Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed its full lineup for the 2026 W2RC with a Hilux DKR developed from scratch by engineers Christian Loriaux and Glyn Hall of Overdrive Racing. The three official crews will aim for a fifth consecutive manufacturers' title, defending Japanese hegemony in world rally-raid.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings will compete with the #202 after finishing second in the 2025 Dakar and third in the W2RC world championship. The South African duo achieved their first W2RC victory by winning the Safari Rally in South Africa during their first full season with Toyota.

Seth Quintero and Andrew Short will continue with the #203 in the American's second season in the Ultimate category. Quintero reached the top-10 in the 2025 Dakar during his first campaign and achieved his first stage victory in the W2RC, demonstrating pure speed despite mechanical issues.

Toby Price returns to the Dakar with the #201 alongside Armand Monleón after last year's drama. The Australian two-time motorcycle champion (2016, 2019) retired from the 2025 Dakar when his co-driver Sam Sunderland suffered a concussion.

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Complete Development of the New Hilux DKR

The new DKR GR Hilux incorporates a completely redesigned tubular chassis that offers greater torsional rigidity and reduced weight. The reinforced transmissions are designed to handle the extreme loads of the world's most demanding rally and contribute to a faster, more resilient vehicle.

Simplified maintenance will be crucial during the marathon stages of the 2026 Dakar, where teams sleep next to their vehicles in standard tents without access to their professional mechanics. Competitors subsist on food rations and must perform all repairs themselves.

Overdrive Racing developed the project under the direction of Loriaux and Hall, who had created the previous Hilux. The new car will be exclusive to the Toyota Gazoo Racing team before becoming available to private teams in the second half of 2026.

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Marathon Stages and Route from Yanbu

The 2026 Dakar Rally will take place from January 3 to 17, starting and finishing at the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. The route includes an extensive loop through challenging desert terrain and sand dunes in central Saudi Arabia with only one rest day scheduled in the capital, Riyadh.

The two marathon stages will be consecutive over two days where teams will sleep in basic shelter camps. Competitors will have no external assistance or support from their professional teams, relying solely on their ability to repair the vehicles.

The rally includes approximately 5,000 kilometers of timed special stages and 2,500 kilometers of liaison sections, establishing one of the longest routes in competitive distance in recent years. The marathon stages distribute the physical and mechanical wear in a balanced manner.

2026 W2RC Calendar

The Dakar opens the fifth season of the World Rally-Raid Championship with a five-round calendar. After the Saudi rally, the season continues with the BP Ultimate Rally Raid in Portugal (March 12-22), the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina (May 24-29), the Rallye du Maroc (September 28-October 3), and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (November 22-27).

Toyota Gazoo Racing has won four consecutive world manufacturers' titles and three drivers' titles in recent years. Lucas Moraes claimed the most recent drivers' title in 2025, confirming the effectiveness of the Japanese program in different geographical and climatic scenarios.

The Japanese manufacturer must demonstrate that the new development maintains its competitive superiority in the face of growing competition from other manufacturers who have increased their investments in world rally-raid in recent years.

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Challenges of the New Development

The new Hilux DKR will face its first real test in the Saudi Dakar, considered the most demanding rally on the world calendar. The implemented improvements must function in extreme temperatures, abrasive terrain, and prolonged distances without external assistance.

The reinforced transmissions aim to eliminate the mechanical failures that have affected several teams in previous editions of the Dakar. Reliability will be crucial during the 15 days of competition, especially in the marathon stages where repairs depend solely on drivers and navigators.

The redesigned tubular chassis must offer the perfect balance between structural rigidity and optimized weight to maximize performance on the sand, rocks, and mixed terrain that characterize the Saudi Dakar route.