greater misfortune in the #202 Hilux. The rear suspension was damaged in an impact with a tree after around 25 miles. After attempting to carry on, the pair were forced to stop an effect a roadside repair, which lost them some 30 minutes. This meant they ended the day in 22nd and a mountain to climb the following day.

Stage 2: Today represented the longest and most demanding competitive section of the entire rally, at 234 miles. Beginning at the service park, the route started with a wet and wild journey through muddy, tree-lined terrain with numerous water crossings. Crews then encountered fast and twisty mountain tracks that eventually took them across the border into Spain.

Despite their early starting position, Quintero and Short kept themselves within touching distance of the overall lead throughout. Their performance placed the #203 crew in the top six from the beginning and the top three by half distance, at which point the battle for honours intensified. It was only a blinding dust cloud from a competitor ahead that slowed their upward trajectory. They ended the day in third 64 seconds behind the winners and in third overall, less than a minute off the lead with more than 430 miles of competitive action remaining.

Lategan and Cummings set a strong pace in the #202 Hilux as they attempted to recover time following their opening day drama. Despite hitting another tree (this time only the bodywork was scarred), they finished in a competitive fifth place. However, the huge deficit caused by the previous day’s issues still left the crew in 19th place overall. Debutant Miura continued to gather experience and finished in 21st place, which maintained his overall Ultimate class position of 20th.

Rally-Raid Portugal result – stage three to the end

Stage 3: The fastest stage of the event took crews on a 184-mile loop through treacherous, muddy terrain in Spain. The high speeds and wider roads of this stage suited Quintero and Short, who started the day in third but quickly moved into the lead thanks to their intense pace. By half distance the #203 Hilux led both the stage and the overall rankings. However, a dramatic conclusion to the stage saw the pair suffer two punctures. They eventually finished fourth and missed out on the podium by just two seconds, but it was enough to move the crew up into second place overall.

Unfortunately, there was worse drama for Lategan and Cummings. After coming over a blind crest at high speed, there wasn’t enough time to slow down before a sharp right-hand bend. Lategan tried to find an escape route between the trees and rocks lining the bend but additional objects kicked the back of the car up and it rolled end over end. The #202 Hilux was too badly damaged to resume the following day, so the crew was forced to retire. In better news, however, Miura’s clean driving and consistency helped him finish in 16th place and move up into 15th overall.

Stage 4: The penultimate day featured almost 200 miles of competitive action across rough, muddy terrain heading south to Portugal’s Algarve coast. The demanding route consisted of narrow tracks that were sometimes uneven and treacherous following recent rains.

Although the team as a whole was now down to two crews, Quintero and Short weren’t willing to take unnecessary risks in a desperate bid to climb the rankings. Nevertheless, the #203 pair were fast enough to find themselves among the front runners from the start. As a result they briefly moved into the top three towards the end of the day but concluded in fourth, just three seconds from a podium finish. It was a consistent run that strengthened the crew’s hold on second overall but increased the deficit to the leaders, which was now 150 seconds. And worryingly, the following day’s final stage was relatively short…

Miura’s late starting position meant he encountered more difficult stage conditions than the leaders. They lost time in the wettest early stages but as the terrain dried out towards the end of the day their speed increased, which led them to a 17th place finish and a move up into 14th overall.

Stage 5: This short but spectacular stage took place in the mountains above Portugal’s Algarve coast. The fast and twisty route took competitors along ridges and through valleys – terrain designed to test their concentration to the limit.

Quintero and Short started the day in second overall and completed a clean, steady run to finish fifth, 42 seconds behind the stage winners. In so doing they secured the overall runners-up spot, a notable first podium finish for the new DKR GR Hilux in only its second rally, and elevated Toyota to second place in the manufacturers’ championship. Meanwhile, Miura successfully completed his first event with Toyota Gazoo Racing and finished 14th overall, having safely navigated the treacherous conditions and changing weather throughout the week.

W2RC result: Rally-Raid Portugal final standings

W2RC 2026: manufacturer championship standings

W2RC 2026: Where next?

All three Toyota Gazoo Racing crews will return to action when round three of the W2RC 2026 season takes place in Argentina on 24-29 May. The Desafío Ruta 40, which returns to the championship after a one-year break, features stunning natural landscapes across a variety of demanding terrains.