The stakes are higher than ever in the 2024 W2RC finale. From the drivers and co-drivers to the manufacturers, all the FIA titles are still up for grabs as the engines rev up in Marrakesh! The verdict will be pronounced at the end of the 2,468 kilometres of the Rallye du Maroc.
Make or break
The 2023 champion, Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandriders), and his runner-up, Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive Racing), were looking forward to a rematch in 2024. Fast-forward to the end of the season and the two drivers are fighting for the FIA title again. It has become a classic duel. Six W2RC races have seen both of them on the final podium, including the last edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 YPF Infinia, where the Saudi ace got the better of his Qatari rival. The two-time reigning champion holds a margin of 25 points going into the grand finale, but Al Rajhi can still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Indeed, he scored 27 points more than Al Attiyah when he triumphed in Morocco last year. The leader has no room for error in a country where he has already savoured the sweet taste of victory (2014 through 2018 and 2021) and the bitter sting of defeat (DNF in 2019 and fifteenth place in 2023). Shaking up this scenario even more is the fact that this will be his first official race in a Dacia Sandrider. Getting it right the first time is easier said than done, as the Qatari himself experienced first-hand when he had to bail out of his new Hunter before the finish of the Dakar last January. Sure, he bounced back with two consecutive victories at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, but if he messes up this time, the crown will go to his arch-rival in Morocco.
Another driver remains mathematically in contention… On paper, at least. Lucas Moraes (Toyota Gazoo Racing) trails the leader by 53 points with 55 points on the table (see box below), so he needs something just short of a miracle. However, the Brazilian has two missions to keep him busy. First, to defend the W2RC bronze medal that he claimed last season, knowing that X-raid Mini JCW's Guerlain Chicherit and Guillaume de Mevius are 34 and 38 points behind, respectively. Second, to do his bit to propel Toyota Gazoo Racing to the manufacturers' championship! Just like Al Attiyah, TGR are eyeing their third title on the bounce, but now with him on the other side. The Qatari's marque, Nasser Racing by Prodrive, is 30 points adrift.
| THE W2RC FIA DUEL | Races | Victories | Podium place | Stages | Rankings |
| Nasser Al Attiyah | 13 | 6 | 9 | 39 |
2023 : 1er |
| Yazeed Al Rajhi | 13 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 2023 : 2e 2022 : 3e |
Historic first on the cards
Rokas Baciuška (Can-Am Factory) remains undefeated in the W2RC. The Lithuanian clinched the SSV titles in 2022 and 2023. He joined the Challenger field this season in a bid to become the first driver to emerge victorious in two different classes. He has never finished lower than first (Portugal and Ruta 40) or second (Dakar and ADDC). With a healthy lead of 44 points over Nicolás Cavigliasso, there is no reason for him to stress in the final round. The Argentinian has won almost as many stages as his rival (seven, i.e. one fewer), but he is paying the price for his anaemic early-season performances at the Dakar (sixth) and in the Emirates (fifth). Finishing sixth in Mengoub/Bouârfa would do the trick for Baciuška, although you should never count your chicks before they hatch in rally raids.
Marcelo Gastaldi (BBR) faces a scenario not entirely unlike that of his compatriot Moraes in Ultimate. He is also third in his class, Challenger, and he also needs to seal the deal on a podium finish. His closest rival, Austin Jones (Can-Am Factory), is not coming to Morocco. Instead, his BBR teammate Dania Akeel is the closest threat at 32 points.
Buckle up
A season is a long time in rally raids. By the time they cross the finish line of the Rallye du Maroc, the competitors will have covered over 17,000 kilometres. Consistency is key over such mammoth distances. Sebastián Guayasamín (BE Racing), ensconced in the SSV lead despite not having won a single race, is living proof of that! Keeping mistakes to the bare minimum and protecting his machine has allowed him to finish in the top 4 in every single round so far, in stark contrast with Yasir Seaidan (MMP), who has won two rounds but bowed out of the rallies in Portugal and Argentina. He now stands 6 points behind Guayasamín.
What looked like a two-man duel between the Can-Am drivers has morphed into a three-way standoff. Ricardo Ramilo (Escuderia Ramilo-Rodamoto) has surged back into contention for the title after snapping up the last two rounds. The Spaniard is 20 points from taking the crown from under his rivals' noses. Rebecca Busi (OnlyFans) has a bigger mountain to climb at 41 points. For the first time in W2RC history, four competitors are in the mix for the championship heading into the finale!
Points on offer
A maximum of 55 points are at stake in the Rallye du Maroc, with two different hauls up for grabs:
- Finishing in the top 15 overall, according to the following scale: 30 (1st), 25 (2nd), 20 (3rd), 17 (4th), 15 (5th), 13 (6th), 10 (7th), 9 (8th), 8 (9th), 7 (10th), 6 (11th), 5 (12th), 4 (13th), 3 (14th) and 2 (15th).
- Finishing in the top 5 of a stage, according to the following scale: 5 (1st), 4 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 2 (4th) and 1 (5th).
- Each manufacturer can field a maximum of three crews in each event. Only the top two from each team will score points, which will be awarded following the above scale.
History in the making
The three world co-driver championships are also on the line. In the FIA class, Édouard Boulanger (Dacia Sandriders) is in the pole position to succeed fellow Frenchman Mathieu Baumel (X-raid Mini JCW). Al Attiyah's new partner is 20 points ahead of Al Rajhi's lieutenant, Timo Gottschalk (Overdrive Racing).
There is history in the making in the Challenger class, where Valentina Pertegarini seems poised to become the first female W2RC champion! Riding shotgun with Cavigliasso, the Argentinian will not have to contend with Oriol Vidal (Can-Am Factory), who is still on the mend. The final obstacle standing in her way is Gastaldi's co-driver, the Brazilian Carlos Sachs (BBR), 35 points adrift. In the SSV class, Fernando Acosta (BE Racing) has a golden opportunity to erase his 11-point deficit to the leader Fausto Mota, who is no longer racing with Ramilo. If Sergio Lafuente (OnlyFans), who navigates for Busi, manages to keep his third place, he will net Uruguay its first ever W2RC title.
