Top class desert racing is underway at the 2024 Rallye du Maroc and the speeds are simply sensational. Dakar Rally big hitters are tuning up their machinery in the Sahara Desert and the level of competition over the opening stages in Morocco is off the scale. Take a trip to the dunes with us as we catch up with the main contenders…
After three days of racing in North Africa it’s six-time Rallye du Maroc winner Nasser Al-Attiyah who leads the way in the Ultimate class. Al-Attiyah is racing his all-new Dacia Sandrider for the first time and after a Prologue and two long desert stages it’s so far, so good. The Qatari delivered Dacia their first-ever rally-raid stage win on Monday and is on course for a third consecutive W2RC Ultimate class title. Al-Attiyah and co-driver Edouard Boulanger lead Rallye du Maroc with three stages remaining.
« We are learning a lot each day from the performance of the car. I feel we can still push more because the pace is good. » – Nasser Al-Attiyah
Al-Attiyah was joined on the Stage 2 podium by Dacia team-mates Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Fabian Lurquin who are back up to speed after suffering a broken front-right suspension arm on the Prologue.
« We had no problems with the car today so all in all it was a good day for us. » – Sébastien Loeb
The third Dacia crew of Cristina Gutiérrez and co-driver Pablo Moreno also returned their Sandrider safely to the Zagora bivouac as the team continue to clock valuable kilometres before next January’s trip to the Dakar. Gutiérrez has shown she has the speed to stay with the very best in Morocco and was only slowed down on Stage 2 by a mechanical issue while driving in the dunes.
« Today was a little bit difficult for us because at the beginning of the stage our car suffered a broken upper arm. We could change the part and carry on so it was good training for us. » – Cristina Gutiérrez
Taking the Ultimate class win on the 500-kilometre Stage 2 were the Toyota Gazoo Racing crew of Lucas Moraes and co-driver Armand Monleon. Brazilian Moraes beat Al-Attiyah by 13 seconds to get his hands on a stack of useful World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) points as well as climb to third overall on the Rallye du Maroc leaderboard.
« We’re really happy to get the stage win today. I have to say a big thank you to my co-driver Armand (Monleon). He did a great job all day, especially in the dunes. » – Lucas Moraes
Moraes is joined at the business end of the leaderboard by his fellow Toyota Gazoo Racing crew of Seth Quintero and co-driver Dennis Zenz. If Moraes and Quintero stay on the pace for the remaining three stages they will guarantee a third consecutive W2RC Constructors Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing.
« There was a lot of dust for us today, but our start position for tomorrow is a lot better. » – Seth Quintero
One of the many Dakar contenders racing all-new machinery in Morocco this week is Guillaume De Mévius The Belgian is behind the wheel of the latest X-raid MINI JCW Rally car set to challenge the next Dakar. De Mévius and co-driver Mathieu Baumel have wasted no time in getting to grips with their new machine and sit behind Al-Attiyah in second overall with three stages still to race in the Sahara.
There was drama in the Zagora bivouac on the morning of Stage 2 when the news came through that Carlos Sainz would not be racing today. The reigning Dakar Rally champion took the tough decision after analysing the data coming from the engine of his Ford Raptor T1+. Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz plan to rejoin the race on Wednesday after scoring an impressive third place on Stage 1.
« This morning I fired up the car and we saw an issue with the data. I hope I can continue tomorrow and put in some mileage in the car. » – Carlos Sainz
The news was better for Sainz’s Ford Performance team-mates Mattias Ekström and co-driver Emil Bergkvist on Stage 2 as they clocked the seventh fastest time in the Ultimate class. It’s vital that Sainz and Ekström manage to race as many kilometres as possible before the Ford Raptor T1+ arrives at the Dakar.
The new-look line up of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have wasted no time in getting up to race pace. Daniel Sanders has clocked podium results on the opening two stages in Morocco, plus on the Prologue, to show that he’s back and means business. The Australian rider sits second with three stages to race and is less than a minute behind bike category leader Tosha Schareina.
« I opened the stage for about 200km before the refuel, navigating all through the dunes. Things are looking good for tomorrow. » – Daniel Sanders
Sanders’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Luciano Benavides is also right in the mix for a top result in Morocco. The reigning W2RC title holder from Argentina is seven minutes back from Sanders and third overall in the two-wheel contest.
« Overall I think my pace and rhythm is getting closer to the guys at the front. » – Luciano Benavides
There’s also plenty of prep for the upcoming Dakar going down in the Lightweight Vehicle divisions. Getting himself up to race pace in the Challenger class is Mitch Guthrie Jr. alongside co-driver Kellon Walch. This duo will race a Ford Raptor T1+ at the next Dakar after getting into race rhythm with their Taurus T3 Max this week in Morocco. The pair are currently third overall in the Challenger class.
