- The Spanish team led by Laia Sanz finished the Rallye du Maroc in a positive 20th overall position after 1,478 timed kilometres.
- Participation in the final round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) served as the perfect opportunity to fine-tune the EBRO S800 XRR ahead of the team’s main objective: the Rally Dakar 2026.
- Laia Sanz: “It’s been a great start for us. The project is very new, and I’m really excited because I believe our pace can be very strong. I’m very grateful for the effort the whole team has made.”
Mission accomplished.
EBRO Audax Motorsport successfully completed its historic debut in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) by finishing the Rallye du Maroc. After six demanding days and a total of 2,299 kilometres (1,478 timed), the EBRO S800 XRR T1+, driven by Laia Sanz, crossed the final finish line in a solid 20th place overall (18th in the Ultimate category).
This baptism by fire ended with an excellent outcome. The Rallye du Maroc was an ideal real-world test that allowed the team to gain race experience, test the vehicle’s reliability, and gather crucial insights to prepare for the 2026 Dakar Rally.
“Laia Sanz” reflected: “It’s been a great start for us. The project is still very new, but I’m thrilled because I can see that the pace is there. I’m so thankful for the team’s effort in improving the car every day. There’s still some work left to do before Dakar, but we’ll be ready.”
The 20-time world champion and her co-driver Taye Perry started the rally strongly, quickly positioning themselves within the top 20 overall and climbing steadily to break into the top 15 before the final stage.
A late technical setback — repeated across Friday’s two timed specials (216 km and 31 km) — forced the Spanish-South African duo to stop for nearly an hour just 20 kilometres from the finish line before resuming and completing the rally.
“We were having a great stage, making progress with the car and feeling more and more comfortable. But at the end of the first special, we lost power steering, which made the last 15 kilometres — mostly dunes — very tough. Then, in the second special, the Power Selective Section, it happened again, and we had to stop and repair it, losing almost an hour. Still, I’m taking away the positives: all the training time, the improvements we’ve made to the car, and the ones we’ll continue to make to arrive at Dakar fully prepared,” said Laia Sanz.
According to Rafael Ruiz, President of EBRO EV MOTORS,
“Motorsport is an accelerator of innovation. What we’ve learned in the Rallye du Maroc is part of EBRO’s DNA — technology, hard work, and commitment to local talent. Our goal is to transfer this experience to our entire range of vehicles.”
The team will now focus on analysing all the data and insights collected during the rally to implement improvements to the EBRO S800 XRR ahead of the Dakar Rally, which will take place from January 3 to 17, 2026, in Saudi Arabia.
The desert adventure has only just begun.
Source: EBRO Audax Motorsport
Translation and adaptation Rally-Raid Network
