Lucas Moraes (Dacia): "To achieve great things, you have to take risks."

“If you can’t beat them, join them,” as is often said or heard in the United States. At 36, Lucas Moraes is about to turn this adage on its head, because after beating Dacia driver Nasser Al-Attiyah to the 2025 W2RC championship title, he will become his teammate in the Dacia Sandriders. This is an opportunity to prove, with equal equipment, that he belongs among the elite. rally-raid, in a team that also includes the winner of the Rally of Morocco, Sébastien Loeband the world champion navigator, Édouard Boulanger.

The first driver to beat Nasser Al-Attiyah since the creation of the World Rally Championship in 2022, Lucas Moraes spoke to the official W2RC website, a few weeks before making his official debut with Dacia at the 2026 Dakar Rally (January 3-17). Two days after winning the title for ToyotaThe Brazilian was already behind the wheel of the Sandrider during a test session. This provided an opportunity to meet his new co-driver, Dennis Senz.

“I had some great times with Armand [Monleon], I learned a lot from him and we won many races together. Dennis’s selection was based on his discipline, work ethic and experience. We immediately clicked and we are convinced that he can contribute a lot to our performance, especially the consistency we need to win such a long championship.”

After making his mark with Toyota by finishing third in the 2023 Dakar Rally, Moraes felt it was time for a new challenge, having just won the ultimate title for the first time. This switch of teams would have happened regardless of the outcome of the Rally of Morocco, according to discussions at the bivouac in recent weeks, but it makes even more sense now that the outcome of the 2025 season is known.

“Toyota has been a major chapter in my career, and I will always be grateful for the exceptional opportunity I was given. At the same time, I felt it was time for a new challenge: to grow, to push myself further in a new environment. Dacia has big ambitions, and this project has truly excited me. It’s the right decision for what I want to do. Every big change involves a degree of uncertainty, but to achieve great things, you have to take risks. I’ve learned that the greatest opportunities usually arise when you’re not fully prepared. It will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but that’s where you have the chance to truly make your mark.”

The instructions that caused discord

Lucas Moraes also revisited the team orders incident at the Portugal Rally-Raid. Leading before the final day, he received a request from the Toyota team to deliberately lose time to allow his teammate Henk Lategan to pass. The South African, runner-up in the Dakar Rally earlier in the year, was the strongest contender for the title and could have closed the gap even further on Nasser Al-Attiyah before Morocco. Moraes ignored these orders, securing his first W2RC victory, a crucial success in his quest for the world title, which he achieved three weeks later in Erfoud, following a dramatic turn of events (Al-Attiyah was penalized an hour for failing to stop at the final checkpoint of the rally). The new champion maintains that while the Japanese manufacturer initially disapproved of his initiative, a frank discussion smoothed things over before Morocco.

“It was a difficult moment, for sure. I have deep respect for the team; we had a great conversation afterwards, and they understood. Deep down, I felt I had to go for it because I still had a good chance in the title fight. I always believed that as long as there was a chance to fight, I had to take it. It wasn't against anyone. It was simply about being true to myself, and Toyota understood that perfectly by offering me exceptional support during the last race in Morocco.”

ALSO READ > Fabian Lurquin looks back on the finale of the Rally of Morocco