AL-ATTIYAH OFF TO A FLYER WITH PROLOGUE BEST FOR THE DACIA SANDRIDERS

The Qatari’s benchmark effort of 11m56.8s following an impressive attack alongside Belgian wingman Lurquin, was 11s faster than his closest challenger and 17s quicker than team-mate Sébastien Loeb, who took third place alongside navigator and fellow Frenchman Édouard Boulanger.

While the Prologue results don’t count towards the final Rallye du Maroc ranking, Al-Attiyah earns the right to select his road order for Stage 1 tomorrow (Monday) when positions are selected later today.

The Dacia Sandriders’ all-Spanish pairing Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno, meanwhile, used the Prologue to work on various systems and set-up checks and were 19th quickest as a result.

Although the challenge of the Prologue won’t match up to the demands placed on the crews during Stage 1 and beyond, it proved a challenge, nevertheless.

Before the start, Rallye du Maroc organisers warned of “several hidden and unexpected hazards” along the route, which featured climbs and descents, narrow sections and a river crossing. However, Al-Attiyah and Lurquin in particular, took the 19-kilometre test in their stride to come out on top.

Stage 1 of 5, from Fez to Erfoud in the Sahara Desert, takes place on 13 October over total distance of 780 kilometres of which 300 are against the clock.

KEY QUOTES

NASSER AL-ATTIYAH (QATAR), DRIVER, THE DACIA SANDRIDERS

We attacked not a little bit, we attacked a lot. For the first eight kilometres we were really pushing to see where we are, but at the end of the stage it was a good time and when we see everybody is coming and still not beating our time it means we have a good speed and my Dacia Sandrider is working very well. We just try to keep it like this for the rest of the rally.

CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ (SPAIN), DRIVER, THE DACIA SANDRIDERS

It was a normal Prologue with 19 kilometres. It’s true we are trying different systems of the car, and we assume to be in the first 10 positions it will be super-difficult, but it’s better to be without any mistakes and trying to just take in the finish and see what happens with the road order for tomorrow. We don’t know exactly what it’s going to be, but the goal is to be altogether for Stage 1.

SÉBASTIEN LOEB (FRANCE), DRIVER, THE DACIA SANDRIDERS

It was a good stage, the goal was to be in the first positions to have a good choice for tomorrow, that’s the only goal of the Prologue and to get the feeling with my Dacia Sandrider. The feeling was good, the car was working really well, and we have a good result so we should be able to choose a good road position for tomorrow.

RALLYE DU MAROC PROLOGUE RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL)

Fez-Fez

Stage distance: 19km Liaison distance: 64km Total distance: 83km

1st: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL), 11m56.8s

3rd: Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), 12m13.8s

19th: Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)/Pablo Moreno (ESP), 12m51.8s

RALLYE DU MAROC: THE BIG NUMBER

4: With Fabian Lurquin navigating, Nasser Al-Attiyah is bidding to extend his unbroken run of title success in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship by adding a fourth crown to his impressive tally.

THE DAY AHEAD: STAGE 1, OCTOBER 13

Following a 276-kilometre road section to Morocco’s eastern border, Rallye du Maroc’s opening stage, which is 300 kilometres in length, takes in the wild expanses of the Rekkam Plateau ahead of 204-kilometre liaison to the bivouac in Erfoud, an oasis town in the Sahara Desert and the event’s base for the remaining four days.

Stage distance: 300km Liaison distance: 480km Total distance: 780km