Rally Raid
Dakar's next generation set the pace during demanding Rallye du Maroc
A new breed of desert racers and the next generation of rally machines gave us a glimpse of the future at this week's Rallye du Maroc.
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From the stunning speed of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team to the pacy performance of the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 prototype, tomorrow's world dominated the dunes in North Africa.
Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team come of age
20-year-old Seth Quintero is celebrating his first-ever rally-raid win after storming through the pack in the T3 contest in Morocco. The Californian turned the race on its head when he beat his closest rival by 20 minutes over the final stages alongside co-driver Dennis Zenz. The Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver is now a big step closer to his dream of becoming the youngest-ever Dakar winner.
"The whole Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team has put in so much hard work to be here," Quintero said at the finish line. "I'm glad that it finally paid off."
Quintero was joined on the overall podium by team-mates Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno who finished third. Second place in the T3 contest was claimed by Francisco 'Chaleco' López and Juan Pablo Latrach, and this leading W2RC trio will now fight for top spot at the series finale in Andalucia later this month.
"We'll arrive in Andalucia with all the possibilities of the championship still open," Gutiérrez reflected. "What better place to decide the title!"
All smiles for Seth Quintero
© Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Cristina Gutiérrez is on a roll
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
We’ll arrive in Andalucia with all the possibilities of the championship still open
World Rally-Raid Championship T3 standings
Position
Driver
Vehicle
Points
1.
F. LOPEZ (CHL)
CAN-AM
182
2.
C. GUTIERREZ (ESP)
OT3
154
3.
S. QUINTERO (USA)
OT3
144
Al-Attiyah and Loeb rumble in the dunes
Momentum shifted back and forth between T1 car category rivals Nasser Al-Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb over all five stages in Morocco. Both legendary racers suffered their fair share of issues in the desert as well as celebrating stage wins at the rally.
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"This was an amazing rally on tracks that were completely new for us," Al-Attiyah said in Morocco. "We're happy to finish on the podium, it puts us one step closer to winning this very important title."
Nasser Al-Attiyah can match anyone for speed in the desert
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
Loeb's up and down week saw him suffer mechanical issues on days one and four, but also lead the race after a stage win on day two. Loeb, alongside co-driver Fabian Lurquin in their Prodrive Hunter BRX, was able to add 10 points to his W2RC total thanks to another stage win on the final day of this rally.
World Rally-Raid Championship T1 standings
Position
Driver
Vehicle
Points
1.
N. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT)
TOYOTA
144
2.
S. LOEB (FRA)
PRODRIVE
122
3.
Y. AL RAJHI (SAU)
TOYOTA
100
Audi Sport open to new ideas
Competing in the Open class as part of their preparations for next January's Dakar were the three Audi RS Q e-tron Evo 2 machines. The results were extremely encouraging as Carlos Sainz and co-driver Lucas Cruz beat the best T1 time set over the 1,500-kilometre racing distance.
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The final times of Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist as well as Stéphane Peterhanse and Edouard Boulanger saw them finish within 25 minutes of Sainz. Audi's concept of combining an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter is at the forefront of rally-raid's switch to renewables.
Stéphane Peterhansel got plenty of seat time in Morocco
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
We did five days with no problem at all. We can be confident for Dakar
Bumpy ride for the bikes
Onto two wheels and a strong finish to Rallye du Maroc saw Sam Sunderland defend his overall lead in the W2RC rankings. Second place on the fourth and longest stage of the rally helped the British rider to recover a chunk of time lost earlier in the week. Another quick ride on the final stage gave this year's Dakar winner a fifth place finish in Morocco, enough to stay top of the W2RC leaderboard with a lead of 22 points over his nearest rival.
"Each day was an improvement in terms of my riding and some small changes to the bike," Sunderland revealed at the finish line. "I started feeling better and better throughout the race."
Sam Sunderland defends his W2RC lead
© Kin Marcin/Red Bull Content Pool
Kevin Benavides is the highest placed Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider in the final Rallye du Maroc results. The Argentinian finished one place behind Sunderland, in sixth overall. Benavides's KTM team-mate Toby Price retired hurt on Stage Four in Morocco. We wish Price a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on his bike soon.
World Rally-Raid Championship Bike standings
Position
Biker
Brand
Points
1.
S. SUNDERLAND (GBR)
GAS GAS
74
2.
P. QUINTANILLA (CHL)
HONDA
52
3.
R. BRABEC (USA)
HONDA
50
Next up for the desert convoy is the Andalucia Rally, running from October 18-23. Not only is it the fourth and final round of the World Rally-Raid Championship, but also the last race before next January's 2023 Dakar Rally.
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