Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah took another step towards securing his third FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) title, finishing fourth in the penultimate stage of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc on Thursday while maintaining his overall lead.
Driving their new vehicle for Dacia Sandriders Team, Al Attiyah and French co-driver Edouard Boulanger extended their lead to 9 minutes and 12 seconds over their nearest rival Guillaume de Mevius of the X-raid Mini JCW team.
The Stage 4 victory on Thursday went to Ford’s Carlos Sainz, with Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi of Toyota Overdrive taking second place, and Guerlain Chicherit of the X-raid Mini JCW team finishing third.
Al Attiyah, the current FIA W2RC leader, is on the verge of claiming his seventh Rallye du Maroc victory. Reflecting on the stage, he said, "Today was a very good day. We played it safe throughout the race. We caught up with de Mevius, who was tough to overtake in the dust, but we made our move in the camel grass. Our Sandrider is performing really well, and it seems we’re on track for the final stage. We’ve been leading since Monday, and we’ll give it our best tomorrow. Honestly, I’m surprised everything’s going so well with a brand-new car.”
Heading into the final day of the season, Al Attiyah holds a 32-point lead over his closest challenger, Al Rajhi, with 35 points still up for grabs.
The overall Rallye du Maroc winner will earn 30 points, while today’s stage winner will secure an additional five points. Additionally, the top five W2RC competitors will receive points (5 for first place, 4 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for fifth). While Al Attiyah is in a strong position to clinch his third W2RC title, Al Rajhi could still take the championship if he wins the final stage and Al Attiyah finishes outside the top five.
In the Challenger category, Qatar’s Khalifa Al Attiyah and navigator Enio Bozzano finished fourth yesterday while Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Nasser Saadoon Al Kuwari finished in 11th position. Ahmed Al Kuwari was 14th.