Also at the controls of a Taurus T3 Max is Dania Akeel as she prepares to take on another Dakar Rally in her homeland of Saudi Arabia. Akeel and co-driver Stephane Duple are within touching distance of the Challenger class podium spots after racing two desert stages in Morocco after impressive and consistent performances.
« We had a lot of dust coming in our direction so we had to slow down. We finished eighth in the Challenger class so that’s still good. » – Dania Akeel
Looking to claim the 2024 W2RC Challenger class crown at this season finale in Morocco is Rokas Baciuška. The Lithuanian Can-Am driver can become the first-ever W2RC driver to take titles in two categories thanks to his previous SSV success. Baciuška and co-driver Fausto Mota are still in the game with three stages left to race this week.
« The fight for the title continues and an even longer special section waits for us tomorrow! » – Rokas Baciuška
Elsewhere in the convoy is Francisco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez and co-driver Sebastian Cesana putting their Can-Am Maverick R through its paces in the SSV category. It’s another example of essential pre-Dakar prep being carried out on the dunes of this latest edition of the Rallye du Maroc.
Wednesday’s Stage 3 sees the Rallye du Maroc depart Zagora and head towards Mengoub. The day will include a timed special stage over Saharan sands measuring 321 kilometres. Then the convoy will have two more long days of racing in the desert before the chequered flag flies in Morocco on Friday, October 11.
Rallye du Maroc Standings after Stage 2
Rallye du Maroc – Ultimate Class – Top 3
1. N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) – Dacia, 05:15:19
2. G. De Mevius (BEL) – Mini, +08:22
3. L. Moraes (BRA) – Toyota, +11:18…
Rallye du Maroc – Challenger Class – Top 3
1. MA. Goczal (POL) – Taurus, 05:42:33
2. E. Goczal (POL) – Taurus, +02:54
3. M. Guthrie JR. (USA) – Taurus, +06:01…
Rallye du Maroc – Bike Class – Top 3
1. T. Schareina (ESP) – Honda, 05:59:23
2. D. Sanders (AUS) – KTM, +00:42
3. L. Benavides (ARG) – KTM, +07:53…
QUOTES
Nasser Al-Attiyah: « We had another good run today and we’re really quite happy. We opened the whole day without any mistakes, Edouard (Boulanger) was great with the navigation. We’re learning a lot each day from the performance of the car. I feel we can still push more because the pace is good. The aim is to collect as much data as we can to help us be successful at the next Dakar. »
Sébastien Loeb: « We had a safe start with no big risks in the rocky section at the beginning. It was important to avoid punctures, but we still managed to get one puncture around the halfway point of the stage. We had no problems with the car today so all in all it was a good day for us. »
Cristina Gutiérrez: « Today was a little bit difficult for us because at the beginning of the stage our car suffered a broken upper arm. We could change the part and carry on so it was good training for us. It was the first time we’d had a mechanical problem inside of the stage and we fixed it. »
Lucas Moraes: « We’re really happy to get the stage win today. I have to say a big thank you to my co-driver Armand (Monleon). He did a great job all day, especially in the dunes. Also thanks to the team for delivering another great car. »
Seth Quintero: « It was a better stage for us today. I tried super hard and passed a few cars. There was a lot of dust for us today, but our start position for tomorrow is a lot better. »
Carlos Sainz: « This morning I fired up the car and we saw an issue with the data. The team decided to check it properly and not take the risk to go out with the car and break something at this point of the rally. I hope I can continue tomorrow and put in some mileage in the car. »
Daniel Sanders: « It was a long stage today. I started off second and then caught Ross (Branch) about 20km in. I opened the stage for about 200km before the refuel, navigating all through the dunes while riding by myself. Things are looking good for tomorrow. »
Luciano Benavides: « Stage 2 was another good day for us in Morocco. I finished fourth overall. It was a super tough stage with lots of rocky terrain. There were hidden dangers on the stage so I really concentrated on my navigation and avoiding big mistakes. Overall I think my pace and rhythm is getting closer to the guys at the front. »
Dania Akeel: « We had a good time on Stage 2, but we did lose a few minutes because our alarm system didn’t work. That’s the button you press so that the car in front of you moves out of the way. That meant that we had a lot of dust coming in our direction so we had to slow down. We finished eighth in the Challenger class so that’s still good. »
Rokas Baciuška: « It was a long day, almost three hours spent on the track. We climbed some positions but then encountered technical problems. Two variator belts broke so we had to stop and we ended up losing nearly 10 minutes. The fight for the title continues and an even longer special section waits for us tomorrow! »
Christine Fial,