Nasser Al-Attiyah is not one to take it easy between rounds of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). With this series comprising only five events, the recent winner of the Dakar Rally utilizes his free weekends to participate in other racing series. From April 18 to 24, the Qatari driver will take part in the Carta Rally, navigating through Morocco behind the wheel of a buggy prepared by MD Rallye Sport, a specialist in two-wheel-drive vehicles utilizing the Optimus model. Al-Attiyah has previously represented MD, including a triumphant performance at the last Baja Hail in late January, where he secured victory alongside his French co-driver Max Delfino.
This time, Delfino will team up with his regular driver Simon Vitse, with whom he convincingly won the two-wheel-drive class at the last Dakar Rally. Vitse is considered one of Al-Attiyah's main competitors. For this rally, Al-Attiyah will be supported by co-driver Fabian Lurquin, with whom he celebrated success at the last Dakar. The entire team, managed by Joan Morel of MD Rallye Sport, is thrilled to have assembled such a strong field of drivers for their first participation in one of the most prestigious amateur rallies.
“Nasser’s presence is, of course, a significant advantage. But more importantly, we are a family team composed of passionate individuals,” explains Morel. “I was somewhat frustrated to compete in Baja Hail and Baja Jordan with a reduced team, having only two mechanics by my side. Now, with the opportunity to enjoy this adventure alongside Nasser and the whole team, I anticipate it will be a fantastic experience.”
Morel emphasizes the enjoyment aspect of the event, which takes place independently of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, yet still insists on the professionalism of the organizers. “We don’t take the bivouac and organization lightly. However, we still place significant importance on the roadbook,” he elaborates. “We ask the organization to hire people who know their job because let’s face it: even if we are racing just for fun, the drivers truly give their all to drive fast. It would be a considerable risk if everything wasn't properly organized.”
Joining Simon Vitse and Nasser Al-Attiyah is a third contender, Mathieu Serradori, who was persuaded by his rivals to participate. “The world is small. We know Mathieu very well; he has delivered remarkable performances over the last five years. When we discussed the Carta Rally with Nasser and Dacia, we playfully nudged Mathieu to ask his team to build him a buggy so he could join us. He worked with Century until it finally happened!” Morel laughs.
Serradori will be driving a Century Racing buggy, aiming to challenge his rivals—and friends—from MD Rallye Sport. The bivouacs of the Carta Rally are sure to be a thrilling moment of sport and camaraderie, where renowned drivers accustomed to high-level competitions in the rally-raid sport will converge. For Nasser Al-Attiyah, this will be yet another race in a unique season, especially since it marks Dacia's last venture in the rally-raid domain. According to our sources, the six-time Dakar winner is on the brink of returning to the racetrack with Toyota for the upcoming season, as Toby Price has already been replaced by Akima Miura for the Rally-Raid of Portugal, the second round of the championship scheduled for March 17-22. Miura will also collaborate with seasoned co-driver Armand Monleon, who had previously co-piloted for Toby Price during the 2026 Dakar Rally after winning the title in 2025 alongside Lucas Moraes. Following the event in Portugal, the Carta Rally in Morocco will take place from April 18 to 24.
As reported by autohebdo.de.
