The Baja Morocco will not only be Gonçalo Guerreiro‘s first time racing in the desert, but his first in a Challenger-class vehicle. On Friday, he announced he will race a Taurus T3 Max in the event for BBR Motorsport with Enio Bozzano as his navigator.
“I’m super excited to announce this new challenge alongside with BBR structure, driving the Taurus by BBR,” said Guerreiro. “It marks a completely new chapter for me, with a different car than what I’m used to drive but I’m looking forward to adapt my driving to desert and improve day by day.”
Guerreiro is one of the top drivers in the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship (Campeonato Portugal de Todo-o-terreno), winning the T4 (SSV) title in 2022. He is currently second in the standings with 56 points, trailing João Monteiro by thirty with back-to-back wins at the Baja TT de Lagos and Baja TT Norte de Portugal. However, he will skip the upcoming Baja TT Sharish Gin on 19–22 September to focus on Morocco, even at the cost of a second championship.
In April, he made his first World Rally-Raid Championship début when the series came to his home country for the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid. He won the Prologue but was forced to retire after three stages with a mechanical failure.
He crossed over into neighbouring Spain in late July for the Baja España Aragón, part of the FIA World Baja Cup, and won the SSV category. Two weeks prior, he announced his entry for Baja Morocco.
Guerreiro typically races a Polaris RZR Pro R Sport for JB Racing, while the Taurus is a step up as it races in the higher Challenger category for race purpose-built SSVs. The Taurus is one of the top Challenger cars today, winning its class at the Dakar Rally in January.
“I am very happy to welcome Gonçalo to the team for the Baja SSV Morocco,” said BBR manager Loic Bonnevie. “We are going to have a great race and I believe that he is one of the future top drivers in off-road racing.”
The Baja Morocco will take place on 23–27 September.