Erik Van Loon set to debut Audi S1, Maverick R in Morocco

Erik Van Loon will get behind the wheel of two new vehicles in Morocco when he tests his Audi S1 before tackling the Rallye du Maroc in the Can-Am Maverick R.

He plans to enter the Audi in the 2025 Dakar Classic, a side event to the Dakar Rally for historic vehicles. Van Loon did the main rally from 2009 to 2023, but stopped afterwards due to the physical toll that such a gruelling race had on him.

Nevertheless, he has remained involved in the sport by doing races like the Morocco Desert Challenge and Baja Aragón. South Racing Can-Am prepared a Maverick R for him at the former, where he dominated before retiring with a late mechanical issue.

South eventually refined the Maverick R before unveiling the FIA-spec version last week. The Maverick R been extremely successful since its reveal in August 2023, primarily in American desert racing but with achievements in cross-country rally that include winning the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s Desafío Ruta 40 Open Cars class in June.

Hein Verschuuren will again serve as his navigator for the Rallye du Maroc on 6–11 October. Van Loon retired from the 2023 edition, where he competed in the Challenger class; the Maverick R is intended for the production-based SSV division.

“Switching from the Audi to a Can-Am is quite a change,” said Van Loon. “South Racing has built a new T4, and we’ll be driving that. The competition in this class is very strong, and the field in Morocco is usually well-filled. Our main goal is to finish and avoid any problems as that hasn’t been possible in the last few rallies. Once we feel confident in the car, we can increase our speed and see where we stand in the field.”

Meanwhile, his Audi S1 was built by Dutch historic rally driver Coen Donkers. Although he will not be racing it in Morocco, the country’s desert landscape is a prime location for those who want to prepare for the Dakar in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s always good to go to Morocco, especially to test for the Dakar Rally,” he continued. “You can really push the car to its limits there and establish a solid foundation in terms of setup. We’ve already driven the Audi a few times, but not under these conditions.

“Of course, the Dakar Classic is different from the ‘regular’ Dakar, but the car still needs to perform well and we need to understand its capabilities. I’m really looking forward to driving it.”

The 2025 Dakar Classic runs concurrent with the Dakar Rally on 3–17 January. His wife Anja Van Loon is entered in the latter, where she will race a truck.