- Administrative and technical checks for the 27th edition of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc are taking place this weekend in Agadir, the starting point for the championship's fourth round. One day to go before the FIM prologue, while FIA crews will take part in a shakedown before entering the race during the first stage, on Tuesday 29.
- In bikes, Daniel Sanders is aiming for a third consecutive victory and redemption in Morocco, the only race he lost last year. "We fought all season long and I’m going to do the same here," warns his closest rival, Tosha Schareina.
- In cars, Sébastien Loeb arrives as the leader, but "the gap is tiny". His closest rival, Nasser Al-Attiyah, is banking on "a smart strategy". "My victory in Argentina could open the floodgates," hopes rival Seth Quintero.
- Visit the Race Center daily to follow the prologue and the five stages of the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc live. Coverage begins half an hour before the first bike starts, starting tomorrow at 8:30 AM (UTC +0).
QUOTES, FIM: “WE’VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE VICTORY AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP”
Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) arrives as the new RallyGP championship leader following his successes in Portugal and Argentina. He’s aiming for a third consecutive victory in Morocco, the only event where he suffered a defeat last season (finishing 2nd). “Going into the race with a narrow lead, the plan is to win. I’ve done two solid rounds and I’m healthy again. Argentina was a really good race, I didn’t do anything crazy or go over the limit, and nearly managed a clean sweep of stage victories. The Rallye du Maroc is definitely a race I like: broken desert, a lot of tracks, difficult navigation and big stages. It’s important to do well here as it’s the closest race to Dakar in terms of terrain.”
Defending champion of this race, Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda HRC) hasn't won since Erfoud in 2025. Returning to the top step of the podium a year later would allow him to close his 3-point gap to Sanders in the championship. “I’m happy to be here because I have a good memory from my victory last year. Now I’m second in the championship, in a good position. We’re gonna enjoy this race, and also suffer because Morocco is always hard and tough, but let’s go! It’s always fun to fight with the guys on track. We’ve been fighting until the last stage all year long, I want the same for this round, but at the end I want the victory and the championship; we’ve been working for that.”
Having finished second twice (2022, 23) and third once (2024) in Morocco, Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) suffered an injury there last year before making a triumphant comeback at the Dakar. He’s just 6 points behind the championship leader, a spot Sanders took from him in Argentina. “A couple of months have passed since the Dakar; everything has settled in a bit more, both physically and mentally, and now I’m really eager to race. I feel very confident on this bike, which has been upgraded. The top three are separated by just six points, so I think [the championship] is anyone’s game. Morocco always brings back great memories for me. It’s where I started out, where I finished my first race, where I won my first world title, and, last year, where I sustained the injury that ultimately led to my Dakar victory. It’s a magical place for me.”
While Morocco may not be Adrien Van Beveren’s favorite hunting ground, the Monster Energy Honda HRC rider has frequently been a contender there. He arrives with a new two-year contract already secured. "It’s one of the few rallies where I haven’t made the podium, though I’ve come pretty close. The terrain is quite rough, and I’ve sometimes struggled to find my rhythm there, but I’m feeling increasingly comfortable. We have a bike that performs well everywhere; I’m good mentally and happy to keep doing what I love most. I’m also perhaps drawing on my experience to arrive at races feeling more and more relaxed. Another key factor will be staying relaxed on the bike right from the start, because the urge to do well and go flat-out can sometimes make you forget the fun of riding. I’m eager to fight, push hard, and enjoy. When I’m riding at my best, I’m on the podium or right in the mix for it. That’s what I’m focusing on: trying to represent the best Adrien possible, the best version of myself, and if I can achieve that, the result will be pretty good."
Skyler Howes is the most recent North American winner in Morocco (2022), a victory achieved during his time with Husqvarna. That era—and his stint with Honda—are over; he is now racing for the ZXMOTO Joyride Factory Rally Team, which is making its W2RC debut. “I’m here with a new project. I only signed with them a couple of weeks ago. The bike is very new and we’ve been working hard these last few days to get the bike ready. I’m quite excited because they’ve done a really good job on the chassis and the suspension. Morocco is more of a racing test for us: we’re going to the Dakar and we need the racing data to give us the best possible platform.”
