The 2023 World Rally-Raid Championship will come to a close at the Rallye du Maroc, where 102 entries across five FIA classes are preparing for the 2024 Dakar Rally and/or making a last push for the titles. Combined with the 136 riders from the FIM side, there are 238 total entries for the rally.
Pending disaster, Nasser Al-Attiyah has his second consecutive W2RC crown all but wrapped up as he leads Yazeed Al-Rajhi by 51 points and only needs four more to clinch.
After skipping the Desafío Ruta 40, Bahrain Raid Xtreme returns for Morocco with a four-pronged attack led by Sébastien Loeb. Orlando Terranova returns for his second start after Dakar. Brothers Cristian and Marcos Baumgart, customers of Prodrive starting in 2023, impressed in their W2RC début at Sonora with a pair of stage podiums.
Guerlain Chicherit, who won the 2022 Rallye du Maroc in a Prodrive Hunter, has switched to a Toyota Hilux from Overdrive Racing. Besides championship contenders Al-Rajhi and Juan Cruz Yacopini, Overdrive retains Denis Krotov who joined the team in Argentina along with part-timer Eugenio Amos. T3 regular Guillaume de Mévius will make his T1 début in a Hilux from the team.
Martin Prokop and his Ford Raptor makes his return after skipping the American rounds. Elsewhere in the Ford T1 camp, Nani Roma will pilot M-Sport’s long-hyped Ford Ranger T1+ in its maiden W2RC start after finishing sixth in the truck’s first race at the Baja España Aragón in July.
Team Audi Sport will prepare for their swan song Dakar by fielding the usual trio of Mattias Ekström, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Carlos Sainz. After a disastrous 2023 Dakar, only Ekström has continued racing in the world championship albeit in a T3 for South Racing.
Ekström is not the only driver switching classes for Morocco as others try to gain early experience in their new seats before 2024. Most notably, Rokas Baciuška moves up to T3 having already clinched his second straight T4 title, as have the Goczał family of Dakar T4 champion Eryk, his father Marek, and uncle Michal. While drivers usually move up from T4 to T3, João Ferreira is doing the opposite as he will race a T4 for South Racing after running the entire season in a Yamaha T3. Another T4 driver Pau Navarro has made an even greater leap up to T1.
With so much turnover in T4, Shinsuke Umeda is the only driver to have run all five rounds in the class. Too far back to catch Baciuška while the part-time Rebecca Busi is the next closest championship rival in seventh, Umeda has secured second in the standings.
The trucks of T5 will appear for just their second race of 2023 after Dakar; their short calendar compared to the other categories contributed to the loss of a T5 championship for 2024. All three drivers who earned T5 points at Dakar are entered, with winner Janus van Kasteren leading Martin Macík Jr. 113 to 102; Tomas Vratny has 66 points.
Anja Van Loon is racing a truck after contesting Dakar and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in a T3, leading an all-female crew with Marije van Ettekoven and Floor Maten. Her husband Erik Van Loon, whom she raced against in Abu Dhabi, remains in a Light Prototype.
In a contrast to Anja’s move, Kees Koolen will pilot a T3 after winning the inaugural W2RC T5 title in 2022. Koolen is part of the largest FIA class at Morocco with thirty-seven total entries.
T3 also has the closest championship battle as Mitch Guthrie holds on to three- and nine-point advantages over American Red Bull team-mates Austin Jones and Seth Quintero, respectively.
Elsewhere in T3, Claude Fournier will run his first race in an MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max like Guthrie; Fournier’s team BBR Motorsport had forged a partnership with MCE-5 Development in July. Paul Spierings and Roger Grouwels will unveil their new partnership Dakar Team Spierings RaceArt in the class.
Lukas Lauda, the eldest son of Formula One legend Niki Lauda, is in a T3 prepared by South Racing. The younger Lauda elected not to follow in his father’s footsteps and instead launched a managerial career, representing clients like his brother Mathias, before making his rally début at the Hellas Rally Raid in 2022.
T4 drivers Adrien Choblet and Hervé Guillaume will compete to win the Road to Dakar for SSV entries, which would grant them free registration for the 2024 Dakar Rally. Sara Price, who won the Road to Dakar at the Sonora Rally, is running her first race as an FIA W2RC driver.
Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body‘s Akira Miura and Ronald Basso make up the lone entries in T2; Basso defeated Miura for the 2023 Dakar Rally win. Miura will have a new co-driver Mayeul Barbet for Morocco onwards as his usual navigator Laurent Lichtleuchter died in an accident at the Morocco Desert Challenge in April.W2RC driver at Morocco. T2 does not have a championship.
Among the nine Open entries are Charif Guessous and Sofia Skiredj as part of the Africa Rallye Team, a programme organised by the Rallye du Maroc to support local racers. Adomas Gančierius, who finished third in Quad at Abu Dhabi, is the co-driver for the Open SSV of Talutis Algirdas.
The Rallye du Maroc runs from 13 to 18 October.
FIA entry list
T1
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Vehicle | Class |
| 200 | Nasser Al-Attiyah | Mathieu Baumel | Toyota Gazoo Racing | Toyota GR DKR Hilux | T1+ |
| 201 | Yazeed Al-Rajhi | Timo Gottschalk | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 202 | Juan Cruz Yacopini | Daniel Oliveiras | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 203 | Sébastien Loeb | Fabian Lurquin | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | Prodrive Hunter | T1+ |
| 205 | Martin Prokop | Viktor Chytka | ORLEN Benzina Team | Ford Raptor RS Cross Country | T1+ |
| 206 | Mattias Ekström | Emil Bergkvist | Team Audi Sport | Audi RS Q e-tron E2 | T1.U |
| 207 | Guerlain Chicherit | Alex Winocq | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 208 | Stéphane Peterhansel | Édouard Boulanger | Team Audi Sport | Audi RS Q e-tron E2 | T1.U |
| 209 | Carlos Sainz | Lucas Cruz | Team Audi Sport | Audi RS Q e-tron E2 | T1.U |
| 210 | Denis Krotov | Konstantin Zhiltsov | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 211 | Nani Roma* | Alex Haro Bravo | M-Sport Ford World Rally Team | Ford Ranger | T1+ |
| 212 | Krzysztof Hołowczyc | Łukasz Kurzeja | X-raid Team | Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus | T1+ |
| 214 | Mathieu Serradori | Loïc Minaudier | Century Racing | Century CR6-T | T1.2 |
| 215 | Orlando Terranova | Bernardo Graue | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | Prodrive Hunter | T1+ |
| 216 | Guillaume de Mévius* | François Cazalet | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 217 | Jean-Luc Ceccaldi | Thomas Gaidella | MD Rallye Sport | MD Optimus | T1.2 |
| 218 | Magdalena Zajac | Jacek Czachor | Proxcars TME Rally Team | Toyota Hilux | T1.1 |
| 219 | Pau Navarro | Gonçalo Reis | FN Speed Team | Toyota Hilux | T1.1 |
| 222 | Cristian Baumgart* | Alberto Andreotti | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | Prodrive Hunter | T1+ |
| 223 | Marcos Baumgart* | Kleber Cincea | Bahrain Raid Xtreme | Prodrive Hunter | T1+ |
| 225 | Eugenio Amos* | Paolo Ceci | Overdrive Racing | Toyota Hilux Overdrive | T1+ |
| 226 | Simon Vitse* | Frédéric Lefebvre | MD Rallye Sport | MD Optimus EVO 5 | T1.2 |
| 227 | Isidre Esteve* | José Maria Villalobos Valcarcel | Repsol Toyota Rally Team | Toyota Hilux | T1+ |
| 228 | Lionel Baud* | Lucie Baud | Century Racing | Century CR6 | T1.2 |
| 229 | Maik Willems* | Robert Van Pelt | Dakar Team Van Eikeren | Toyota Hilux | T1.1 |
| 230 | Jean-Rémy Bergounhe* | Lionel Costes | MD Rallye Sport | MD Optimus | T1.2 |
| 231 | Daniel Alonso Villaron* | Alejandro Lopez Fernandez | Past Racing | Ford Ranger | T1.1 |
| 232 | Benoit Fretin* | Cédric Duplé | YDEO Competition | Century CR6 | T1.2 |
| 233 | Urvo Männama* | Risto Lepik | Rally Raid Estonia | Century CR6-T | T1.2 |
| 234 | Gintas Petrus* | Jose Marques | Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics | MD Optimus | T1.2 |
| 235 | Michael Van Eikeren* | Jasper Riezebos | Dakar Team Van Eikeren | Century CR6 | T1.2 |
| 236 | Patrice Étienne* | Antoine Sanchez | YDEO Competition | Century CR6 | T1.2 |
| 237 | Frédéric Tuheil* | Jean-Jacques Martinez | Sodicars Racing | Toyota RAV4 | T1.1 |
| 238 | Henk de Jong* | Pieter van Kruijsdijk | Dakar Team Van Eikeren | Toyota Hilux | T1.1 |
T2
