W2RC 2025 result after Round 5: Rallye du Maroc

Toyota Gazoo Racing concluded the final day of the final event in this year’s FIA World Rally-Raid Championship calendar in commanding fashion, adding the world drivers’ championship title to Toyota’s existing manufacturers’ title. Read on to learn how the team achieved this second overall W2RC 2025 victory in the punishing sand dunes of Morocco.

W2RC 2025 result after Round 5: Rallye du Maroc

Having already secured the World Rally-Raid manufacturers’ championship for a fourth consecutive time in the previous round in Portual, Toyota Gazoo Racing was on a mission to try and clinch the drivers’ and navigators’ titles in this fifth and final round in Morocco.

The challenge began in the scene-setting Prologue stage, hosted in the ancient city of Fez. Here the three teams – Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleón in the #202 GR Hilux Evo, Hank Lategan and Brett Cummings in the #204 car, and Seth Quintero and Andrew Short in the #205 – set cautious times across the fast and unusally soft tracks. But their considered pace was an acknowledgement of five further days of action that would push the crews to the limit across sand dunes and demanding desert terrain.

Stage 1

The opening day’s action unfolded across demanding unmade roads in the Atlas Mountains, which combined fast, hard-packed surfaces with slower, stony sections and deep ditches. Adding to the challenge were multiple intersections and technical crossings.

Round four winners Moraes and Monleón demonstrated their strong form, climbing from twelfth to third by the end of the day. This effort netted the pair three valuable championship points, and brought Moraes within seven points of the overall lead.

Lategan and Cummings also delivered a determined performance that moved them into podium contention. They skilfully navigated around slower traffic and brought the #204 GR Hilux Evo home in fifth position, just over a minute behind the leaders. Meanwhile, the #205 crew’s placement as one of the first on the stage made the task of navigating much more challenging. An unfortunate, late-stage mistake set the pair back a little but Quintero and Short were determined to regain ground the following day.

Stage 2

Stage two saw the GR Hilux Evo trio face more demanding terrain and rocky sections but it also marked the introduction to Morocco’s sand dunes. Visibility through the airborne dust was a challenge as the course took the crews towards the border with Algeria.

As with the previous day, Moraes and Monleón maintained a strong presence at the top of the leaderboard. Their speed and tactical mastery over the dunes earned them another third-place finish, which elevated the #202 crew to second in the overall standings.

Lategan and Cummings also looked set to move further up the order. But just before tackling the largest dunes, a rear differential failure forced the #204 Hilux to continue in front-wheel drive only. Maintaining front-runner speed with 70 miles of steep, sandy obstacles in the way was almost an impossible ask, and potentially catastrophic for the pair’s championship aspirations. However, they somehow completed the stage and promised to be raring to go again the following day.

Less fortunate were Quintero and Short, who began on course for a strong finish but also fell foul of the same technical issue as their teammates. This time, however, the problem was more severe and the #205 crew was unable to finish the stage.

Rallye du Maroc: Stage 3

Day three’s competitive route was the longest of the entire rally, spanning some 200 miles. It combined broken tracks, dune crossings and dry river beds, before transitioning into more demanding technical sections dotted with gullies, rocky surfaces and stretches of camel grass.

Lategan and Cummings made an impressive comeback through this demanding mix of surfaces, and secured Toyota its first stage win of the rally. The pair’s return to championship contention was only made possible by a no-holds-barred approach in the repaired #204 GR Hilux Evo.

Also bouncing back were Quintero and Short. Right from the start the pair adopted the same nothing-to-lose approach and finished in second place, just 47 seconds behind their teammates. Despite being pummelled all day, their similarly repaired #205 Hilux proved to be a faultless companion.

Meanwhile, Moraes and Monleón made a powerful start in the #202 car and moved into the lead 70 miles into the stage. But they lost this advantage after suffering a puncture that forced an unscheduled stop to replace the wheel. Despite this delay, the pair salvaged a top ten finish and retained their second-place position in the overall rally standings.

Stage 4

This penultimate stage proved to be the toughest of the rally so far. Narrow tracks, dune crossings, rocky surfaces and wide stretches of camel grass all combined to create unpredictable conditions around the Anti-Atlas Mountains.

Title contenders Moraes and Monleón secured third place with a composed and consistent performance. Importantly, this finish was ahead of some key championship rivals, so Moraes could enter the final day just two points behind in the drivers’ standings. The #202 pair also stood a chance of seizing the rally win but needed to overhaul a time deficit of more than three-and-a-half minutes.

Lategan and Cummings opened the road, and despite contending with limited visibility and unexpected challenges delivered a strong top-six performance in the #204 Hilux. Also leaving the service area early in the day were Quintero and Short in the #205 car. Visibility was similarly limited and it was difficult following the narrow tracks of the preceding motorbike class in a 2.3m wide car. Yet the pair secured a strong starting position for the final day, which kept them in firm contention for valuable team points.

Stage 5

Toyota’s three crews took on the final timed section in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, and navigated a breathtaking route that combined demanding dunes and diverse terrain. Moraes and Monleón began the day third on the road – a challenging position but one that allowed the duo to demonstrate their composure under pressure. In doing so, the #202 duo entered the final Power Stage ahead of their nearest title rival, which in turn ensured the fight for the drivers’ championship went down to the wire. The pair’s strong performance in this final 20-mile sprint secured them second place overall and sealed the W2RC drivers’ title for Moraes (below).

Quintero and Short enjoyed one of their strongest performances of W2RC 2025. They set the fastest time across the day as well as in the rally-ending Power Stage, finishing more than a minute ahead of anybody else. Meanwhile, Lategan and Cummings started the final day in fine form and progressed forward with some very competitive times in the #204 GR Hilux Evo. Unfortunately, Lategan’s promising form was compromised by a technical issue shortly after the start of the Power Stage but he was able to make the finish and still claim third place in the drivers’ standings.

Rallye du Maroc final standings

W2RC 2025: manufacturer championship standings

W2RC 2025: driver championship standings

W2RC 2026 programme

As the dust settles on an unforgettable 2025 in the World Rally-Raid Championship, Toyota is already looking ahead to the first round of the new W2RC season. The fearsome Dakar Rally will force the teams to hit the ground running, and the race for further championship titles will begin once again.

Round one: Dakar Rally, Saudi Arabia, 3-17 January
Round two: BP Ultimate Rally-Raid, Portugal, 17-22 March
Round three: Desafio Ruta 40, Argentina, 24-29 May
Round four: Rallye du Maroc, Morocco, 28 September – 3 October
Round five: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, United Arab Emirates, 22-27 November

Learn more: How did Toyota end the W2RC 2024 season?