Edgar Canet (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was crowned 2025 Rally2 champion in Morocco. A year later, the young Spaniard continues his journey as a new RallyGP rider. “Last year, I arrived with the mindset of securing the Rally2 title and I ended up delivering one of my best overall performances (5th) so I’m coming with a really good feeling. My goal is to try and improve on last year’s result. There are small improvements we’re making after every race on the bike. I think we’re taking the right steps, both with the bike and otherwise: training better, arriving in a better mental state to tackle a race like this, and we have several things to test and fine-tune.”
Ignacio Cornejo will be Hero MotoSports’ sole representative in RallyGP following the injury of his teammate, Ross Branch. “We’ve been working hard on the bike since the last race, as well as on the physical side and nutrition; we’ve tried to improve in every aspect to arrive at this race strong and get back to where we need to be. We want to bounce back from a start to the year that didn’t go as we’d hoped and finish with good results. I’ve had some good stages here over the past two years, I always feel really good. It’s a very tough rally in terms of terrain and navigation, it’s like a mini-Dakar, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Martim Ventura (Monster Energy Honda HRC) is the new Rally2 world cup leader after his victory in Argentina. “One year ago, Honda called me; one year later, we’re leading the championship. I'm super happy. I couldn't have imagined a better place to be: I'm in a super professional team that wants to win. We did a good Dakar, the championship is looking good, let's end it well. I'm super happy to be back in Morocco, it's the closest desert I have from my home so I know it quite well. I’ll try to keep calm and focused. It's a race where everything can happen.”
QUOTES, FIA: “TEN OR TWELVE CARS THAT CAN RUN AT THE FRONT”
Sébastien Loeb (The Dacia Sandriders) won the Rallye du Maroc book last year. That success, combined with his recent victory at the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal and his championship lead, makes him one of the top favourites. "We’re arriving as leaders, which is better than being behind, but the gap is tiny. We’ll have to open the first stage and that isn’t necessarily an advantage. It’s good to be in the fight but we know this sport is unpredictable; we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. We’re going to try to put in a strong performance. Things went well in 2025, even though it was tight—it wasn’t a domination; there was a real battle. There are ten or twelve cars that can run at the front, unlike in the past. Sometimes I drive a pretty good stage and finish eighth, whereas before I would have been first or second. It just shows the level of competition, it’s a great battle."
The event’s record-holder with seven victories (2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 24), Nasser Al Attiyah (The Dacia Sandriders) lost the world title here last year. He’s out for revenge in Morocco, arriving 3 points behind Loeb in the FIA championship. “We have won seven times here, I have plenty of experience and I’m totally 100% ready for this event. We’re going to be clever with our tactics. We start second behind Seb, which is a good position. Here you need to avoid all the problems, like punctures and navigation.”
By winning in Argentina, Seth Quintero (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) put an end to Dacia’s three-race winning streak in the W2RC. Can he now stop the team from winning in Morocco for the third time in a row? That is the North American’s goal as he looks to close the 13-point gap to Loeb. “This is my third season in Ultimate. I've had plenty of podiums but the win in Argentina could open the floodgates. Obviously there’s a championship to play for and two more rounds to go, and I want to go for a win again. Having the victory has taken the pressure off a little bit, but at the same time it brings us close to the two leaders. And those two guys are hard to beat, but I’ve always done well here before, including two wins in Challenger.”
Nani Roma (Ford Racing) knows what it takes to be fast in Morocco, as evidenced by his third-place finishes here (2017, 23, 25). “It’s a race I really like. Morocco is a wonderful country where I have great memories. I started riding bikes there 31 years ago, back in 1995, and we passed through Morocco during my first Dakar in 1996. It’s a place where I always feel very comfortable. It’s going to be a highly competitive race. The entry list is impressive in both quantity and quality; it will be a tight contest, and we’re going to enjoy it. I like winning, but I think plenty of others do too! We need to do things right every day and come up with a solid strategy. We have a good team and a good car, and we’d love to win our first race with Ford.”
