Rally of Morocco – Nasser Al-Attiyah champion from the first stage?

As Jean-Marc Fortin, boss of Overdrive Racing, told us shortly after the Prologue of the Rally of Morocco this Friday, October 13, “if a computer were to calculate the odds for the title of Nasser (Al-Attiyah), it would lean towards a value close to 1.” The Qatari is indeed solid leader of the World Rally Championship- raid (W2RC) before this 2023 final on Moroccan soil.

With the administrative tasks all sorted, Nasser, Mathieu, and the #TGRW2RC team are geared up and ready to hit the track. #rallyedumaroc2023 #TGR #TGRW2RC #NotJustForSport #ThatGRFeeling #Eurol #Hilux #TeamHilux pic.twitter.com/3TMl6DKnPt

— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally-Raid & Dakar Team (@TGR_W2RC) October 13, 2023

Winner of the Dakar, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Desafío Ruta 40 (Argentina) this year, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) enters the W2RC final with a 51-point lead over Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Overdrive Racing ), who won at the Sonora Rally (Mexico). But with 55 points available in Morocco (see scale below), the Qatari is not yet mathematically crowned champion.

Each step can, however, be that of the title. Indeed, Yazeed Al Rajhi must score a total of 52 points in Morocco to hope to be crowned. He must win the general classification, but also shine every day, where points are at stake. For example, if the Saudi does not finish in the Top 4 of the first stage, Al Attiyah will be champion.

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Points scale in W2RC:

In FIA, the first 15 crews are rewarded (30, 25, 20, 17, 15, 13, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2), as well as the first 5 of each stage ( 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). 55 units are therefore to be taken over the entire race. But be careful: for the stage points to be validated, you have to complete the rally!

A competitor can therefore have won the first four stages, his counter will return to zero if he abandons during the fifth. In other words, calculations made during the race will always be provisional.

This does not apply to Nasser Al-Attiyah's navigator, Mathieu Baumel. The French co-driver has already acquired the title of the specialty during the previous round in Argentina, because Yazeed Al-Rajhi counted on two different co-drivers in 2023. Toyota is also assured of the coronation in the FIA ​​Manufacturers' ranking.