2023 Rallye du Maroc: From The Checkered Flag’s Newsroom

The World Rally-Raid Championship‘s second season has come to close with the Rallye du Maroc. The field of over 260 competitors entered Morocco hoping to make last-ditch charges at championships, use it as a final dress rehearsal for the 2024 Dakar Rally, get used to their new rides ahead of next season. For the final time in 2023, The Checkered Flag had the privilege of covering the rally from long before it began to the final stage.

Missed any of our coverage? We’ve got you covered below!

Pre-race stories

• 24 November 2022: 2023 Road to Dakar races include W2RC legs, South Africa
• 20 January: TCF‘s Dakar Rally newsroom
• 16 February: Martin Macík Jr. forgoing Abu Dhabi, returning in Morocco
• 7 March: TCF‘s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge newsroom
• 13 March: 2023 Rallye du Maroc route revealed
• 15 March: Javier Campos plans 2024 Dakar Rally début, may run Morocco
• 3 June: Mathieu Dovèze joins BAS World KTM Racing Team
• 6 June: Apache unveils APH-01 T3
• 17 June: Ford Ranger T1+ to tackle Baja Aragón and Rallye du Maroc
• 20 June: 2023 Rallye du Maroc to span 2,240 km
• 22 June: Toby Hederics’ road to 2025 Dakar Rally includes W2RC stops
• 22 June: Amine Echiguer moves up to Rally2 for Rallye du Maroc
• 23 June: Searles brothers enter Rallye du Maroc in Dakar 2025 journey
• 28 June: Borja Pérez plans Rallye du Maroc entry for Dakar 2024
• 4 July: Anja van Loon entering Rallye du Maroc, first race for all-female crew
• 5 July: BBR Motorsport partnering with MCE-5
• 24 July: Bahrain Raid Xtreme confirms no Argentina, focusing on Morocco and Dakar 2024
• 28 July: Dakar-bound Sébastien Herbet heading to Rallye du Maroc
• 4 August: Africa Rallye Team reveals 2023 Rallye du Maroc lineup
• 16 August: Maxime Pouponnot to run Rallye du Maroc in 2025 Dakar Rally campaign
• 21 August: Nasser Al-Attiyah to finish 2023 W2RC season with TGR
• 4 September: TCF‘s Desafío Ruta 40 newsroom
• 5 September: Sebastian Halpern forgoing Rallye du Maroc, 2024 Dakar Rally
• 13 September: Xavier Flick joins Kove Moto factory programme
• 16 September: Romain Bouzigon running Rallye du Maroc in 2025 Dakar Rally quest
• 19 September: Abu Dhabi winner Tobias Ebster to make Rallye du Maroc début
• 20 September: Marshall Meplon to race Rallye du Maroc
• 20 September: Rallye du Maroc to proceed in support of earthquake relief
• 20 September: Skyler Howes joins Monster Energy Honda Rally Team
• 20 September: Samuel Fremy returning to Rallye du Maroc
• 24 September: Fabien Domas switches to GasGas for Morocco, Dakar 2024
• 2 October: Guillaume de Mévius to race Toyota Hilux T1+ at Rallye du Maroc
• 3 October: 136 riders make up FIM grid
• 4 October: 102 on FIA entry list, 9 comprise Open entries
• 8 October: MD Rallye Sport reveals “radical” Optimus EVO 5
• 9 October: INTERVIEW: Joao Ferreira “really, really looking forward” to new life at Can-Am
• 12 October: Lukas Lauda on W2RC début: “I expect not much but (will) try to learn a lot and finish”
• 12 October: Joaquim Rodrigues out after shakedown crash
• 12 October: Kevin Benavides sitting out Morocco to focus on Dakar

Mid-race stories

• 13 October: BAIC ORV loses all W2RC points for not entering enough races
• 16 October: INTERVIEW: Austin Jones discusses “really hard” T3 championship battle
• 16 October: Pau Navarro on T1.1 vs. T1+: “We had a touch of reality when Nasser passed me”
• 16 October: W2RC Next Gen Tryouts to take place after Rallye du Maroc
• 18 October: Martin Macík Jr. disqualified
• 18 October: Eryk Goczał, team reprimanded for rescue fire

Overall winners

Stage recaps