TOYOTA GAZOO Racing battles through Stage 3 setbacks in Morocco
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing faced a challenging day during Stage 3 of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc, with Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero navigating through mechanical issues and intense competition in the Moroccan desert. Despite setbacks, the team remains focused on closing the gap in the overall standings.
Stage 3, a 318 km timed special, took the competitors through the dunes of Merzouga and the rocky tracks surrounding the region. While Seth Quintero and co-driver Dennis Zenz delivered a strong performance, finishing the stage in 6th place with a time of 3h 24m 43s, Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon faced significant challenges after a mechanical issue derailed their progress.
Moraes started the day leading the stage after his Stage 2 victory, but disaster struck after 150 km when a failure in the throttle pedal mechanism halted their progress. Despite efforts to tape the joint and make temporary repairs, the issue recurred multiple times, forcing them to stop repeatedly. The delays saw the crew finish the stage down in 64th place, 1h 17m 44s behind the stage winners.
Despite the setbacks for Lucas Moraes, the team remains optimistic, with Seth Quintero closing in on the leaders and continuing to gain experience.
Stage 4 will see competitors face a 378 km route, with 315 km of timed special stage looping through Mengoub. The stage will feature a tough mix of gravel tracks, sand, and a small section of dunes, demanding sharp navigational skills. With 57% gravel, the stage promises to be fast but unforgiving for anyone who falters.
Quotes
Lucas Moraes:
“It was definitely not the perfect day for us. I felt really good at the start and was opening the stage well, but around 150 km the throttle pedal mechanism broke, leaving us with no acceleration. We had to stop several times to tape it up and keep going, but it kept coming loose with the vibrations. We lost a lot of time, but we’re still in the fight for the top 3 in the World Championship. Tomorrow should give us a good road position, so we’ll keep pushing.”
Seth Quintero:
“Today went well. Started fifth and finished fourth overall. We made up some time in the standings, and I’m happy with my driving. Not super stoked with the result, but we’ll keep working and improving. This is all preparation for the big show in January. Overall, no issues today, and we’re ready to keep pushing.”
RALLYE DU MAROC – STAGE 3 RESULTS
| 1 | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (Dacia Sandriders) | 03h 17min 57sec |
| 2 | #206 | G. de Mevius / M. Baumel | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +00:19 |
| 3 | #203 | C. Sainz / L. Cruz | (Ford M-Sport) | +02:46 |
| 4 | #200 | N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger | (Dacia Sandriders) | +03:56 |
| 5 | #205 | G. Chicherit / A. Winocq | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +04:27 |
| 6 | #207 | S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +06:46 |
| 7 | #210 | J. Ferreira / F. Palmeiro | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +09:56 |
| 8 | #208 | D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov | (Overdrive Racing) | +12:25 |
| 9 | #307 | E. Goczal / A. Haro | (Energylandia Taurus Factory Team) | +13:00 |
| 10 | #209 | M. Prokop | (Orlen Jipocar Team) | +14:05 |
| 64 | #202 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +01:17:44 |
RALLYE DU MAROC – STANDINGS AFTER STAGE 3
| 1 | #200 | N. Al-Attiyah / E. Boulanger | (Dacia Sandriders) | 08h 37min 12sec |
| 2 | #206 | G. de Mevius / M. Baumel | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +04:45 |
| 3 | #219 | S. Loeb / F. Lurquin | (Dacia Sandriders) | +10:31 |
| 4 | #205 | G. Chicherit / A. Winocq | (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team) | +14:03 |
| 5 | #201 | Y. Al Rajhi / T. Gottschalk | (Overdrive Racing) | +25:03 |
| 6 | #207 | S. Quintero / D. Zenz | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +27:32 |
| 7 | #220 | M. Ekström / Bergkvist | (Ford M-Sport) | +33:03 |
| 8 | #208 | D. Krotov / K. Zhiltsov | (Overdrive Racing) | +35:58 |
| 9 | #209 | M. Prokop | (Orlen Jipocar Team) | +36:35 |
| 10 | #307 | E. Goczal / A. Haro | (Energylandia Taurus Factory Team) | +39:12 |
| 23 | #202 | L. Moraes / A. Monleon | (Toyota GAZOO Racing) | +01:25:06 |
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.
