In an eventful start to the Morocco Rally, Spanish driver Carlos Sainz faced a five-minute penalty during the first stage for exceeding the speed limit. Although this was a bitter pill to swallow, the day proved to be a positive experience overall. Stage 2, however, became the turning point for Sainz and his co-driver, Oliveras, showcasing their determination to compete fiercely for victory in the Moroccan terrain.
On this second day of action, Sainz finished in third place, driving his Ford with impressive performance. Henk Lategan, piloting a Toyota Hilux, emerged as the fastest driver of the day in Zagora, taking full advantage of Nasser Al-Attiyah’s technical troubles to secure his position ahead of Goczal and Sainz. The overall standings now see Moraes leading, but only by a slender margin of 28 seconds ahead of Lategan, indicating an increasingly competitive race.
The significant news from this stage revolved around Al-Attiyah’s misfortunes. The Qatari driver had been capitalizing on Sébastien Loeb's earlier issues and was on track to secure the stage win. Unfortunately, just a few kilometers from the finish line, he experienced a breakdown, leading to a catastrophic loss of time. He ultimately crossed the finish line 45 minutes behind the stage winner, thanks to Loeb’s assistance in towing him across the line. To have any chance at the overall victory, Al-Attiyah must mount a remarkable comeback over the next three days.
Nani Roma also performed decently, finishing sixth but conceding six minutes to Lategan. A standout performance came from Cristina Gutiérrez, representing Santana Racing, as she completed her first rally raid with the Spanish team, finishing 12th and just over 11 minutes behind the leader. This is a remarkable display of her capabilities. Laia Sanz also had a solid day, finishing 29th, while Isidre Esteve faced challenges and concluded in 49th place.
With Al-Attiyah's troubles, the rally is witnessing a significant shift, following Loeb's earlier electrical issues with his Dacia. Moraes continues to lead the overall standings for the French brand, but the competition is heating up with Lategan just 28 seconds behind the reigning world champion and Carlos Sainz positioned at 2 minutes and 43 seconds from the provisional podium. Meanwhile, Al-Attiyah finds himself a staggering 44 minutes behind his teammate, making his path to recovery exceedingly difficult.
As reported by mundodeportivo.com.
