Rally of Morocco – Henk Lategan, a rookie close to the title: “I am ready to give my all”

Henk Lategan is a new figure in the Rally from Morocco. The South African, a real surprise guest at the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) thanks to his 2nd place in the Dakar, his victory in South Africa and another 2nd place in Portugal, discovers the playing field of the final of the 2025 season. “This is the first time I have participated in the Rally of Morocco… but it is also the first time I have been to this country, he tells us at the end of the technical checks. I had time to visit Casablanca and Fez, they are two magnificent cities. The landscapes are also very beautiful in this northern part of Morocco, I was able to take in the sights before leaving. Of course, I was warned that the weather would be quite extreme in the middle of the desert, but that's normal.

Official Pilot Inductee Toyota Gazoo Racing's Henk Lategan heads into this final nine points behind championship leader Nasser Al-Attiyah, a position he has never held in his career. “Everyone talks about it all the time. It’s hard not to think about it! With Brett (Cummings, his co-pilot. Ed.), we are delighted to be in contention for the title. It will be difficult to compete with Nasser in this event that he knows better than us. Even compared to Lucas, it looks difficult because he is very close to us in the standings. It will be a big fight! We will have to spit in our hands to aim for the crown, but that does not scare me. I am ready to give my all, as has been the case in every round. I did not make all this effort to give up so close to the goal!

As for the strategy to be used, it is impossible to reproduce what Henk Lategan produced in Portugal, namely winning the first stage in order to stay in the leading group until the finish. "We'll have to discuss it internally. It will be a little different than Portugal. There, the competition was very close due to the lack of navigation and the special stages. WRCThe gaps were small, and that shouldn't be the case in Morocco with the desert. At least, that's what I deduce from the information I gleaned in the bivouac, because I've never ridden here. There will be more "drama" than in Portugal.

Aware of his strengths and weaknesses, Henk Lategan cites the “reading the Moroccan terrain” like one of its black spots. "This will be an area where I start with a disadvantage over my rivals who are familiar with this event. But at the end of the day, it's still a race, and you have to drive a 4x4 in a desert, even if it's different from those I've encountered in the past. A rally-raid driver always has to adapt to the route he's given, and that won't change my approach."

At the Rally-Raid Portugal, Henk Lategan was taken for a ride by Lucas Moraes (Toyota). His Brazilian teammate had assured him he would give up first place on the final stage to secure him maximum championship points, but Moraes broke his word and beat him to the finish line. As a result, he is now fully back in contention for the title, 10 points behind Nasser Al-Attiyah, while Lategan is now just 9 points behind Al-Attiyah. 

"This time, I can guarantee you that there will be no team orders," Henk Lategan replied when asked if a similar pattern could occur in Morocco. "It was semi-pure racing all year, but for the Rallye du Maroc, it will be real, pure competition." (implied, without instructions. Editor’s note). »

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