Morocco will always hold a special place in the heart of Lucas Moraes, who was crowned world champion in Erfoud last year before joining The Dacia Sandriders. “It’s crazy how much things can change in 12 months. One year ago I had the best moment of my career when I won the world championship here, so I have a very special relationship with Morocco. And now everything changes with the Dacia programme ending after Abu Dhabi, but it has been an incredible experience. We’ve won some stages together but not a race, so that would be nice. And the [championship] podium is still a possibility.”
Henk Lategan (Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC) is a man on form following his second-place finish at the Desafio Ruta 40 YPF. “We had a good run in Argentina and the car was working well. But since then everybody has been testing and a few guys are bringing upgrades, so it will be interesting to see. It’s probably the most complete desert race outside of the Dakar, and everybody is here comparing and checking. Last year was my first time in Morocco. It was a bit of an eye opener but I really enjoyed it. It’s not going to be easy going up against the guys with all the experience.”
Joao Ferreira (Toyota Gazoo Racing SA) came close to his first Ultimate podium in Morocco last year (finishing 4th) before securing it this season in Portugal. “This year’s Rallye du Maroc is like a mini Dakar, all the teams and all the drivers are here. It’s going to be very close, but we’re here to at least match last year’s performance – and why not go for our first World Championship victory? The team has worked hard this season, particularly this summer, which we spent testing and during which we won the Baja Aragon. We’ve spent a lot of time in the car and with the team; I hope that will pay off in the upcoming races.”
Having finished second in 2007, 2016, and 2019, Carlos Sainz has to gain one place to deliver a maiden victory here for Ford. “Morocco is always a crucial test for everyone participating in the Dakar. It’s an opportunity to try out the car’s latest updates and gauge how we stack up against the competition. For us, it’s even more important as a way to confirm that everything has been sorted out following the minor issues we faced in the last two races. Personally, continuing to work with Dani [Oliveras] to gradually improve our communication is important. The goal is always to win, it’s a rally where I’ve never had much luck, but perhaps this year things will change.”
Eryk Goczal (Energylandia Rally) is gaining experience in the Ultimate class, but he is marking a first in Morocco: his W2RC debut behind the wheel of a Ford Raptor. “It's our first real competition with the Ford built by M-Sport, and we are looking forward to it. We've been here two times in Morocco, I think we spent three weeks testing the car, and close to 6,000 kilometres that I've already sat in it. The goal is always to win the rally. The level is huge but this is what we come here for with the team, this is what we prepare for: to fight with the best and to try to keep up the pace.”
Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive Racing) claimed the most recent victory for a Toyota Hilux in Morocco (2023). “There’s always a big fight in this race. We’ll try our best to put in a good performance–we’ve improved a lot of things in our car. Our target is to finish the race without any technical problems to prepare for Dakar. For sure, we are out of the race for the championship, and a lot of drivers will attack like hell in this race. We won’t drive 110%, more like 95%, in the last two days 98%, and in the last 30 kilometres 100%!”
Sixth in the last Dakar, Mathieu Serradori leads the increasingly prominent Century Racing Factory project. "We’ve nicely prepared this event, which has a special place in our hearts. We’ve made a lot of progress with the car and are here to test that with Century. We have the backing of the factory team, which has travelled over from South Africa, and our European staff is here too. We’ve got a strong presence, including some new faces in the team. We’re also arriving in a good state of mind, accompanied by our physio and mental performance coach, who is on-site for the first time. It’s a new addition, and we’re trying to take a slightly different approach to the race and all the peripheral aspects, which is crucial for achieving top performance."
