W2RC 2026 result after Round 3: Desafío Ruta 40

Following an eight-week break since the last event in Portugal, the crews returned to the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for round three of the W2RC 2026 season, which took place across the Atlantic Ocean in the Andes mountains of South America. Here, Toyota conquered high altitudes and challenging terrain to earn a well-deserved one-two victory – our first overall win of the year.

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

W2RC 2026: Desafío Ruta 40 result – stages one and two

Three immaculately presented Toyota Gazoo Racing crews returned to action in Argentina for the Desafío Ruta 40, which was reinstated into the championship after a one-year break. The event shadows South America’s legendary Ruta Nacional 40 that follows the Andes mountains along the western side of Argentina. The demanding five-stage route featured stunning natural landscapes across a variety of demanding natural terrains, including deserts and high-altitude mountain passes.

Stage 1: The opening stage took place above the city of San Juan in the north of Argentina. It included 210 miles of timed action on empty riverbeds, salt flats and gravel plains – terrain that was more punishing than it appeared on paper and came with the additional disadvantage of being almost 1,000m above sea level.

Despite the handicap of being one of the first cars on stage, Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short were the fastest in the Ultimate class in the #203 DKR GR Hilux. The pair maintained a strong pace and ended the day in fourth, following an intense fight for the podium. Meanwhile, a similarly strong second-half performance by Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings saw their #202 car successfully recover ground and finish sixth after an early puncture dropped them out of the top ten. Third among the TGR crews was Akira Miura in the blue (Toyota Auto Body branded) #204 Hilux, who battled valiantly through a puncture and damaged windscreen in only his second rally with the team.

Stage 2: With two DKR GR Hilux models now in the top six, the crews planned to push hard and strengthen their overall position. The day started with an 80-mile timed section that featured steep climbs and equally steep descents on sandy tracks dotted with vegetation and potholes. But this was followed by a mammoth 315-mile road trip south to the city of San Rafael.

Fourth-placed Quintero and Short suffered an early puncture which dented their podium challenge. However, the pair fought back strongly in the #203 Hilux and finished sixth, which, when consolidated with everybody else’s performance, elevated them to second overall and just nine seconds behind the lead car. Lategan and Cummings experienced similar fortunes in the #202 car after overcoming a first half that had to be taken cautiously due to a misjudged set-up. They started in sixth, finished the day eighth, but concluded in fourth overall. Meanwhile, Miura and Monleón made creditable progress into 15th place in the #204 Hilux.

Desafío Ruta 40 result – stage three to the end

Stage 3: Consisting of more than four hours of flat-out competition, this was the most demanding day of the rally so far. The route took competitors into the Andes mountains and included a 254-mile timed section. It started on winding, sandy tracks before a long, fast section through dunes and dry riverbeds. The spectacular drive ended with a steep climb to 2,715m altitude along winding, snow-lined paths.

Here, Lategan and co-driver Cummings delivered a dominant performance, and led from early on in the #202 DKR GR Hilux. Despite the varied and gruelling terrain they consistently set the pace to win the stage and seize the overall lead. Consistency and ever-improving confidence also saw Miura and Monleón continue their rise up the leaderboard, now tenth overall.

Meanwhile, Quintero and Short started the day in second overall in the #203 car. Almost immediately the pair suffered a puncture, followed by a broken damper another 30 miles down the road. Determined not to let these misfortunes rob their momentum, the pair used the afternoon to close in on the podium positions with a relentlessly fast pace and were rewarded by taking third in the final few miles.

Stage 4: Day four represented another long and gruelling test at altitudes that climbed to 3,110m – where oxygen is depleted by more than 30% compared to sea level. It began with a steep, breathtaking climb to the mountain top, followed by a rush through ravines and narrow trails – totalling around 190 miles of timed action on a route back to San Juan.

Toyota’s one-two victory the day before meant its leading Hilux models were first out on the stage, which created an additional navigation challenge due to a multitude of parallel roads. But the crews were determined to practice damage limitation in order to stay on top of the overall standings.

Well, that was the plan. Second-placed Quintero and Short were soon on the back foot, having lost time through blinding dust and two punctures just 20 miles apart. However, a strong fightback moved them into the top six, followed by a fast final section that earned the #203 Hilux fifth place and the overall lead. Lategan and Cummings also suffered two punctures, which shuffled them from being overall leaders and first on the road to eighth place and third overall.

Stage 5: Toyota Gazoo Racing headed into the final day leading the rally by the smallest of margins – just seven seconds after more than 600 miles of competition. With no laurels to rest on and more than 210 miles of stages and transfers ahead, leaders Quintero and Short had little option but to start strong. They led the stage early on, until two punctures cost them valuable time. Nevertheless, the pair responded in style and earned a stage podium for third in the #203 DKR GR Hilux, which was enough to capture the rally victory – their first-ever overall W2RC win as well as Toyota’s first win of the 2026 season.

Lategan and Cummings began stage five in third and within two minutes of the rally lead. However, a three-minute penalty for a late check-in at a time control severely dented their chances of victory. So the duo fought valiantly with a dominant, quickest-of-all performance that elevated them to second place overall. Meanwhile, Miura and Monleón had been unable to complete the previous day’s action but started stage five to continue building their W2RC experience. Unfortunately, a suspension issue forced them to retire without completing the event.

W2RC result: Desafío Ruta 40 final standings

W2RC 2026: manufacturer championship standings

W2RC 2026: Where next?

All three Toyota Gazoo Racing crews will return to action when the penultimate round of the W2RC 2026 season takes place in Morocco on 28 September to 3 October. The Rallye du Maroc has been a mainstay of the championship since its introduction in 2022 and was the season finale for the past three years. The route offers challenging stages and an unrivaled experience through North Africa’s deserts.