One-two victory for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC in Argentina

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) earned a one-two victory in the Desafío Ruta 40, round three of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), after an exciting final day in Argentina.

The team’s DKR GR Hilux pickups conquered challenging terrain over five days in the spectacular Andes mountains to win for the first time this season and strengthen its World Championship challenge.

TGR W2RC headed into the final day leading the rally but facing a demanding Stage 5, which took place on rough dirt roads around San Juan, and began with a steep climb to 3,323 m. The 340 km distance included an untimed 114 km transfer zone between timed sections.

Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short started Stage 5 with a slender seven-second lead in their #203 DKR GR Hilux after more than 1,000 km of competition. A strong start saw them lead the stage early on until two punctures cost time. They responded in style to earn a stage podium for third and take the rally victory, their first-ever overall W2RC win.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings were third after Stage 4, still within two minutes of the rally lead in their #202 DKR GR Hilux. However, a three-minute penalty for late check-in at a time control severely dented their chances of victory before the final stage began. They fought back to win Stage 5 with a dominant performance which earned second place overall.

Akira Miura and Armand Monleón had reached the overall top 10 before Thursday’s penultimate stage, which they were unable to complete. Despite a penalty of 12 hours 30 minutes, they started Stage 5 to gain valuable experience in just their second W2RC rally together in the #204 DKR GR Hilux. However, a suspension issue meant they were unable to complete the stage and did not complete the rally.

TGR W2RC are second in the manufacturers’ World Championship, 65 points behind leaders Dacia Sandriders. Quintero and Short are third in the drivers’ and navigators’ standings respectively, just 13 points off the lead. Their title challenge will resume at the fourth of five rounds this season, the Rallye du Maroc, which starts on 28 September.

Quotes:

Henk Lategan: “I’m happy for the team to get this one-two. Congratulations to Seth and Andrew, I’m happy for them. It was a tough battle between the top four cars and a great race. For us it was unfortunate about the penalty, which felt a bit harsh. I’m still happy to get the second place and to have been quickest over the stages. I’m happy to pull off a result like this on our first time in Argentina. It’s an awesome race, awesome scenery, spectacular stages and amazing people. It has been a pleasure.”

Seth Quintero: “It has been a very good week for us. We tried our absolute best every single day. TGR W2RC gave me the tools to do what I needed to do, and we came away with the victory. It feels amazing. I am really happy to win here in front of all these fantastic fans and to give TGR W2RC this victory. We have been working so hard this year. Everyone’s hard work paid off and I’m glad I could finally achieve this for them because I am so thankful to be part of this family.”

Akira Miura: “We experienced many things in this rally, some good, some not so good. But that’s motorsports. I feel like we improved a lot since Portugal and we showed this by getting into the overall top 10 after Stage 3. After that we had some issues so we couldn’t complete the rally. But it all adds to my experience. I want to say thank you to Armand and the whole TGR W2RC team. Together we will improve every day.”

Desafío Ruta 40 – Provisional Stage 5 result*

Desafío Ruta 40 – Provisional result*

*Correct at time of publication