– Docherty completes a 6 in 6 stage podium haul in Rally 2
– Nacho finishes in Top 10 in Overall and Rally GP class
Hero MotoSports Team Rally brought a close to their Rally du Maroc campaign with a masterful performance in the last stage of the rally today with both the riders finishing in the top 10 in the stage as well as in the overall rankings.
Bringing blistering speed and unwavering consistency, Mike Docherty led the team’s charge in the Rally 2 class right from the get-go. He brought his campaign to a spectacular finish in the ultimate stage with another second-place result, completing a flawless streak of six out of six stage podiums in the Rally 2 category. In the overall combined standings, he finished today’s stage in 9th place also to claim 9th overall after five brutal stages. With this highly commendable Top 10 finish, he firmly placed himself among the company of elite riders. Within the Rally 2 class standings, his dominant run earned him a brilliant 2nd place overall.
Competing in the premier Rally GP class, Chilean superstar Nacho Cornejo demonstrated the grit and calculated precision that defines elite factory racers. Despite facing early navigation challenges in the dust and rocky terrain of Morocco, Nacho fought back relentlessly. He consistently broke into the Top 10, including an impressive stage podium during Stage 3. In today’s final stage, Nacho crossed the line in 8th place, also securing 8th place in the overall combined rankings. Within the specialized Rally GP category, his final-stage performance placed him 7th, also securing a rock-solid 7th place overall after five stages.
Furthermore, the Rally du Maroc served as the first major milestone for Hero MotoCorp’s visionary ‘India’s Next Dakar Hero’ (INDH) initiative. Recently announced by Dr. Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, INDH is a first-of-its-kind talent program designed to identify, nurture, and elevate next-generation Indian off-road racers to the global world championship stage. Shlok’s seamless integration into the factory team and his world-class pace in Morocco validate the program’s ultimate mission: preparing the next generation to proudly wave the Indian flag at the ultimate challenge, the Dakar Rally.
With six podiums, a stage victory, and invaluable experience gained by its fresh talent pool, Hero MotoSports Team Rally concluded its Moroccan campaign with massive momentum, firmly established as a dominant powerhouse in the global rally-raid landscape.
Wolfgang Fischer, Manager and Head, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, « This year’s Rally du Maroc was arguably one of the more demanding tests we faced. To come away from this highly competitive field of riders with six podium finishes including a stage win in Rally 2 class, is an exceptional achievement that reflects the immense hard work of our riders, mechanics, and support crew. A special mention about Mike, who delivered a truly special performance in the Rally 2 class. His consistency combined with back-to-back podiums and a phenomenal stage win, proved that he has the grit and tactical mind to match the best in the desert. While Nacho showed, yet again, why he is considered as one of the best in the sport with his resilience, navigation skills and the ability to come back from behind every time. It was also exciting to watching young Shlok tackle his very first W2RC race. At just 18 years old, showing that level of composure and matching the pace of seasoned riders is a massive positive for us. Unfortunately he could not finish this race but he is coming back with a lot of experience and learning of what is required to become a finisher of a world-championship race like this. Shlok is the first torchbearer of our ‘India’s Next Dakar Hero’ (INDH) program, and his stellar debut completely validates Hero MotoCorp’s vision to nurture home grown Indian talent for the world stage. So now we leave Morocco with invaluable data and positive momentum as we look forward to upcoming challenges and also to our teammate Rossi, who is currently recovering from an injury, joining us back soon. »
Mike Docherty, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, « I am happy to finish the Rally du Maroc 2026. It’s been a challenging week with a lot of learning and experiences. I am grateful to the Hero MotoSport Rally Team. Its been quite a big change for me over the last couple of months so being with the team here has helped a lot. We are going to keep working and keep improving in the next rallies to get ready for the Dakar. »
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally said, « It’s been some bittersweet days for us at this tough rally so I am happy to cross the finish line. There’ve been a lot of positives as well like my confidence is back and speed has also improved. So really happy with all the steps we have made in the direction and we’ll keep working hard for the next challenges. Thanks a lot for all the hard work by the team and for all the best wishes from our supporters back in India. »
Provisional Rankings – Stage 5
01. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, 01hr 52m 15s
02. Luciano Benavides, Redbull KTM Factory Team, + 02m 36s
03. Tosha Schareina, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 03m 03s
08. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 06m 41s
09. Mike Docherty, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 07m 22s
Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 5
01. E. Canet, Redbull KTM Factory Team, 15hr 41m 55s
02. Daniel Sanders, Redbull KTM Factory Team, + 01m 02s
03. Ricky Brabec, Monster Energy Honda HRC, + 03m 32s
08. Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 34m 08s
09. Mike Docherty, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, + 45m 54s
Provisional Rankings – Stage 5 – Rally GP
Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 7th Place
Provisional Overall Rankings after stage 5 – Rally GP
Nacho Cornejo, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 7th Place
Provisional Rankings – Stage 5 – Rally 2
Mike Docherty, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 2nd Place
Shlok Ghorpade, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, DNF
Provisional Rankings after Stage 5 – Rally 2
Mike Docherty, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, 2nd Place
Shlok Ghorpade, Hero MotoSports Team Rally, DNF