- TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC are in podium contention following the 300 km Stage 1 of Rallye du Maroc
- Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleón secure third and valuable Stage points
- Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings recover from a chaleirinha Prologue to finish in the top five
- Seth Quintero and Andrew Short finish 13th on Stage 1
The event heads towards the Algerian border on Tuesday via a 306 km timed section on Stage 2
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing W2RC (TGR W2RC) is locked in a battle for podium positions following a strong first Stage of the Rallye du Maroc, the final round of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.
The opening full day of off-road action unfolded across demanding terrain, combining hard-packed surfaces with slower, stony sections that tested the precision and endurance of all three crews. Stage 1 began amidst the rugged Atlas Mountains before pace intensified over broken road surfaces and deep ditches. Adding to the challenge, the GR Hilux EVOs were tasked with navigating multiple intersections and technical crossings.
Lucas Moraes and Armand Monleón, winners of the previous round at the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, once again demonstrated strong form in their #202 GR Hilux EVO. The duo climbed from 12th to 3rd overall by the end of the 300 km timed section, setting the fastest time through the demanding 164 km stage and scoring three valuable championship points, bringing Moraes to within seven points of the overall lead.
Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings also delivered a determined performance, steadily advancing into podium contention with a composed and strategic drive. Skilfully navigating traffic from slower bikes and cars, the duo maintained their championship hopes, bringing the #204 GR Hilux EVO home in fifth position, just over a minute behind the leaders.
Seth Quintero and Andrew Short delivered a composed start to the event, keeping their #205 GR Hilux EVO firmly within the top 10 for much of the day despite being one of the first cars on the stage which made for a very demanding and challenging task regarding navigation. Despite a late-stage setback, the pair showcased strong potential and remain determined to regain ground in tomorrow’s stage.
The battle for the title and podium honours resumes on Tuesday with Stage 2, covering 306 km of timed running from Erfoud toward the Algerian border. A demanding mix of sand dunes and rocky terrain awaits, setting the stage for another challenging leg in the FIA W2RC season finale.
Henk Lategan: “The first proper day of racing went a lot better than yesterday. Started P13 on the road and passed quite a lot of cars and bikes but it was tricky to get passed some of them thanks to the dust at times. That was a really tricky, high speed, rocky day and there’s not a lot of time in it. We did more than 300 km in three hours so that shows how fast the pace was and the times are very close. We’ve played a little bit of a strategic game today, we knew we were not going to make up a lot of time so we backed off slightly so that we have a better road position for tomorrow so let’s see if it pays off. Fifth on the stage and fifth on the road tomorrow, we will give it a big push.”
Lucas Moraes: “It was a very nice stage for us and the team as a whole, happy with the third position. Tomorrow is going to be an important day as we split from the bikes on the dunes and having just two vehicles in front will be good. Overall, the car performed really well and we were able to keep it clean without any punctures which is obviously important. Let’s keep going and big thanks to the whole TGR team for an amazing car”
Seth Quintero: “ It was a really good day for us, a smooth one. Made a mistake at the end there which cost us a bit of time but the feeling in the car is amazing. Andrew is doing a great job and I’m looking forward to having a good starting position tomorrow and giving it all we have got to make up a bit of time but to be honest we didn’t lose that much so I’m really proud of the team, the job we’ve done and looking forward to the rest of the rally.”
Source: Toyota Gazoo Racing