The third-place finish earned by Guillaume de Mévius (X-raid Mini) in 2024 also marks his most recent W2RC podium. “Of course, we’ll try to fight for a podium, but above all, we want to validate everything we’ve done throughout the year. We’re approaching this race calmly. We don’t have the points to contend for a championship place, so we’re mainly here to put the seal on all the testing we’ve done this year. We’ve done a lot of testing but not much racing. I’m happy to be back at a real, big desert race. We’re going to try to enjoy it and make it to the finish.”
Argentine star Kevin Benavides (Overdrive Racing) continues to learn in the Ultimate class after excelling on a bike and in the Challenger category. “I’m really excited and happy to be back behind the wheel. I hadn’t been able to get back in one until five days ago, when I arrived here in Morocco, and we’ve had some good days of training with the team. It was a lot of hard work, and the feeling has been great. We’re going to try to maintain a regular pace and secure a good starting position, since the dust is a factor. Being competitive [in my first race in Argentina] was a surprise to me too; I really enjoyed it and felt comfortable from the very first kilometre. It was great to show some potential, and we’ll see how things progress from here. My motivation remains just as strong; that’s why I decided to start a new adventure and write a new chapter. I want to reach the top again, just as I did on a bike, but it’s a process that takes time, and it’s all about learning.”
Although already experienced in the T1+ class, Dania Akeel (Overdrive Racing) is making her W2RC debut here in the FIA premier category. “We did the Middle East Cup in 2025, the Baja World Cup in 2026 and Saudi rallies for two seasons where it’s nice to have Yazeed [Al Rajhi] to see where we are. We have some kind of reference but here the field is really big. [My navigator] Seb Delaunay knows me very well, but in Ultimate it’s longer, tougher, more technical, a higher level of competition than in a Baja, so overall this is the next level.”
Stéphane Peterhansel (Defender Rally) has won the race three times in cars (2004, 09, 10). Now competing in Stock, "Monsieur Dakar" is second in the championship standings behind his teammate Rokas Baciuska. "Last year marked the start of the Defender program here, and we weren't ready for this race. I’m looking forward to it, because for me, the Rallye du Maroc is the best rally-raid event. It’s where it all began in Africa, and you find every type of terrain. I love racing here, especially since we’ve been able to develop the car over the past year across the championship's varied terrains. It’s becoming increasingly fun to drive."
Puck Klaassen (KTM X-Bow powered by G Rally) is the new Challenger leader, the first female driver to lead a W2RC championship. “It's really amazing to be leading the championship. I'm not going to change my approach to the race or the strategy: every rally, we just push where we can and don't take unnecessary risks. I'll just keep that kind of mindset and try to enjoy it, because that always works. I think it will be quite a fight, so we'll definitely go for it. I've done two Rallye de Maroc and I have quite a lot of experience in Morocco. I really enjoy this rougher terrain, so I'm really looking forward to it.”
SCHEDULE
Monday, September 28: FIM prologue (total : 176 km / SS: 18 km) / shakedown FIA
- 9h: First bike in the FIM special
- 11h39: First car in the FIA shakedown
- 16h: Publication of the provisional FIM prologue classification (Sportity)
- 17h: Publication of FIA start order for Stage 1 (Sportity)
- 20h: Selection of FIM start orders for Stage 1
- 20h30: Publication of FIM start order for Stage 1 (Sportity)
Tuesday, September 29: Stage 1 - Agadir-Zagora (total: 636 km / SS: 268 km)
Wesnesday, September 30: Stage 2 - Zagora-Zagora (total: 423 km / SS: 300 km)
Thursday, October 1: Stage 3 - Zagora-Zagora (total: 592 km / SS: 364 km)
Friday, October 2: Stage 4 - Zagora-Zagora (total: 516 km FIA - 453 km FIM / SS: 384 km FIA - 321 km FIM)
Saturday, October 3: Stage 5 - Zagora-Zagora (total: 357 km / SS: 259 km)
- 18h: press conference
- 19h30 : awards ceremony (Zagora bivouac)
(*) Race timing: UTC +0
