Lucas Moraes wins in Morocco and Al Attiyah extends his lead

In stage 2 of the Rallye du Maroc, Lucas Moraes (Toyota Gazoo Racing) achieved his first victory in this event, beating Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandriders) by just 13 seconds. This victory marks the Brazilian’s fifth of the year, following two wins in the Dakar and triumphs in Portugal and Argentina.

Despite Al Attiyah's efforts, the Qatari finished second in the stage, which allowed him to extend his lead in the overall standings. Behind them, Sébastien Loeb (Dacia Sandriders) completed the stage podium, finishing 1 minute and 53 seconds behind Moraes.

Nasser Al Attiyah leads comfortably

With his second position in the stage, Nasser Al Attiyah solidifies his lead in the overall standings. Now, his lead over second-placed Guillaume de Mévius (X-raid Mini JCW) is 8 minutes and 22 seconds. Lucas Moraes also moved up to the general podium, occupying third place, 11 minutes and 18 seconds behind the leader.
The day was difficult for Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive Racing), who lost valuable time after taking a wrong turn and suffering a puncture, which relegated him in the overall standings.

Problems for Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz (Ford M-Sport), who had performed well in the previous stages, could not leave the bivouac this morning due to technical problems with his Ford Raptor T1+. Sainz explained that although his team detected an issue in the data, they preferred not to risk the car breaking down, opting for a cautious approach ahead of the next stages.

Challenger category dominated by the Goczal family

In the Challenger category, the Goczal family continues their dominance. Michal Goczal took the stage win, followed by his brother Marek and his nephew Eryk. In the overall standings, the Goczals lead, with Michal at the top, while Khalifa Al Attiyah, Nasser's brother, finished just outside the podium, behind Mitch Guthrie (Red Bull Off-Road Jr Team USA).

Chaleco López unstoppable in SSV

In the SSV category, Francisco "Chaleco" López (Can-Am Factory) continues to dominate, securing his third consecutive victory. López has maintained a steady pace throughout the race, and his lead over Yasir Seaidan (MMP) is already more than 20 minutes.

What's next

Stage 3 will take competitors from Zagora to Mengoub/Bouârfa, covering a total of 687 kilometers, of which 327 will be timed. This stage will include crossings through the erg of Merzouga, testing the drivers' skills on challenging terrain.