Nasser Al-Attiyah's Rally Challenges
In a dramatic turn of events during the final stage of the 2025 Morocco Rally, Nasser Al-Attiyah was left heartbroken after missing out on the world championship title. Arriving in Morocco just three points behind his teammate Sébastien Loeb, the Qatari driver faced yet another challenge on the treacherous terrain surrounding Zagora. Despite leading at the last checkpoint, a mechanical issue forced Al-Attiyah and his co-driver Fabian Lurquin to halt for over forty minutes, effectively taking them out of contention for the overall victory. In contrast, the duo of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings from Toyota excelled, starting from the tenth position and managing to clinch the stage win with a mere 41-second lead over Eryk Goczał after nearly three and a half hours of racing. Goczał, a young Polish driver, led a strong performance from Ford, placing four of their Raptor vehicles within the top six.
The Competition Heats Up
Carlos Sainz secured third place, while Mattias Ekström and Nani Roma followed in fifth and sixth, respectively. Lucas Moraes, driving for Dacia, claimed fourth place, becoming the new overall leader alongside Pablo Moreno, the usual navigator for Cristina Gutiérrez. The competition remains tight, with only 28 seconds separating Moraes from Lategan, the two frontrunners vying for the final victory. However, the ever-looming threat of Sainz (+2:43) and Ekström (+3:02) lurking in the background keeps the excitement alive.
On the French front, there was a silver lining as Mathieu Serradori and Loïc Minaudier from Century Racing secured the fifth position overall after a well-managed day, finishing fifth in the stage. However, expectations were high for Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger, who continued to struggle, conceding an additional 15 minutes during this stage. Having already faced significant difficulties in Stage 1, which cost them over two hours and forty minutes, their focus now shifts towards accumulating points for stage victories to maintain their lead in the championship.
In a twist of fate, neither Nasser Al-Attiyah nor Seth Quintero, currently third in the championship standings, have found success thus far. The young American is positioned seventh overall, trailing 6:33 behind the leader, having entered Morocco 13 points behind Loeb.
The next stage of the rally promises to be another test, spanning 363 kilometers and consisting of another loop around Zagora.
As reported by autohebdo.fr.
