2024 Rallye du Maroc: Souleymane Addahri wins Rally3 on home soil, John Medina ices title

John Medina plans to move back up to Rally2 in 2025, and will do so with a World Rally-Raid Championship in hand.

He secured the 2024 Rally3 title simply by starting the season-ending Rallye du Maroc, the only rider to enter all three races that the category appeared at. Being a class for enduro bikes, which are ill-equipped for desert marathons like the Dakar Rally, Rally3 only showed up to the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid and Desafío Ruta 40 prior to Morocco. Medina had run the Dakar in Rally2, where he finished sixty-eighth, before winning the DR 40.

With the championship sealed, Medina turned his focus to the race ahead. It ended up being mainly him and the five other Rally3 competitors pursuing Souleymane Addahri, a Morocco native who finished third in class at the 2023 edition.

Addahri was the fastest Rally3 bike in every leg except for Stage #3, which Medina claimed after a roadbook malfunction on Addahri’s bike. Even then, it barely made a dent in the gap as he still trailed Addahri by over an hour. Nonetheless, with an hour of his own on third-place Mauricio Cueva, a runner-up was assured provided he completed the last two stages without issue.

Stages #4 and #5 were more of the same as he finished second behind Addahri in those like he did across the first two days.

“Congratulations, you had a tremendous race, best wishes,” Medina wrote to Addahri on social media afterwards. Addahri replied back, “thank you, good to have you in Morocco.”

“I am extremely grateful to my coach Marco Filippini for his unwavering support and guidance throughout this adventure,” Addahri told Rally Raid Spirit. “His expertise and dedication allowed me to reach new heights and the victory at the Rallye du Maroc. It would not have been possible without him. It is an honour to have such a strong team by my side.”

Eduardo Alan settled for fourth and moved past Portugal winner Gonçalo Amaral for second in the championship. Amaral and Addahri, as the only other riders to win a race in 2024, were tied for third with twenty-five points apiece.

Richárd Hodola, one of the Rally3 stage winners at the 2023 Rallye du Maroc, placed fifth ahead of Fodé Traoré. The latter also dealt with roadbook glitches that forced him to drop out of Stage #4 so he could return to the bivouac safely before the FIA drivers caught up to him.

Emmanuel Beucher was the category’s lone retirement after bowing out on the last day. Amine Echiguer, the 2022 Rally3 champion, was due to take part as well but withdrew due to injury.

Rally3 overall results

Rally3 stage winners

W2RC Rally3 standings

For readability, competitors registered for the championship but did not earn points are excluded.