Lucas Moraes wins W2RC world championship by nine points in Rallye du Maroc

Lucas Moraes was crowned FIA World Rally-Raid champion by nine points over Nasser Al Attiyah in a title fight that was decided on the last kilometer of the Rallye du Maroc. A one-hour penalty for the Dacia driver for failing to make the mandatory stop after finishing the 31-kilometer Power Selective Section snatched away the title he had defended since 2022. Sébastien Loeb won the race with a time of 15:11:40, scoring his second victory in the W2RC after the 2022 Andalucía Rally.

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Power Selective Section Decides World Championship

The final timed special stage functioned as a tie-breaker. Moraes needed to beat Al Attiyah in stage points and in the Power Selective Section classification to close the gap in the championship. The penalty changed everything. With 164 points, Moraes finished nine points ahead of Al Attiyah (153) and 23 ahead of his teammate Henk Lategan (141), who finished third in the drivers' championship.

"Everything was decided in the last kilometer. That's why I love this sport," Moraes stated upon confirming three consecutive podiums this season. Toyota Gazoo Racing W2RC sealed the manufacturers' championship with 467 points, 108 more than Dacia and 191 ahead of Ford M-Sport. Five of the Japanese team's cars finished in the top ten in Morocco.

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Loeb's First Victory in Morocco

After a second place in South Africa and a third in Portugal, Loeb finally won with The Dacia Sandriders. He beat Moraes by 5m43s and Nani Roma by 6m15s. The victory keeps the Romanian brand undefeated in this race since its debut in 2024, when Al Attiyah won.

The triumph also crowned Édouard Boulanger as champion co-driver with 187 points, 23 more than Armand Monleon. "We set a good pace from the start, without making mistakes or encountering any problems," Loeb explained about his third race with this co-driver.

Six different drivers won the special stages. The final classification showed five Toyotas, three Fords, and two Dacias in the top ten. João Ferreira finished fourth, followed by Mattias Ekström in fifth with Ford M-Sport.

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Cavigliasso and Pertegarini Make History Together

Nicolas Cavigliasso secured the Challenger championship with 206 points, 26 more than Pau Navarro (180). Valentina Pertegarini, his wife and co-driver, had sealed the co-drivers' title before Morocco. They became the first couple to win a W2RC championship together.

Navarro won the race with BBR Motorsport, but Cavigliasso managed his advantage by finishing second. Dania Akeel finished third in the championship with 154 points, improving on her fifth position from 2024. In the Challenger co-drivers' classification, Stéphane Duplé and Jan Rosa tied for second place with 130 points each.

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Pinto Repeats SSV Title with Old Friends Rally Team

Alexandre Pinto closed the SSV championship with 234 points, followed by Enrico Gaspari with 190. Both drivers from the Old Friends Rally Team achieved a one-two finish in the Morocco race, with Gaspari in second place. Michele Cinotto finished third both in the event and in the championship with 105 points, driving his CST Xtreme Plus Polaris.

Manuel Andújar achieved Argentina's first SSV victory in the W2RC by winning in this category. Bernardo Oliveira won the co-drivers' championship with 234 points, the same tally as his driver Pinto. Francisco "Chaleco" López won the race with Can-Am Factory.

Martin Macik repeated his 2024 victory in the Truck category, securing his fourth win of the year. Ali Oubassidi and Hanane Amraoui of the Africa Rally Team won in the Open category for the second consecutive edition.

Roma Closes with Stage Victory

Nani Roma won the penultimate stage, a 378-kilometer loop around Erfoud with 283 kilometers timed. He beat Loeb by 44 seconds and kept Ford M-Sport on the final podium. "The whole team was super happy. These guys work tirelessly in the dust, at night, and in the heat," Roma commented about his first stage win of the week.

The complicated navigation that day allowed Roma to climb positions. Moraes finished third in the stage, scoring one more point than Al Attiyah and reducing the gap in the championship to ten points before the decisive day.

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Jorge Brandao Passes Away on Final Stage

Jorge Brandao passed away on October 13 at 13:55 in the Erfoud hospital. He was participating in the race for the second time when he suffered a fall in the dunes at kilometer 214. Doctors treated him in a medicalized helicopter but were unable to stabilize him. The W2RC expressed its condolences to family and friends.

Date Change for 2026 Edition

The 27th edition has been moved forward to September 28 - October 3, 2026. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will close the W2RC calendar at the end of November, which required modifying the usual October date to facilitate the transport of vehicles between the two rounds of the five-event FIA-FIM World Championship.

Final Classification - Rallye du Maroc 2025 (Ultimate)

FIA World Championships 2025 - Final Standings

Ultimate Drivers

Ultimate Co-Drivers

Manufacturers

Challenger Drivers

Challenger Co-Drivers

SSV Drivers

SSV Co-Drivers