– Nacho Cornejo finishes 2nd
Hero MotoSports Team Rally – the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero MotoCorp, delivered a stellar performance in Stage 4 of the Rallye Du Maroc, the fifth and final round of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Competing in the premier Rally GP class, Nacho put in a masterful ride through a demanding stage that featured tricky navigation across varied terrains, crossing the finish line with the 2nd fastest time of the day.
Ross Branch, the reigning World Champion, bounced back strong from the previous day’s mechanical setback, and finished Stage 4 in the 7th fastest time. Ross’ determined performance reflected his trademark grit and kept the team’s overall momentum high. Meanwhile, Austrian rider Tobias Ebster continued his consistent run with another impressive ride, finishing the stage in the 13th position, and 6th in the Rally2 category.
With yet another top result to his tally, Nacho has climbed up to the 5th position in the overall race standings. Tobias also improved his positions across both leaderboards, now sitting 11th overall and 4th in Rally2. Ross, who lost crucial time in Stage 3 owing to a mechanical issue, continues to push forward from his 25th position in the general classification.
It was a good day for Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo, who delivered a composed and confident performance through one of the rally’s most technical stages, navigating with precision and maintaining a strong rhythm throughout.
In Stage 4, staying true to his ‘Kalahari Ferrari’ spirit, Ross Branch recovered quickly from brief navigation slips and maintained a strong, steady pace even through a spell of rain. Tobias too showed great composure, catching the front group early on before losing some time in a wrong valley, but bounced back to finish strong.
Thursday’s Stage 4 took competitors on yet another loop around Erfoud – covering a total distance of 378 km, including a 283 km special. The special was fast and flowing, set on predominantly sandy terrain. While there were no major dunes this time, the riders faced several small cordons and technical trial-like sections that added to the challenge. Many described it as the most beautiful stage of the rally so far.
Looking ahead, the final Stage 5 on Friday will see competitors take on a 311 km loop around Erfoud, featuring a 216 km timed special. The concluding stage is set to seal crucial championship rankings before the competitors shift their focus to the next big test – the legendary Dakar Rally 2026, coming up in January.
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « I am really happy with how today went – it was a very solid day overall. The stage was quite technical in terms of navigation, but I felt confident on the bike and managed to keep a good rhythm. Thank you for your patience and constant support while I adapted to the bike. We’ll keep working hard to bring more results like this in the future. »
Ross Branch, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « That’s Stage 4 done and dusted. I had a really fun day out there. I got lost a couple of times in the morning, but overall it was an awesome day on the bike. We even had some rain along the route, which made it interesting! It’s been a great experience. »
Tobias Ebster, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: « Stage 4 was definitely not an easy one. There was a lot of tricky navigation right from the start. Around kilometer 35, I was catching up to the front riders but ended up going into the wrong valley, which cost me some time. After that, I managed to recover quite well and rode most of the stage together with my teammate Ross – we had a good time out there. The team is working amazingly well together, and it’s really motivating to be a part of it. »
Provisional Classification of Stage 04 (Overall)
1. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda HRC, 02h 57m 44s
2. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 00m 24s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 02m 02s
7. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 09m 30s
13. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 15m 46s
Provisional Classification after Stage 04 (Overall)
1. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda Team, 13h 25m 56s
2. Daniel Sanders, Redbull KTM Racing Team, + 03m 33s
3. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 08m 47s
5. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 27m 38s
11. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 01h 03m 40s
25. Ross Branch, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 02h 32m 50s
Provisional Classification of Stage 04 (Rally2 Class)
1. Konrad Dabrowski, Duust Rally Team, + 03h 04m 38s
2. Edgar Canet, Redbull KTM Racing Team, + 03m 36s
3. Martim Ventura, Honda HRC, + 06m 49s
6. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 08m 52s
Provisional Classification after Stage 04 (Rally2 Class)
1. Edgar Canet, Redbull KTM Racing Team, + 13h 59m 33s
2. Konrad Dabrowski, Duust Rally Team, + 16m 06s
3. Michael Docherty, BAS World KTM Team, + 23m 14s
4. Tobias Ebster, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 30m 03s