Moraes & Monleon bounce back in opening stage in Argentina

After a tricky prologue, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing duo of Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon got their Desafío Ruta 40 campaign back on track in emphatic fashion by capturing third place in the opening stage of the fourth round of the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in Argentina. Despite starting 28^th on the road, the pair passed no less than 18 cars on their way to a podium finish in what was an incredible display of rally racing in their GR DKR Hilux T1+.

The route saw competitors loop around the province of Córdoba for a total of 505 km, 381 km of which comprised the special stage. The terrain featured 90% gravel, but that proved to be no match for Moraes and Monleon, as they covered the course in 04hr 01min 51sec, to finish just 05min 51sec behind eventual stage winners Yazeed Al Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk. Brazilian driver Lucas and his Spanish navigator Armand headed into the rally lying 4^th in the W2RC standings, just three points adrift of Al Rajhi and Gottschalk, who are currently third.

The day proved to be slightly tougher for the second TGR crew of Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz, but through little fault of their own. The young American driver and his German navigator got off to an excellent start and led during the early stages before they found themselves caught in the dust of some slower rivals. When an opening eventually appeared at the 270 km mark, Seth made his move to overtake, only to discover a host of spectators stationed dangerously close to the route and within striking distance of their vehicle. Looking to avoid potential disaster, Quintero took a sharp right and while the fans escaped unharmed, the TGR crew careened into a deep ditch.

The incident cost them 15min on the timesheet, but they were still able to secure a 12th-place finish. They are 25min 26sec off the pace, with four stages remaining.

The twelfth edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 is taking place three months earlier than the 2023 event, and as a result, participants have had to endure far colder temperatures than they’re accustomed to, particularly during the early-morning liaisons. It will take some getting used to, but they’ll be hoping that the climate, like the action, heats up.

Tuesday’s Stage 2 will see competitors travel west from Córdoba to the city of San Juan in the Cuyo Region. They’ll cover a total of 724 km, including 423 km of the racing route. Conditions are expected to be similar to what the teams encountered on Monday, with the majority of the stage dominated by gravel. However, they’ll also get their first taste of the dreaded fesh-fesh – a very fine, powdery sand that could spell potential disaster for any vehicle that doesn’t treat it with the respect it deserves.

QUOTES:

Alain Dujardyn, W2RC Team Principal: 

"Congratulations to Lucas & Armand for fighting back brilliantly in the opening stage despite starting so far back. They pushed too hard in the prologue, but made amends when it counted.

As for Seth and Dennis, it was sad to see the disappointment on their faces when they arrived at the bivouac. They had everything under control until km 241, running strongly in fourth position until a wayward spectator forced Seth to steer away, causing them to slip off the track and get stuck for a considerable amount of time. What counts for me is that they demonstrated impressive pace. Such a performance will ultimately pay off.

I’d also like to thank Toyota GAZOO Racing Argentina for hosting their regional hospitality program during the opening stage, where they invited Toyota customers from Argentina, Peru, Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil to watch the race and visit us at the service bivouac.”

Lucas Moraes: 

"Today was a great day. To be top three after starting from 28^th was a good job. Thank you to the team for doing such great work on the car. We are in the game and let's keep fighting.”

Seth Quintero: “I didn’t want to hit a spectator, so I jolted right, and dropped the front-right off a small cliff. It was no big deal initially, I tried to back up but then the right rear slid in, and we got stuck there for a while. It wasn’t a good day. Happy with my driving, the car and the team but I guess we just needed some better luck.”

DESAFÍO RUTA 40 – STAGE 1 RESULTS 

DESAFÍO RUTA 40 – PROLOGUE RESULTS

Partners

Red Bull has established itself as the premiere supporter of extreme sports and athletes, and as such fits perfectly with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's Dakar and W2RC efforts. The Austrian energy drink manufacturer has partnered with TGR over numerous years, and the involvement bore fruit when the team won a second Dakar title in January 2022, and a third in 2023.

SpeedMax is a CantuStore's private label, which is the largest omnichannel platform and leader in tire replacement market in Brazil. SpeedMax promotes maximum performance through high-performance tires that suit all types of vehicles, from passenger cars to trucks and tractors, as well as inner tubes and truck wheels.