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Vehicle |
| 250 | Akira Miura* | Mayeul Barbet | Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR |
| 251 | Ronald Basso* | Jean-Michel Polato | Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body | Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GR |
T3
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Vehicle |
| 300 | Mitch Guthrie | Kellon Walch | Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 301 | Austin Jones | Gustavo Gugelmin | Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 302 | Seth Quintero | Dennis Zenz | Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 303 | Cristina Gutiérrez | Pablo Moreno Huete | Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 304 | Francisco Lopéz Contardo | Diego Ortega Gil | Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 306 | David Zille | Sebastian Cesana | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 307 | Erik Van Loon | Henrie Verschuuren | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 308 | Rokas Baciuška | Oriol Vidal Montijano | Red Bull Can-Am Factory Racing | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo |
| 309 | Kees Koolen | Wouter Rosegaar | GRallyTeam | GRallyTeam OT3 |
| 312 | Dania Akeel | Taye Perry | Wevers Sport | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 314 | Eryk Goczał | Oriol Mena | EnergyLandia Rally Team | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 315 | Michal Goczał | Szymon Gospodarczyk | EnergyLandia Rally Team | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 316 | Marek Goczał | Maciej Marton | EnergyLandia Rally Team | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 317 | Claude Fournier | Patrick Antoniolli | BBR Motorsport | MMP Rally Raid T3 |
| 318 | Ignacio Casale* | Alvaro Leon | X-raid Team | Yamaha YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype |
| 319 | Hernán Garcés* | Juan Pablo Latrach | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 320 | Lucas Del Rio* | Bruno Jacomy | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 321 | Oscar Ral Verdu* | Xavier Blanco Garcia | Buggy Masters Team | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 322 | Rui Carneiro* | Manuel Porém | RC Motorsport | MMP Rally Raid T3 |
| 323 | Tiago Reis* | Valter Cardoso | Santag Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 324 | João Dias* | João Miranda | Santag Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 325 | Pal Lonyai* | Filippo Ippolito | X-raid Team | Yamaha YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype |
| 326 | Luis Portela Morais* | David Megre | GRallyTeam | GRallyTeam OT3 |
| 327 | Romain Locmane* | Charlie Herbst | Quad Bike Evasion | Can-Am Maverick XRS |
| 329 | Gert-Jan Van Der Valk* | Branco de Lange | Arcane Racing | Arcane T3 |
| 330 | Jorge Segura Vidiella* | Sergi Brugue Carreras | FN Speed Team | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 331 | Paul Spierings* | Jan Pieter van der Stelt | Dakar Team Spierings RaceArt | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 332 | Lukas Lauda* | Stefan Henken | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick |
| 333 | Lex Peters* | Wouter de Graaff | Arcane Racing | Arcane T3 |
| 334 | Mário Franco* | Rui Franco | Franco Sport | Yamaha YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype |
| 335 | William Buller* | Jordão Daniel | Franco Sport | Yamaha YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype |
| 336 | Roger Grouwels* | Ronald Van Nederpelt | Dakar Team Spierings RaceArt | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 337 | Freddy Fast* | Alexander Toril | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
| 338 | André Van Ginkel* | Tim Rietveld | Arcane Racing | Arcane T3 |
| 339 | Jean-Denis Piccini* | Stéphane Denécheau | JDV Sports | Polaris Hybrid OT3 |
| 340 | Marcelo Tiglia Gastaldi* | Carlos Sachs | BBR Motorsport | MCE-5 Taurus T3 Max |
| 341 | Andre Hort* | Enio Bozzano Junior | BBR Motorsport | Can-Am Maverick X3 |
T4
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Vehicle |
