Stage 2 victory in Morocco for TGR's Lucas Moraes
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Lucas Moraes stormed to victory in Stage 2 of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc, putting in a stellar performance that saw him finish just 13 seconds ahead of reigning champion Nasser Al-Attiyah. Moraes and his co-driver Armand Monleon now move into third overall in the standings, with three more stages remaining in this gruelling event. Seth Quintero, meanwhile, overcame a challenging day filled with dust to finish in 5th place, continuing his push through the field.
Stage 2 took the competitors through a 267 km timed special around Zagora, covering a mix of dunes, rocky tracks, and sandy paths. The stage was highly affected by earlier rains, with tracks washed out and the terrain proving particularly tough.
Moraes started strong, quickly establishing a fast pace through the dune sections between km 95 and 126. He carefully managed the rocky tracks from km 127 to 180 but found an opportunity to push during the faster stretches later in the stage. Moraes finished the stage with a time of 3h 04m 57s, securing the win with just a 13-second margin over Al-Attiyah.
Seth Quintero faced dust and visibility challenges, especially after catching slower competitors. Despite these difficulties, Quintero fought his way to 5th place, finishing 7 minutes and 3 seconds behind Moraes.
The race now heads into Stage 3, which promises to be one of the toughest of the event, as competitors face a 325 km timed special from Zagora to Mengoub-Bouârfa. The stage will traverse the famous Merzouga dunes, known for their soft sands and steep climbs. Separate routes will once again be used for cars and bikes, adding to the navigational challenge.
This stage will test the competitors’ endurance as they navigate some of the most isolated and demanding areas of the Moroccan desert. With Lucas Moraes opening the road after his Stage 2 victory, and Seth Quintero looking to make up more ground, this stage will be crucial in the fight for overall positions.
Quotes
Lucas Moraes:
“Wow, after yesterday I wasn’t happy with my pace. I even had a hard time sleeping, thinking maybe I’d forgotten how to drive in the desert! But today we found a good rhythm right from the start. I was expecting Loeb to be closer, but when I looked back in the dunes, he was still behind, so I knew we had a good pace. Really happy for the team—they deserve this after working so hard to get the car ready for us. Tomorrow I’ll be opening the stage, which is a great experience for me, and I’ll do my best again.”
Seth Quintero:
“Yeah, the stage was definitely tough, but easier than yesterday. We got comfortable at first, but then caught up to the guys in front and had to deal with a lot of dust. Towards the end, we gave it our all, but Morocco can bite you if you go too fast. We made some small changes to the car, and hopefully, we’ll have a better start position tomorrow to push even harder.”
RALLYE DU MAROC – STAGE 2 RESULTS
| 1 | #202 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | 03h 04min 57sec |
| 2 | #200 | N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger | (Dacia Sandriders) | +00:13 |
| 3 | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (Dacia Sandriders) | +01:53 |
| 4 | #206 | G. de Mevius / M. Baumel | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +02:08 |
| 5 | #207 | S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +07:03 |
| 6 | #205 | G. Chicherit / A. Winocq | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +07:48 |
| 7 | #208 | D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov | (Overdrive Racing) | +08:39 |
| 8 | #209 | M. Prokop | (Overdrive Racing) | +11:11 |
| 9 | #201 | Y. Al Rajhi / T. Gottschalk | (Overdrive Racing) | +13:12 |
| 10 | #220 | M. Ekström / Bergkvist | (Ford M-Sport) | +13:39 |
RALLYE DU MAROC – STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 2
| 1 | #200 | N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger | (Dacia Sandriders) | 05h 15min 19sec |
| 2 | #206 | G. de Mevius / M. Baumel | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +08:22 |
| 3 | #202 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +11:18 |
| 4 | #205 | G. Chicherit / A. Winocq | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +13:22 |
| 5 | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (Dacia Sandriders) | +14:27 |
| 6 | #201 | Y. Al Rajhi / T. Gottschalk | (Overdrive Racing) | +14:38 |
| 7 | #220 | M. Ekström / Bergkvist | (Ford M-Sport) | +19:35 |
| 8 | #322 | M. Goczal / D. Ortega Gil | (Energylandia Taurus Factory Team) | +22:39 |
| 9 | #214 | M. Serradori / L. Minaudier | (SRT) | +24:35 |
| 10 | #207 | S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +24:42 |
Partners
Red Bull has established itself as the premiere supporter of extreme sports and athletes, and as such fits perfectly with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's Dakar and W2RC efforts. The Austrian energy drink manufacturer has partnered with TGR over numerous years, and the involvement bore fruit when the team won a second Dakar title in January 2022, and a third in 2023.
SpeedMax is a CantuStore's private label, which is the largest omnichannel platform and leader in tire replacement market in Brazil. SpeedMax promotes maximum performance through high-performance tires that suit all types of vehicles, from passenger cars to trucks and tractors, as well as inner tubes and truck wheels.
