The Qatari Toyota driver is comfortably leading the 2023 Sonora Rally, thanks to staying clear of the problems that have affected his rivals in the competition.
The day started positively for Guerlain Chicherit, who raised the French flag and the Hunter T1+ vehicles to the top after Sébastien Loeb's withdrawal. However, the Frenchman also encountered difficulties after leading the first timed section of the special connecting the loop in Peñasco.
Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Attiyah, the current Dakar Rally champion and the main contender for the win, was determined to earn points and regain the lead after his disappointing performance at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. At the start of the race, he was in fourth place but soon climbed to second place.
The Qatari driver was close to the French leader, while Marcos Baumgart and Yazeed Al-Rajhi held the third and fourth positions, respectively. Mitchell Guthrie led the T3 category from fifth place in the special. However, everything changed at kilometer 190, when Nasser Al-Attiyah took the lead after Guerlain Chicherit encountered problems, allowing other drivers like the Brazilian from X Rally Team, the Saudi from Overdrive, and Denis Krotov from X-Raid MINI JCW Team to advance in the standings. From then on, the race remained stable, with Al-Attiyah in first place, followed by Al-Rajhi and Baumgart on the podium.
Bikes
In the penultimate stage of the Sonora Rally, the competitors faced a 248-kilometer timed section and a 237-kilometer liaison. During this stage, Toby Price achieved a challenging victory, surpassing the surprising Spanish rider Tosha Schareina and Luciano Benavides.
Adrien van Beveren led the first checkpoint at kilometer 32, ahead of Kevin Benavides and Ross Branch. However, positions changed shortly after when the younger of the Argentine brothers took the stage lead, closely followed by the Australian KTM rider, Pablo Quintanilla, and the national Honda hopeful. From kilometer 92, the positions began to define themselves for crossing the finish line, with Toby Price in first place, followed by Luciano Benavides and Daniel Sanders, who also wanted to join the battle for the lead.
Nasser Al Attiyah crowned champion in Rallye Du Maroc 2024
The Qatari wins his third world title, while Baciuska dominates in the Challenger category. Toyota Gazoo Racing retains its constructors' crown.
Carlos Sainz gets his first win with Ford
Sainz gets his first stage victory and Ford gets its first win in the rally, while Al Attiyah keeps the overall leadership.
Loeb leads the fourth stage of the Rallye du Maroc
Sébastien Loeb reduces the gap in cars, while Macik takes another victory in trucks.
Lucas Moraes wins in Morocco and Al Attiyah extends his lead
Moraes takes his first stage win while Al Attiyah remains in the lead in the standings.