| 400 | Shinsuke Umeda | Maurizio Dominella | Xtremeplus | Polaris RZR Pro R Sport |
| 401 | Rebecca Busi | Sergio Lafuente | FN Speed Team | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 402 | Sebastián Guayasamin | Fernando Matias Acosta | FN Speed Team | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 403 | João Ferreira | Filipe Palmeiro | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 405 | Eduard Pons* | Marc Erra Jove | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 406 | Enrico Gaspari* | Ricardo Torlaschi | Xtremeplus | Polaris RZR Pro R Sport |
| 407 | Adrien Choblet* | Laurent Magat | Team Casteu | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 408 | Robin Szustkowski* | Albert Gryszczuk | Xtremeplus | Polaris RZR Pro R Sport |
| 409 | Sebastien Caille* | Max Feldino | Team BTR Caille | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 410 | Sara Price* | Jeremy Gray | South Racing Can-Am | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 411 | Grzegorz Brochocki* | Grzegorz Komar | Overlimit | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 412 | Robert Szustkowski* | Jarosław Kazberuk | Xtremeplus | Polaris RZR Pro R Sport |
| 414 | Pascal Henon* | Nicolas Charlier | Drag’onRally Team | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 415 | Souad Mouktadiri* | Delphine Delfino | Mouktadiri Racing Team | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 416 | Jeremie Renou* | Nicolas Larroquet | YDEO Competition | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 417 | Hervé Guillaume* | Maxime Guillaume | BTR-Driverspark | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 418 | Victor Étienne* | Valentin Sarreaud | YDEO Competition | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 419 | Juan Manuel Maña* | Giovanna di Blasi | Juan Manuel Maña | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
| 420 | William Grarre* | Julien Vincent | Team Horizon Off-Road | Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR |
T5
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Mechanic | Team | Vehicle |
| 500 | Janus van Kasteren | Darek Rodewald | Marcel Snijders | Team de Rooy | IVECO PowerStar |
| 501 | Martin Macík Jr. | František Tomášek | David Švanda | MM Technology | IVECO PowerStar |
| 502 | Tomas Vratny | Bartłomiej Boba | Jaromir Martinec | Fesh Fesh Team | Ford Cargo |
| 503 | Gerrit Zuurmond* | Tjeerd Van Ballegooy | Klaas Kwakkel | Rainbow Truck Team | MAN TGA |
| 504 | Javier Mariezcurrena* | Facun Vitoria Salaberria | Angel Iribarren Sanzberro | Truck Navarra Competición | IVECO 4×4 DRNL |
| 505 | Gert Huzink* | Rob Buursen | Martin Roesink | Riwald Dakar Team | Renault C460 Hybrid |
| 506 | Michiel Becx* | Wulfert Van Ginkel | Edwin Kuijpers | Team de Rooy | IVECO PowerStar |
| 507 | Anja Van Loon* | Marije van Ettekoven | Floor Maten | Team de Rooy | IVECO PowerStar |
| 509 | Vaidotas Paskevicius* | Slavomir Volkov | Gytis Gaspariūnas | Fesh Fesh Team | Tatra Jamal |
| 510 | Egbert Wingens* | Marijn Beekmans | Jan Paul Van Der Poel | DDW Rallyteam | IVECO Torpedo |
Open entry list
| Number | Driver | Co-Driver | Team | Vehicle | Class |
| 600 | Patrick Prot | Roger Audas | Prot.P | Nissan Oryx | Auto |
| 601 | Jérôme Cambier | Pascal Delacour | MD Rallye Sport | MD Hilux Overdrive | Auto |
| 651 | Lucas Delmas-Marsalet | Thomas de Saulieu | Quad Bike Evasion | Can-Am Maverick XRS | SSV |
| 652 | Joan Alain | Axel Dutrie | Drag’on Rally Team | Can-Am Maverick XRS | SSV |
| 653 | Tomas Mickus | Darius Leskauskas | BRO Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 | SSV |
| 654 | Fabrice Manté | Pascal Pagand | Fond’cale Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 | SSV |
| 655 | Axel Geyskens | Domien Rodiers | QFF Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 | SSV |
| 656 | Talutis Algirdas | Adomas Gančierius | BRO Racing | Can-Am Maverick X3 | SSV |
| 657 | Charif Guessous | Sofia Skiredj | Africa Rallye Team | Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo RR | SSV |