Stage 11 of the 2026 Dakar Rally delivered the moment TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC had been trying to avoid all week. On one of the fastest stages of the event, a single mechanical failure brought their overall victory challenge to an abrupt and costly end.

The 882-kilometre route from Bisha to Al Henakiyah crossed dusty plateaus and high-speed dirt tracks, with 346 kilometres against the clock. It was a stage built for momentum — and one that punished even small technical weaknesses.

For Toyota, it proved decisive.

A rally ends on a bearing

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings started Stage 11 second overall and still within striking distance of the rally lead. The plan was simple: apply pressure and see what unfolded.

Instead, at the 140-kilometre mark, a wheel bearing failure left their #202 DKR GR Hilux stranded. With no suitable spares on board, they attempted to limp forward on three wheels before being forced to stop again just 10 kilometres later.

They waited for the spare parts truck, made repairs, and eventually rejoined the stage. By then, the damage was done. Nearly four hours had been lost, and any realistic chance of an overall podium was gone.

Still, Lategan and Cummings completed the remaining 200 kilometres — an act of persistence rather than optimism. They now sit 23rd overall.

Quintero keeps the pressure on

While one Toyota fell out of contention, Seth Quintero and Andrew Short delivered one of their cleanest runs of the rally. The #203 Hilux ran near the front all day and finished fifth without technical issues.

The result keeps them 11th overall, with two stages remaining and 416 kilometres still to be timed. After earlier setbacks from punctures and delays, their Dakar has become a salvage operation — but one still capable of finishing strongly.

Price holds top ten

Toby Price and Armand Monleón continued their steady, low-risk approach through the dust, finishing 13th on the stage.

That result consolidates their position inside the overall top ten, with the #204 Hilux now eighth heading into the final two days. In a rally defined by attrition, consistency has quietly become their strongest asset.

Others fight, Al-Attiyah controls

Stage 11 was won by Ford Racing’s Markus Ekström and Emil Bergkvist, ahead of Romain Dumas and Alex Winocq. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz completed the podium, also for Ford.

At the front of the overall standings, Nasser Al-Attiyah maintained control of the rally for the Dacia Sandriders — benefiting from the misfortune behind him more than any aggressive move of his own.

The road back to Yanbu

Friday’s Stage 12 sends the field westward on a 720-kilometre route back to Yanbu, the city where the rally began almost two weeks ago. The stage includes a mix of terrain and 416 kilometres of competitive distance.

Saturday’s final stage is short and technical — just 105 kilometres on the clock — and will decide the final standings.

For Toyota, the objective has shifted. The fight for overall victory is over. What remains is damage control, stage results, and bringing all cars home.

Key Quotes

Henk Lategan:
“It is really frustrating. This year it feels like everything that Dakar could throw at us has happened. This rally tried hard to get us down and we lost four hours on this stage, so it has finally succeeded. Every day we would get ourselves back up into a decent position. We have been pushing for so many days and trying so hard. We’ll keep going and push again tomorrow because it’s the only way we know.”

Seth Quintero:
“It has been a good day for us. We started off at a decent pace. Unfortunately, we saw our good buddies and team-mates Henk and Brett waiting for parts, but we didn’t have those parts, so we continued. We made up quite a bit of time towards the end and were fifth, so that’s a pretty good result. We have a decent starting position for tomorrow and we’re still fighting for the overall top 10. Hopefully we finish the rally strongly and bring that home.”

Toby Price:
“It was hard work out there but a super fun stage. We passed Henk and Brett in the stage, and it was tough to leave them there, but we didn’t have the parts he needed. The rest of the stage went well but we just couldn’t make up any time because of the dust. I’m a little disappointed with that, but I enjoyed driving at full throttle. There are a couple more days to go and it would be nice to get a stage win. The car is in good shape and the rally’s not over yet, so anything can happen. We’ll keep pushing on.”