History was made in Zagora. For the first time, two Spaniards, Carlos Sainz and Edgar Canet, sit atop the car and motorcycle leaderboards after a single stage in the World Rally-Raid Championship. No Spanish duo had achieved this before.
Their paths to the top could hardly have been more different. Sainz played it safe, keeping his Ford Raptor steady as others stumbled. He has yet to win a stage, but stayed close and waited for his chance. Lucas Moraes, who started the day in front, crashed his Dacia just before the finish, ending his run. Sainz moved up to take the lead. It is his first time leading the Rallye du Maroc since joining Ford, and his first W2RC stage lead since Dakar 2024, AutoHebdo reports.
Canet, only 21 and new to RallyGP, took a different approach: he attacked. Daniel Sanders made an early navigation mistake, and Canet closed a six-minute gap. Canet also crashed, but got back up and pushed on. After penalties and bonuses, he finished ahead of the basic pack. The leaderboard is tight: Luciano Benavides, Sanders and Ricky Brabec are all within three minutes of the leader.
Sébastien Loeb won the car stage, his 25th W2RC stage win. Sainz finished second, putting him 3 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Seth Quintero overall. Nani Roma climbed to third, helping Ford's cause. Cristina Gutiérrez, making her first world championship lead with the new Santana project, finished ninth.
On the bikes, Benavides took the stage win. Canet finished fourth after penalties, enough to keep him in front overall. Tosha Schareina, last year's winner, finally found some speed: he finished second on the stage but remains sixth in the standings.
The third stage around Zagora featured a 363 km special and a 228 km liaison. Both the start and finish were in Zagora. EFE described it as one of the most decisive stages in the late-season W2RC calendar. Officials closely scrutinized the time gaps after penalties.
The next stage is the longest, with 384 kilometers of timed racing. Cars and bikes will take different routes, so no one can simply follow tracks. The risk rises, especially for those starting first. Canet will start fourth, giving him a tactical edge, while Sainz will have to defend his lead.
Spanish motorsport has been making waves elsewhere, too. The recent rally in Alicante drew big crowds and plenty of attention. Morocco is different: the stakes are higher, and Spaniards have never before led both top categories at this level.
Hundreds of kilometers remain, and the pressure is real. Sainz and Canet have shown that patience and smart tactics matter as much as speed.
