Henk Lategan Under Pressure on Dakar 2026 Stage 11

Dakar Rally, Sportrik Media - Henk Lategan (Car) came under significant pressure on Stage 11 of the 2026 Dakar Rally after a critical technical failure effectively ended Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC’s chances of remaining in overall victory contention.

The high-speed stage from Bisha to Al Henakiyah covered a total distance of 882 km, including a 346 km timed section, demanding precise navigation and strict risk management across hard-packed dirt tracks and dusty plateaus. Starting the day second overall, Lategan and navigator Brett Cummings adopted an aggressive approach in an effort to close the gap to the rally leader.

That strategy collapsed when a wheel bearing failure struck the #202 Toyota GR Hilux at the 140 km mark. With no spare parts available under Dakar Rally’s limited assistance regulations on long stages, the crew attempted to continue on three wheels before being forced to stop. A delay of nearly four hours immediately eliminated podium prospects and dropped them to 23rd in the overall standings.

“It is really frustrating. This year it feels like everything that Dakar could throw at us has happened,” said Henk Lategan.

Elsewhere in the Toyota camp, a controlled and conservative strategy paid dividends for Seth Quintero and Andrew Short. Their fifth-place finish on Stage 11 keeps them 11th overall, still realistically in the fight for a top-10 result with two competitive stages remaining, underlining the value of clean navigation and disciplined pace management.

“It has been a good day for us and we are still fighting for the overall top 10,” said Seth Quintero.

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Meanwhile, Toby Price and navigator Armand Monleón maintained a measured approach through heavy dust conditions. Their 13th-place finish was enough to move them up to eighth overall, reinforcing Toyota’s focus on mechanical durability and navigation discipline heading into Stage 12 towards Yanbu, which is expected to be decisive for the final classification.

“The car is in good shape and the rally’s not over yet,” said Toby Price.

Dakar Rally 2026 Overall Standings – Cars

(After Stage 11 | Mobile-Friendly)