TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC powers into the lead in Morocco

• DKR GR Hilux are one-two overall after a spectacular Stage 4 on Rallye du Maroc

• Seth Quintero and Andrew Short took the lead with sixth place on Stage 4

• Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings earned a stage podium with second place

• Akira Miura and Armand Monleón recovered from Thursday’s drama with a solid drive to 17th

• The rally concludes on Saturday with a 259 km Stage 5

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) delivered a powerful team performance on Stage 4 to take a one-two lead into the final day of Rallye du Maroc, the fourth round of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

Friday’s action consisted of a high-speed 319 km timed section, which featured challenging navigation and a demanding variety of surfaces. The loop north-east of Zagora started on fast-flowing tracks before passing through picturesque valleys, canyons and mountain paths. The two lead DKR GR Hilux enjoyed a trouble-free day as the team took control with just one stage to run.

Seth Quintero and navigator Andrew Short took the overall lead after around 100 km of Stage 4 and extended their advantage over the remainder of the day. The #203 DKR GR Hilux finished sixth on the stage but more importantly, established a 2 min 45 secs lead at the top of the overall standings. They have the chance to take the lead in the drivers’ World Championship with a clean run on Stage 5.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings completed a perfect day for TGR W2RC in the overall results by moving into second place. After losing time opening Thursday’s stage, they made a rapid start today and quickly regained positions. They briefly took the stage lead within the first 100 km and were in the podium positions throughout, finishing Stage 4 in second place in the #202 DKR GR Hilux.

Akira Miura and Armand Monleón responded to their Stage 3 disappointment with a consistent day to add to their experience of desert conditions. Their challenge for the top 10 was derailed by a mechanical issue for the #204 DKR GR Hilux on Thursday, but they resumed at a competitive pace on Stage 4. Despite running in the dust of competitors ahead of them on the stage, they finished 17th, leaving them 35th overall.

After completing more than 1,000 km of timed sections so far, competitors must conquer one final stage to determine the finishing positions in this year’s Rallye du Maroc. Saturday’s Stage 5 includes a 259 km competitive section, taking crews south of Zagora and back again for the podium ceremony.

Quotes:

Henk Lategan: “We had a good day. We started 12th on the road and ended up eighth over the finish line so we overtook a few cars along the way. We had a little bit of dust but actually we caught the cars in good places. It was a really fast stage. I was hoping for more corners and tricky bits so we could make up more time, but most of the day was flat-out at top speed. But I’m happy, today feels like redemption after the time we lost yesterday. Now we’re ready to go out and fight on Stage 5.”

Seth Quintero: “It was another amazing day for us. I really feel like we’ve been managing this race well; we’ve pushed when we needed to and turned it down when we needed to. The DKR GR Hilux is performing brilliantly, and the team is doing a great job too. So now we’re in the lead by over two minutes and it’s incredible. There’s one more big day ahead of us and I’m sure our competitors will throw everything they’ve got at us.”

Akira Miura: “It was a nice stage and I enjoyed it. The route and the conditions felt a lot like the Dakar. Just like yesterday we tried to push, but we were running in dust for long periods, so it was difficult to keep up a good pace. Tomorrow we should have a better starting position and that should help. The target is to get to the end of this tough rally.”

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Stage 4 result*

Rallye du Maroc – Provisional standings after Stage 4*

*Correct at time of publication