The prologue, held just outside the walls of Marrakesh, covered 75 km in total, with 26 km of timed special stage. The route featured a technical blend of stony paths and dirt, which demanded precision from the drivers as they fought for position ahead of Stage 1.
Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleon delivered a solid performance, finishing 6th, just 26 seconds behind prologue winners Guérlain Chicherit / Alex Winocq (X-Raid Mini John Cooper Works Team). Seth Quintero and co-driver Dennis Zenz completed the prologue in 12th, only 41 seconds off the lead .
Both drivers demonstrated a strong start, setting themselves up for a competitive showing in the coming stages.
Stage 1 Recap: A Tough Start in Zagora
Stage 1 saw the competitors embark on a 180 km loop from Zagora back to Zagora, with an additional 172 km of liaisons. The route provided a true test of endurance and skill, featuring a mix of fast desert tracks, rocky sections, and technical navigation.
For Lucas Moraes, the stage proved particularly tricky in the opening kilometers. The first 40 km of the stage wound through a rock-filled riverbed, which slowed the Brazilian down as he carefully managed the car and tires to avoid punctures. After finding his rhythm, Lucas was able to push harder and improve his pace, eventually finishing in 11th place, 11 minutes and 31 seconds behind stage winners Nasser Al-Attiyah / Edouard Boulanger.
Seth Quintero faced his own set of challenges, catching up to two cars early in the stage, but suffering a puncture at km 15. To make matters worse, Seth suffered a dashboard malfunction at km 30, leaving him without key information for navigation. Despite these setbacks, Seth managed to recover, pass two cars, and complete the last 120 km with strong pace, finishing in 21st place, 17 minutes and 52 seconds behind the leaders.
Looking Ahead: Stage 2 – A Critical Opportunity
Stage 2 of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc presents another tough challenge for the drivers, with a 496 km route, including 317 km of timed special racing around Zagora. The stage will take the teams through the Erg Chegaga dunes, where navigation will be crucial as the car drivers will no longer be able to rely on the traces left by motorbikes. This feature will test the drivers’ ability to read the terrain and find the fastest route through the dunes and sandy tracks.
The terrain in Stage 2 will vary from fast, open desert stretches to technical and rocky sections, requiring both skill and strategy to maintain a good pace. With both Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero looking to recover time after Stage 1, Stage 2 will be a key opportunity for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing crews to make up ground in the overall standings.
Quotes
Lucas Moraes: “The stage was tricky for us. I was too slow and careful with the car and tires in the first 40 km because there were rocks everywhere in a riverbed. After that, I managed to get back on pace and tried to climb the standings. I think we finished in the top 10, which is great for the World Championship, but I’m not too happy with my performance in the rocks. I still need to learn and gain more experience in those conditions, but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. I’m glad the drivers we’re fighting will start in front of us, so we’ll definitely push.”
Seth Quintero: “I knew today was going to be tough, but not this tough. We caught the two cars in front of us by km 15, but then we got a puncture and had to play catch-up. At around km 30, my dash malfunctioned, and I lost the trip repeater, so I didn’t have full directions. But we still managed to pass the two cars ahead and opened up the last 120 km. It was fun but hard with a half-working car. We did our best and lost a bit of time, but there’s a lot of racing left. We’ll push tomorrow to make up for it.”
Source: Toyota
