The opening stage of the Morocco Rally witnessed intense competition as Portuguese Toyota driver João Ferreira emerged victorious, edging out Rally Raid World Champion Lucas Moraes, who was driving a Dacia. Ferreira, alongside his co-driver Filipe Palmeiro, triumphed after a grueling 268-kilometer special stage from Agadir to Zagora. They finished three seconds ahead of the Brazilian Moraes, who was partnered with his new co-driver, Pablo Moreno. Completing the podium was French Century driver Mathieu Serradori, trailing Moraes by 13 seconds, while American Mitch Guthrie secured fourth place in his Ford Raptor, just under a minute behind Ferreira. His Ford teammate Mattias Ekström followed closely, finishing 2.15.5 minutes adrift.
Prominent figures in the rally included Saood Variawa and Seth Quentero, both driving for Toyota, who were classified seventh and eighth, respectively. Notably, Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah found himself in eighth place, losing 4.28 minutes to Moraes at the top. However, his championship standing remained favorable as the current leader, Sébastien Loeb, endured a disastrous day. The nine-time rally world champion fell behind after suffering technical issues at the 201-kilometer mark, causing him to stop and ultimately losing over 45 minutes. At that point, Loeb had already trailed Al-Attiyah by over a minute and was positioned ninth, finishing the stage a disappointing 92nd overall.
The day's events significantly diminished Loeb's chances of securing a top position in the overall standings of the Morocco Rally. Ferreira had initially led the stage at kilometer 35, but as the race progressed, Carlos Sainz from Ford took the lead at the 95 and 127-kilometer marks. Meanwhile, Guillaume de Mevius in an X-raid Mini briefly assumed control in the dune landscapes after 201 kilometers. Saudi Toyota driver Yazeed Al Rajhi, alongside his new co-driver Dennis Zenz, who is replacing the injured Timo Gottschalk, is currently in eleventh place.
In the Challenger category, Matthias Walkner leads in the South Racing Can-Am Maverick. This rally promises to be a thrilling showcase of skill and endurance, with more stages to come and unpredictable outcomes in the ever-challenging terrain of Morocco.
As reported by speedweek.com.
