One day to go until the prologue of the Rallye du Maroc, the final round of the 2025 season, which will take place on the outskirts of Fez tomorrow.
222 entries have been cleared to start, including 116 FIM riders (114 W2RC entrants, listed here) and 106 FIA crews (33 W2RC entrants listed here).
The denouement of the car competition is not for the faint of heart, with a mere 10 points separating the three-time FIA world champion, Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders), from Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC's Henk Lategan and Lucas Moraes.
The Challenger title will also be decided in a three-way fight. In the motorbike category, the newly crowned RallyGP champion, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), is eager to wrap up the season with an unblemished record. Behind him, the contenders for second place are ready to light the fireworks.
The Rally2 and Rally3 titles will be decided at the end of the Moroccan leg.
The 26th edition of the Rallye du Maroc will get under way with an 83 km opener including 19 km against the clock. Follow it on from 8:00 am (UTC+1)
FIM: WHO WILL BE THE BEST OF THE REST?
Daniel Sanders already made history at the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal by becoming the first RallyGP champion to secure the title before the finale. Now, "Chucky" wants to add another unprecedented feat to his résumé: a season whitewash. The Australian remains undefeated in 2025 and is chasing the Grand Slam (see his quote). His rivals, however, will have a double dose of motivation, as they will be fighting for both the rally trophy and second place in the championship. Luciano Benavides (69 points), competing under the same roof as Sanders, has a razor-thin margin of 3 points over the Monster Energy Honda HRC factory riders Tosha Schareina and Ricky Brabec (66 points). Meanwhile, KTM have the upper hand in their battle with Honda for the manufacturers' title. Further down the standings, Ross Branch will be looking to do well in his last appearance with plate no. 1 affixed to his Hero, while Bradley Cox (Sherco TVS Rally Factory) will continue to cut his teeth in RallyGP as one of the 9 W2RC entrants.
Edgar Canet, who has won three rounds this season, is on the verge of landing Red Bull KTM Factory Racing their first-ever title in the Rally2 class. The Spaniard has 14 points in hand over Michael Docherty (BAS World KTM) and 21 over Tobias Ebster (Hero MotoSports) going into the finale. The 97-strong field has an impressive depth, including the 2024 Rally2 Dakar champion, Harith Noah, and his Sherco, as well as Neels Theric and his factory Kove, and the Honda HRC Junior Team recruits Martim Ventura and Preston Campbell. Among the 8 Rally3 entrants, we find the top two men in the championship, Thomas Zoldos (Aub'Moto) and Carlo Cabini (RS Moto).
FIA: CLOSER THAN EVER
Three drivers stand 10 points apart with 58 points still at stake, making the FIA W2RC finale closer and more suspenseful than ever. The three-time world champion, Nasser Al Attiyah, approached the final round with a buffer of 22 points in 2022, then 51 in 2023 and 25 in 2024. This time, however, he has just 9 points to spare over Henk Lategan and one more over Lucas Moraes. Each of them has proved his mettle with at least one rally victory this year. The leader will be able to rely on his Dacia teammates Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez. On the opposite side, the Hilux armada includes Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive Racing), who claimed the rally in 2023, as well as Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) and the young teammates João Ferreira and Saood Variawa (Toyota Gazoo Racing). The Raptors could also try to fish in troubled waters, with Ford M-Sport fielding as many as four vehicles (Carlos Sainz, Mattias Ekström, Nani Roma and Mitch Guthrie) among the 22 W2RC entries in the Ultimate class.
In the Challenger competition, Nicolás Cavigliasso (Vertical Motorsport) is in the pole position to succeed Rokas Baciuška in the annals of the championship. The Argentinian has a decent advantage of 29 points over Pau Navarro (BBR Motorsport) and 42 over his own teammate Dania Akeel, but with 58 points on the line and 9 entries in the class, he would be ill-advised to rest on his laurels. In SSV, the Portuguese duo of Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira (Old Friends Rally) will be eager to impress on their first outing as champions.
FIM QUOTES
Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): "Winning the championship is a dream come true! It's something you think about as a kid, no matter what sport you choose. The race in Portugal went really well. It's rare to be that consistent in rally raids because this sport is so unpredictable. But so far, we've had the perfect season, and we're hoping to do it again in Morocco. Pulling off the Grand Slam would be great fun, it's up to me to make it happen. But the Rallye du Maroc is going to be tough. The navigation is tricky and anything can happen in the open desert. We've worked flat out on the bike with the team and now I feel really at home on it. I absolutely love riding it, and that is definitely the key to my recent success."
Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): "I've had a strong season and want to finish it on a high. I feel great, consistent, solid. Daniel [Sanders] has already wrapped up the title, and the ideal goal would be to take a one-two for KTM [in the championship], but if that doesn't happen, I just want to be at my best, with the bike dialled in perfectly. I've trained hard all year and made big changes physically, on the bike and mentally. I also feel more mature, which has helped me understand some things better, so I believe I can give it 100%. The start of the season was touch and go, but we always trusted KTM and kept pushing the project forward. That's what really motivated us to keep fighting and now the results are coming. I hope we can keep that momentum going."
Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC): "This is my fourth time here. It's the biggest event after the Dakar, so it's the ideal prep. All the teams are here for that reason, and we have everything we need to perform. We've spent a week training in Morocco, just like everyone else. I need to deliver a solid performance because I can still take second in the championship despite not finishing the South African Safari Rally. I'm fully focused on that goal. I'm in it to win it. I used to lack some confidence in the dunes, but after a few years in rally raids, I feel comfortable everywhere now. It is my first time in Fez, so I'm looking forward to discovering the terrain here before the next four days around Erfoud, a place we know well from training there often."
Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda HRC): "It's been a long season and we haven't had much riding in the open desert in the South African and Portuguese rounds. It feels great to be back in Morocco. We've been working on the bike for almost two weeks now and have made big improvements. We're stoked to head to the Dakar with a new machine. Daniel [Sanders] is on a roll right now and will be tough to stop, but he can be beaten. You just have to race at 120%."
Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports): "It has been a bad year for us, but I'm looking forward to turning it around in Morocco, to have some fun and enjoy it. It's always good to be back in Morocco, to ride in an open desert and have some fun. It's my last race [with number 1], but it gives us an extra motivation to fight and be back again. It's gonna be a long week, but I'm really excited for the challenge. Physically, I'm good, ready to race. I feel better compared to last week and I'm excited to be back."
Bradley Cox (Sherco TVS Rally Factory): "I started in rally raids here back in 2021. I'd never ridden a rally bike or used a road book before, so it was the perfect test. The goal was to build a career in this sport, and it all began right here four years ago. Winning the [Rally2] title here last year was something special. In 2023, I took victories in Argentina and then in Morocco. That was a key milestone in my career and I have fond memories of it. I love Morocco. You have to use your brain here, not just go flat out. We've done a lot of testing with Sherco and are still learning how everything works. The pace in RallyGP is unbelievable. Portugal didn't go too well for us, but this is a new race, a clean slate, and I can hardly wait to hit the desert. The tests have been positive and I just want to fight up front or at least have some solid days."
Edgar Canet (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): "We rode in Morocco straight after the Portuguese round. We have plenty of hours under our belts, so I reckon we are very well prepared. We hold the championship lead going into the race and our goal is to secure the title. I've managed the races well so far, so I want to approach this one the same way: aiming to stay at the front in Rally2, but without focusing too much on the RallyGP leaders like I've been doing recently. If I ride here as I did in training, it ought to work out. I'm really pleased with my progress since last year. I keep improving with every race and I believe there are still great things ahead."
Preston Campbell (Honda HRC Junior Team): "I can't wait to start my first Rallye du Maroc! I spent a few days in the desert getting used to the terrain and the bike. I feel more at home in Morocco than in Portugal, so I ought to be more comfortable here. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled, but I expect the navigation to be tough, as I am still learning. I love the desert and the wide-open spaces. You just have to expect the unexpected. It's incredibly helpful being around the Honda riders: Ricky [Brabec], Skyler [Howes], Tosha [Schareina] and Adrien [Van Beveren] all have more experience than me, so if I have any questions, they help me learn and improve."
FIA QUOTES:
Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders): "We are very happy to be here in Morocco. It's my favourite race, but it's also a difficult one. This year we'll need to work really hard to win this race, but also to be really smart, clever, to at least win the world championship. This is very important. I will try to do my best to win the race because we have a good experience, a good car. The championship is tight, this is motorsport, but we believe in ourselves and in the team. We are really confident and will try to put everything together."
Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC): "I don't know what to expect. I can only go by what I've heard. [This year] has brought plenty of new experiences for me: my first world championship season, my first start in Portugal and now in Morocco. It's more of an open desert, from what I've been told, and I like that. I hope to be able to eke out some more speed. That's what the cars are made for. We'll be starting at a slight disadvantage to drivers who've raced here multiple times, but everything has gone well so far, so let's see if we can end the season with a flourish!"
Lucas Moraes (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC): "I'm really happy to be back in Morocco. I did my first race here last year and we managed to win a stage. It's a very special race, and now I'm fighting for the championship with my teammate Henk Lategan. Of course, the goal of the team is to win the drivers' championship. It's a tough race with a proper desert, proper dunes, proper rocks, sandy tracks… I think it will be an exciting race and hopefully we'll get a good result. It's an open fight because Henk and I are so close to each other and so close to Nasser [Al Attiyah]. Of course, if the team decides, let's say after stage 4, we'll need to see day by day how the team will play, but at the moment we'll go for it and let's see who can win."
Sébastien Loeb (The Dacia Sandriders): "The Rallye du Maroc has always been an important race for us because it's good prep for the Dakar and, as the final championship round, we always want to end the season on a high note here. Dacia put in a solid performance last year and our goal is to try and be competitive. Of course, winning is our ultimate goal, if you ask me. We're going to take the car out for a spin, check that everything is reliable and works properly, and if we put in a decent performance, our final position shouldn't be too bad."
Carlos Sainz (Ford M-Sport): "Everyone agrees that, as the final test before the Dakar, Morocco has legendary status. It's an important round because, in a way, we face a reckoning and get a clear picture of the competition and how the cars have evolved. This makes it a key milestone in the run-up to the Dakar. I think we've done a great job this year. Time to find out if I'm right."
Nicolás Cavigliasso (Vertical Motorsport): "I'm very happy to be here for another year. I feel good, we did the shakedown and it was very nice; the car is ready for the challenge. I'm very happy for [my navigator Valentina, who's already champion], it's the last round of the season and I will push myself to also win the championship. We have a gap of some points, we need to push, to make good stages, to go fast but also to drive smart. I'm ready, the team is ready, the car is ready!"
Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Rally Team): "Winning the SSV championship was incredible. It was really special to see the work of the whole team pay off, and I'm mighty proud to bring the title to Old Friends Rally Team. In a way, you could say it all started here in Morocco last year. It was our rally-raid baptism after only racing in bajas. Taking second in our first race was brilliant. We also won the rookies classification and validated our participation in the Dakar. This time round, we've already got the title in the bag, so our approach will be somewhat different: I want to go flat out and target the podium, even the top step. There's a lot of talent on the entry list, but we aspire to be consistent from beginning to end so we can at least match our performance from last year. We're gearing up for a fight, the SSV is ready, and so is the team. Everything is in place."
