Rotten Nation – World-class enviornment for Moroccan showdown

World Champions in defective country, rallying, circuit racing and motorcycling adorn the entry list for the final spherical of the FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Rallies, the Rallye du Maroc (3-9 October). Primarily the most easy spherical on the African continent is no longer going to simplest host a thrilling strive in opposition to for the World Cup title, but traditionally serves as one among the final lengthy distance shakedowns for the Dakar Rally. As such, one of the most biggest names – with ancient past across a selection of motor sport disciplines – are spot to bring world-class circulate on the 20th anniversary tournament that takes in a mixture of technical, like a flash and sandy tracks and dunes on the fringes of the Sahara Desolate tract.

The list of accolades across the main crews within the 46-vehicle enviornment is unparalleled and extraordinary. The strive in opposition to for the title will be fought out – in point of fact – between Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel and the husband and wife team of Stéphane and Andrea Peterhansel. Al-Attiyah, who has enjoyed most of his motor sport successes with original co-driver Baumel, is a four-time winner of the FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Rallies with three completely different manufacturers, has claimed the Dakar score on 3 times and taken victory on the Rallye du Maroc for the final five years. With a 9-level advantage within the standings, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Al-Attiyah and Baumel will lead the crews over the birth ramp, bidding for no longer simplest the title but additionally a sixth straight score.

Legendary defective country rider and driver, Stéphane Peterhansel, has obtained the Dakar Rally 13 times on bikes and in cars, and the Frenchman is help in circulate after he and Andrea made ancient past by taking their first FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Rallies score as a husband and wife team in Abu Dhabi earlier this yr. The MINI crew, second within the standings, additionally performed runners-up on the third spherical Rally Kazakhstan and Stéphane already has three outdated four-wheel wins on the Rallye du Maroc to his name.

Multiple winner of Center East Rally Championship occasions, Yazeed Al Rajhi, holds fourth within the defective country rally standings and should always quiet be making his fourth outing of the season with a brand original co-driver in Britain’s Michael Orr. The Saudi Arabian driver netted a second enviornment within the sequence’ opening spherical in Qatar and should always quiet be piloting one among 4 Overdrive Racing Toyotas forward of welcoming rather a lot of his fellow contenders to his dwelling country, host to the 2020 Dakar Rally. Erik Van Loon, Viktor Khoroshavtsev and Ronan Chabot – who performed fifth final yr – entire the team’s line-up.
 
Reigning champion of the FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Rallies is Jakub Przygoński and whereas the Pole has simplest claimed one podium enviornment within the sequence this yr, in Kazakhstan, he performed second total in Morocco final yr. He’ll additionally be heading to Portugal later within the month as he and co-driver Timo Gottschalk are embroiled in a shut war for the inaugural FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Bajas title.

Bernhard Ten Brinke, co-pushed by Tom Colsoul, is one other ancient Rallye du Maroc winner and the Dutch/Belgian pairing will be piloting the second of 4 Hilux entered by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Martin Prokop, a ancient FIA Junior World Rally Champion, returns for the final spherical with Jan Tománek of their accurate Ford Raptor RS Rotten Nation. The Czech driver has reaped richer rewards within the separate Baja sequence this yr, but can by no draw be discounted from a top inserting after finishing fourth in Morocco final yr.

Carlos Sainz, double FIA World Rally Champion, two-time winner of the Dakar Rally and a ancient winner of the FIA World Cup for Rotten Nation Rallies, makes his debut within the sequence this season with navigator Lucas Cruz. The Spaniards will be piloting a MINI John Cooper Works Buggy and should always quiet be hoping for greater success in Morocco after suffering a technical subject final yr.

Giniel de Villiers, co-pushed by Spaniard Alex Haro, is one other Dakar winner and 7-time podium finisher to adorn the entry list. The South African has claimed three victories on Rallye du Maroc in 2003, 2006 and 2007, so is one other well within the body for a top result.

Joan ‘Nani’ Roma, co-pushed by Dani Oliveras, is made up our minds for his first FIA World Cup defective country rally of the season after finishing second total in his dwelling Baja Aragón in July. Roma is terribly conversant within the terminate step of the podium having claimed two Dakar wins, one on a motorcycle and the opposite in a MINI.

Fernando Alonso, widely regarded as as one among Formula One’s finest drivers, now swaps the familiarity of the circuits for the uncertainty of the barren enviornment. Persevering with a excellent motor sport profession, which involves two FIA Formula One World Championship titles, the original FIA World Persistence Championship title and two Le Mans a success trophies, the Spaniard is now eyeing defective country rallying as his subsequent wretchedness. Getting into one among motor sports activities most various and enthralling disciplines, the Spaniard is present process an intensive coaching programme across Europe, Africa and the Center East with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, his World Persistence Championship a success team. He may perchance well additionally no longer be in safer fingers than with navigator Marc Coma, who has obtained the Dakar five times on a motorcycle and holds an spectacular six titles within the FIM Rotten Nation Rallies World Championship.

Across the board, the enviornment of T1 crews is spectacular but eyes will additionally be on the war for category honours. Reinaldo Varela holds a dazzling third within the overall sequence standings but more importantly heads into the final and decisive spherical main T3. The Brazilian, navigated by Gustavo Gugelmin, has taken two of the three category wins this season to lead Fedor Vorobyev by 23 factors, the Russian having to score most factors in Morocco to hold any likelihood of a success the title. On this 16-vehicle category, competition will be fierce and The US’s Casey Currie will with out doubt be taking a quiz to add a second victory to his tally. Ample two crews hold entered in T2 and Qatar’s Mohammed Al Meer will be taking a quiz to add most factors to his tally for the third time this season, having secured the title after a success in Kazakhstan.

RALLY DATA

LEADING ENTRIES

RALLYE DU MAROC – TIMETABLE & MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES