Registration for the Rallye du Maroc (September 28 - October 3), the fourth round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, opened this week. The Pro Dunes team is back from the recce and can now share some details about the upcoming program. Between tradition and new elements, Marc Coma promises a race that will be "demanding and truly intense every day".
Car/Bike routes will “often be split”
Race director since last year, Marc Coma has raced in Morocco on two wheels (winning in 2006, 2009, and 2014) and has also navigated in four-wheeled vehicles. His experience, along with recent feedback from competitors, has helped shape the route for the 2026 edition. It will be longer than previous editions for cars, the Spaniard has already announced ahead of the presentation scheduled for June 9:
“The Rallye du Maroc is the gateway to the top level of the sport for many motorcyclists. The level of difficulty is already high for the bikes. However, we’ve found that FIA crews want to push their race testing further to better prepare for the Dakar. With this in mind, we’ve decided to offer them more kilometres”. This means that the car and bike routes will “therefore often be split; we saw that this worked well on the last Dakar”.
New this year: while the bikes and quads (returning to the Rallye du Maroc in 2026) will compete in their traditional prologue on September 28 in Agadir, the FIA competitors will participate in a shakedown open to the public. This event, inspired by what is done in the WRC, will precede the five stages scheduled from September 29 to October 4.
Lands that have shaped the W2RC history
Now at the head of the Rallye du Maroc, Pro Dunes aims to innovate while remaining true to the work accomplished by David Castera's ODC teams. As for the route, the caravan will revisit familiar landmarks from the history of the race and the W2RC. Agadir will host the start for the sixth time in its history, equaling the record held by Zagora. For the W2RC, this marks a return to the southern Atlantic coast three years after its last visit: the championship passed through Agadir in 2022 (start and finish), and again the following year for the grand départ of the 2023 edition.
On September 29 (stage 1), the caravan will leave the Kingdom's historic seaside resort to reach Zagora. Less time has passed since the W2RC last visited this other stronghold of the championship: the city nestled in the heart of the Draa Valley was on the Rallye du Maroc program in 2023 and 2024, notably hosting six stage starts and five stage finishes. Zagora will host all four of the final days of the rally. It will thus equal Ouarzazate's record of five Rally of Morocco finishes held here.
What can we expect on these roads? "During the recce, we visited regions the race has already passed through, but found some new elements. We looked for sandy sections to minimise the stones where possible, and we also selected technical sections where some of the stories of the next edition will no doubt unfold. The level of difficulty won’t be any higher, but every day will be demanding, truly intense. And there will be a surprise on the final stage…"
Crucial for the W2RC titles?
The Rallye du Marocwas final round of the 2023-24-25 World Rally-Raid Championships, but is ceding its role to the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (November 22-27) this year. However, the only African event of the season still holds a special place on the calendar, and not just because it's considered the ideal testing ground for Dakar preparation. Given the current dynamics of the W2RC, the points up for grabs in Zagora – a maximum of 55 in the FIA, 25 in the FIM – could prove decisive.
In bikes, the standings after the Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal are the tightest in history – the top four are separated by just 10 points, a first in W2RC. This suggests a hard-fought competition right to the end, and the need to perform well in Morocco, just as they do everywhere else. In the car category, the Dakar hierarchy was shaken up: none of the top 11 drivers retained their positions in Portugal, while three manufacturers (Dacia, Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC, and Ford Racing) stand in the top four. Every point will count in the battle to succeed Daniel Sanders (FIM) and Lucas Moraes (FIA). The Australian suffered his only defeat of 2025 in Morocco, while the Brazilian clinched the title there in a nail-biting finish.
Upcoming dates:
- Monday 20 April: registrations open for Media / Media Team
- Tuesday 9 June: press conference to present the 27th edition in Agadir
- Wednesday 15 July: end of preferential registration rates for competitors
- Friday 11 September: closing of competitor registrations
- Thursday 24 September from 12:00: opening of the service park in Agadir
- Friday 25 September: private tests
- Saturday 26 September:
- administrative and technical scrutineering
- private tests (morning only)
- general briefing for the Rallye du Maroc - Sunday 27 September:
- administrative and technical checks
- press conference - Monday 28 September: FIM prologue / FIA shakedown
- Tuesday 29 September: Stage 1 (Agadir – Zagora)
- Wednesday 30 September: Stage 2 (Zagora – Zagora)
- Thursday 1 October: Stage 3 (Zagora – Zagora)
- Friday 2 October: Stage 4 (Zagora – Zagora)
- Saturday 3 October: Stage 5 (Zagora – Zagora)
- Press conference
- Awards ceremony at the bivouac
