Nasser Al-Attiyah did not want to miss the opportunity to write his name in history and win the first World Cup Rally-Raid FIA (W2RC) this course. He won Dakarand after his 11th place in Abu Dhabisecond by one point to the general’s then leader, sebastien loebat the penultimate appointment of the course: the Rally Morocco. He had to take risks and do everything to score the maximum number of points in each special to turn the tables and hit his French opponent hard. And finally, he succeeded due to the mechanical problems suffered by the 9-time world rally champion in two of the 5 stages.
Loeb proved he had what it took to keep up with Nasser in his BRX, but luck was not on his side. The Alsatian lost 20 minutes on the first Moroccan stage, from Agadir to Tan-Tan, due to a broken suspension triangle. The next day, he rose again in a formidable manner winning the second stage and taking advantage of three holes from Al-Attiyah which caused the Toyota driver to lose 33 minutes. But what could be a big battle for every point, chosen stronger than expected on the Qatari side for new mechanical problems suffered by Sébastien Loeb on the penultimate stage (day 4). Last Wednesday, with just one day to go, Loeb suffered engine problems that delayed him by more than an hour.
22 point margin in the absence of the Andalusia Rally
The Frenchman’s 22nd final position in the general classification of Rally Morocco, together with Nasser’s third, leaves Al-Attiyah with an important advantage before the final round of the championship, in Andalusia Rally (from October 18 to 23). The four-time Dakar champion, currently the winner of the toughest race in the world, will come to Andalusia with 22 point lead which he had to manage in the 5 stages of the Andalusian race, with Loeb, now unbeaten, attacking to win the points awarded daily to the winner of each special in this FIA event.
FIA W2RC World Rally-Raid ranking after the Morocco Rally
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
