2025 W2RC Challenger champions Nicolas Cavigliasso (driver) and Valentina Pertegarini (co-driver) will take the next step in their careers at the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc. The Argentine couple will make their Ultimate debut at the fourth round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, at the wheel of a Toyota Hilux T1+ entered by the SVR team. Their move to the premier class marks the culmination of an impressive rise through the various categories of the W2RC.
A former international quad racer and winner of the 2019 Dakar Rally, Nicolas Cavigliasso then switched to car racing, taking advantage of the emergence of the W2RC in 2022 to make his mark in the SSV category alongside his wife and co-driver, Valentina Pertegarini. The Argentine couple then moved up to the Challenger class, where they quickly established themselves as leading contenders.
The Córdoba native made history in 2024 by becoming the first female W2RC champion, claiming the Challenger co-driver title, while Nicolas Cavigliasso finished runner-up in the category. One year later, the Argentine duo completed the journey by securing both the World Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ titles after a season full of success, including a victory at the Dakar Rally. Their impressive performance has continued this year, with a third-place finish in the Challenger class at the Saudi Arabian round.
Ultimate debut at the Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc, “where it all began”
The next chapter will now be written at the wheel of the most competitive prototypes competing in the W2RC: the T1+ machines. The Cavigliasso/Pertegarini duo will make their highly anticipated Ultimate debut at the upcoming Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc, held from September 28 to October 3. They will line up for the fourth round of the 2026 season at the wheel of a Toyota Hilux T1+ entered by SVR, a team of South African origin. Their first experience in the Ultimate class will be approached as a learning opportunity as they begin their journey in the new category.
“We are very happy to confirm our participation in the fourth round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, the Rallye du Maroc. We are training very hard because this will be our first time in the Ultimate category,” said Nicolas Cavigliasso. “The Rallye du Maroc is where it all began,” added Valentina Pertegarini, just days away from returning to the venue where she secured both of her W2RC titles. “This is where Nico started in quads, where we began our journey in SSVs, and where we will soon discover the Ultimate category. So we are very happy and can’t wait to be there.”
This promotion shows once again the success of the W2RC program. After Seth Quintero, Rokas Baciuska, Mitch Guthrie, Eryk Goczal and others, Nicolas Cavigliasso and Valentina Pertegarini join the list of competitors who have managed to win in the entry categories of the championship, before taking the next step and climbing to the highest level of rally-raid.
Challenger victories (W2RC):
- 3 titles: x2 for Valentina Pertegarini (co-driver in 2024 and 2025) ; x1 for Nicolas Cavigliasso (driver in 2025).
- One victory and six podiums: 1x 1st in Dakar (2025) ; 3x 2nd in Desafio Ruta 40 (2024), in South African Safari Rally (2025) and in Rallye OLA Energy du Maroc (2025) ; 2x 3rd in bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal (2024) and in Dakar (2026).
- 16 Stages wins: Dakar x9 ; Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge x2 ; South African Safari Rally x2 ; bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal x2 ; Desafio Ruta 40 YPF Infinia x1.
