W2RC 2024 result: Rally Morocco

The final showdown of the five-round 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) was the Rallye du Maroc, which took place in Morocco on 6-11 October. Renowned for its challenging stages and tough conditions, the fierce competition saw a resilient Toyota Gazoo Racing finally secure its third successive manufacturers’ title, while team debutant Lucas Moraes (main image) achieved a well-deserved third in the drivers’ championship. What was the story behind this W2RC 2024 result? Read on to find out…

Round five: Rallye du Maroc

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s two crews delivered solid opening performances in the rally-opening prologue, a technical blend of stony paths and dirt designed to set each driver’s position ahead of stage one. Lucas Moraes and co-driver Armand Monleon finished sixth in the #202 Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+, while Seth Quintero and co-driver Dennis Zenz crossed the line in 12th in the #207 Hilux.

Stage one consisted of a 180km loop of fast desert tracks, rocky sections and technical navigation, with almost the same distance of liaisons in between. The first 40km took competitors through a rock-filled dry riverbed, which slowed Moraes as he took care to avoid punctures – a setback Quintero was unable to do. Nevertheless, Moraes later settled into a quick but careful rhythm, and Quintero recovered enough to pass two cars and complete the stage with strong pace.

Despite suffering with a lack of sleep due to concerns about his performance the day before, Moraes hit the ground running on the second day. Many of stage two’s tracks had been washed out by earlier rains but the Brazilian driver (below) plotted a superb course and quickly established a winning pace through the dunes, rocky tracks and sandy paths. He concluded the stage with a 13-second margin over the second-placed driver.

Slightly further behind, Quintero faced dust and visibility challenges as he passed slower competitors but fought his way to a highly respectable fifth place.

Following his victory the day before, stage three saw Moraes open the road. But disaster struck halfway through when a failure in the throttle pedal mechanism halted progress. Despite efforts to tape the joint and make temporary repairs, the issue forced the duo to stop repeatedly, which, in turn, had a disastrous effect on their position. These persistent delays saw the crew finish well over an hour behind the stage winners. However, Toyota remained optimistic as Quintero and Zenz delivered a strong performance through the dunes that helped them finish the day in sixth place.

More than half of stage four consisted of fast but unforgiving gravel tracks that were designed to be tricky to navigate. Moraes and Monleon experienced a better day overall, showing great pace and tenacity that allowed them to stay in contention. Indeed, their finish would have been higher than fifth place had it not been for a puncture late in the stage.

On the other hand, Quintero and Zenz encountered a rear differential issue and an early navigational mistake that cost them some time. Nevertheless, Quintero showed maturity and team spirit by pulling over to let a fellow competitor pass cleanly, ensuring that the dust wouldn’t affect their rival’s stage result. The crew finished in ninth place, still within reach of a strong overall position in the final push.

Stage five saw the competitors pull out all the stops as the five-day event reached its conclusion. In doing so, Moraes enjoyed an eventful day: although this was his first event in Morocco, the young Brazilian caught up with more experienced W2RC drivers to finish the stage in fourth place. He had clawed back a significant amount of the time lost in stage three – a commendable, Dakar-preparing performance which belied his 19th place finish overall.

Meanwhile, Quintero completed the final day in spectacular fashion with a second-place finish, which despite a few mechanical setbacks netted him fifth place in the overall rally. This result proved his ability to stay focused and work through the challenges that are part and parcel of rally-raid events.

W2RC 2024 results: Rallye du Maroc final standings

W2RC 2024: final manufacturer championship standings