Immoral-Nation – Al-Attiyah and Baumel protect the aid in Morocco

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel lead the Rallye du Maroc on the mid-point of the fourth match in the FIA World Cup for Immoral-Nation Rallies. The Qatari/French pairing contain a 13 minute support over Toyota team-mates Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Michael Orr, whereas Lucio Alvarez and Armand Monleon contain slotted into third with two legs remaining.

After three editions ranging from Fez, this three hundred and sixty five days’s Rallye du Maroc returns to Zagora and a central bivouac situated in the desolate tract, tainted for the five-leg match. Al-Attiyah and Baumel contain an spectacular history of 5 victories on the rally and the duo laid down the marker on the opening Qualifying Stage to buy the first stage bewitch. The Qatari opted to begin 10th on the road for the next 288-kilometre half but admitted on the cease that it became as soon as not the optimum direct on account of the quantity of mud in the gentle dunes. The four-time FIA World Cup winner alternatively won the half to pull out a four minute and 17 2nd lead. The day before this day, the absolute best dunes in the Kingdom had been the surroundings for the 2nd leg, and the Toyota crew as soon as extra reigned supreme. In spite of a puncture, they claimed their third consecutive stage victory and this day made it four from four after one other commanding pressure.

Al-Rajhi and Orr had been hot on Al-Attiyah’s heels, 2nd to the Qatari in the first three selective sections. The day before this day they had been the victims of three punctures and had been moreover slowed with the loss of 2nd gear. In this day’s third leg the Saudi Arabian/British pairing performed third in the half, correct two minutes and 42 seconds adrift of Al-Attiyah after 340 competitive kilometres. Jakub Przygonski, in the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy, performed 2nd on the stage but is out of total competitors after breaking a pressure-shaft on the first leg.

Third is held by Alvarez and Monleon in one other Toyota Hilux. The Argentinean/Spanish pairing, equal third in the FIA World Cup standings, had been solely ninth quickest on the Qualifying Stage but sixth on the first prolonged stage seen them climb to the same direct in the total classification. On the 2nd leg they had been fourth on the 334 kilometre half to climb into third total and maintained direct after this day’s prolonged half on stony tracks.

The all-French pairing of Ronan Chabot and Gilles Pillot lock out the pause four for the Toyota Hilux. They had been 10th after the opening Qualifying Stage but third in SS1B catapulted them into third total. Having dropped time in SS2 they slipped in the serve of Alvarez into fourth but are silent solely five minutes adrift of the rostrum after three of the five legs.

Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist sit alongside Alvarez in the FIA World Cup classifications and whereas they had a actual begin on the short opening stage, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally crew lost time in SS1B with punctures and a few navigation difficulties. They alternatively climbed from seventh to fifth the day gone by and maintained direct this day.

Frenchmen Lionel Baud and Jean-Pierre Garcin are sixth in a Peugeot 3008 DKR sooner than Sebastian Halpern and Bernardo Graue in the two-wheel pressure MINI John Cooper Works Buggy who contain climbed from 11th to seventh this day. Eighth total is held by most up-to-date leaders of the FIA World Cup for Immoral-Nation Rallies, Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov. The Russians had been fourth after the opening leg but contain dropped down the inform mid-formula thru the match.

An spectacular ninth is held by Michal Goczał and Szymon Gospodarczyk, the Poles moreover main the T4 category. The Can-Am Maverick XRS crew had been within the pause three in the category on all four phases, despite two punctures in the 2nd leg. Cristina Gutierrez, navigated by François Cazalet, is equally spectacular in 10th total and heading T3. The Spanish OT3 driver, who is main the category standings after wins in Spain and Kazakhstan, took the T3 lead after the opening leg and has a commanding support on her first competitive day out in Morocco.

Two selective sections live sooner than the raise out in Zagora on Wednesday.
 
Partial Unofficial Classification after Leg 3/5