Baja TT Sharish: Podium and progress for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in Portugal

Lisbon: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) accelerated its preparations for the penultimate round of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) with a podium finish in the Baja Sharish in Portugal.

In their first competition since the South Africa Safari Rally in May, the GR Hilux EVOs and their crews made a one-off appearance in round eight of the FIA European Baja Cup, to gain additional experience of the local terrain ahead of BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, which takes place later this month on similar gravel and dirt roads.

The GR Hilux EVO vehicles, which are specially enhanced for durability and performance to meet the gruelling demands of rally raids such as the iconic Dakar Rally, took on 417 km of cross-country competition over three days and five stages. That provided an ideal opportunity to adjust car set-ups for the Portuguese conditions.

Seth Quintero and stand-in navigator Andrew Short stood on the podium after earning third place at the wheel of the #202 GR Hilux EVO in an event won by the privately-entered Toyota Hilux T1+ EVO of João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings – competing in Europe for the first time in their #204 GR Hilux EVO – were also on course for a podium after the opening two days before an impact with a roadside rock brought an unfortunate and premature end to their event.

The 37th edition of the Baja Sharish began with a short Prologue stage on Friday around Mourão, close to the Spanish border. Lategan and Cummings set the pace over the 5.71 km test, claiming an early lead, while Quintero and Short were close behind in fourth.

The real action began with Saturday’s two special stages on the 116 km loop from the village of Granja north towards Alandroal. Lategan and Cummings were third and second respectively to end Saturday in third place overall. Quintero and Short were a place further back in the overall standings, after fifth and fourth-placed finishes on the special stages.

Lategan and Cummings were just two minutes off the lead going into Sunday’s two 89 km special stages around the town of Reguengos de Monsaraz. But their challenge ended in retirement when their GR Hilux EVO lost a wheel after hitting a rock on the morning stage. Quintero and Short, meanwhile, maintained their strong pace and set the third fastest time. A second-place finish on the final stage secured their place on the podium.

Experience gained on the Baja Sharish will contribute to the meticulous preparations for the GR Hilux EVOs ahead of the penultimate round of the W2RC season. The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal starts in Grandola on 23 September and concludes in Lisbon five days later.

TGR leads the manufacturers’ World Championship by 92 points and a strong result in Portugal can secure that title for the fourth consecutive season, with one event to spare. A closer battle in the drivers’ and navigators’ standings sees Lategan and Cummings ranked second, 20 points behind the leaders. Quintero and his regular navigator Dennis Zenz are fourth, 35 points behind.

Henk Lategan: “This was the first Baja, and the first race in Europe, for me and Brett, and it didn’t end the way we wanted, unfortunately. Around 30 km into the first loop on Sunday we slid wide and hit a rock. The impact was not particularly heavy, but the consequences were big because we ended up losing a wheel and having to retire the car. Up to that point we had a nice run. We learned a lot and made the car a bit better, so it was a good test run for the next W2RC round in Portugal. In that sense it has been a successful weekend but it’s always disappointing whenever you don’t finish a race. We will take what we’ve learned and be stronger for the next race.”

Seth Quintero: “It was an amazing event here in Portugal – an amazing country with amazing people. It’s gone really well. Andrew did a fantastic job, and I was pleased with my driving. I’m happy with third place here because we were up against some very fast guys, and our priority was to test for the next W2RC round, as we’re part of huge championship fight. Overall, it was a good event for us, and it was nice to be back on the overall podium after some time away. The whole TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team did an amazing job, and I’m grateful for everyone’s hard work and support. Now I’m excited to continue this momentum for BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, when I hope we can build on this result and have another positive week.”