For the first time in World Rally-Raid history, two Spaniards top both the car and motorcycle leaderboards after a dramatic third stage in Morocco. Carlos Sainz and Edgar Canet now set the pace with two stages left.
History was made in Zagora. For the first time, two Spaniards—Carlos Sainz and Edgar Canet—sit at the top of both the car and bike leaderboards after a single stage in the World Rally-Raid Championship. No Spanish pair had ever pulled this off before.
Their paths to the summit could not have been more different. Sainz played it safe. He kept his Ford Raptor steady while others stumbled. He has not won a stage yet. But he stayed close, waiting for his chance. Lucas Moraes, who started the day in front, crashed his Dacia just before the finish. That ended his run. Sainz moved up and took the lead.
According to AutoHebdo, this is Carlos Sainz's first time leading the Rallye du Maroc since joining Ford, and his first W2RC stage lead since Dakar 2024.
Canet, only 21 and new to RallyGP, took a different approach. He attacked. Daniel Sanders made a navigation mistake early, and Canet closed a six-minute gap. He even crashed but got back up and pushed on. After penalties and bonuses, Canet finished ahead of the main pack. The leaderboard is tight. Canet leads, but Luciano Benavides, Sanders, and Ricky Brabec are all within three minutes. It is anyone's race now.
Sébastien Loeb won the car stage. That was his 25th W2RC stage win. Sainz finished second, which was enough to put him 3 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Seth Quintero overall. Nani Roma helped Ford's cause by climbing to third. Cristina Gutiérrez, in her first world championship drive with the new Santana project, finished ninth. That turned heads.
On the bikes, Benavides took the stage win. Canet came in fourth after penalties, but that was enough to keep him in front overall. Tosha Schareina, last year's winner, finally found some speed. He finished second on the stage but is still sixth in the standings.
The third stage around Zagora featured a demanding 363 km special and 228 km liaison, with both start and finish in Zagora. According to EFE, this stage is considered one of the most decisive in the late-season W2RC calendar, and the time gaps after penalties were closely scrutinized by officials.
The next stage is the longest. It covers 384 kilometers of timed racing. Cars and bikes will take different routes. That means no one can just follow tracks. The risk goes up, especially for those starting first. Canet will start fourth. That gives him a tactical edge. Sainz will have to defend his lead. He is now the hunted.
Spanish motorsport has been making waves elsewhere too. The recent rally in Alicante drew big crowds and plenty of attention. But Morocco is different. The stakes are higher. Never before have Spaniards led both top categories at this level.
There are still hundreds of kilometers left. The pressure is real. Sainz and Canet have shown that patience and smart tactics matter as much as speed. Their lead is not just a fluke. It shows how far Spanish rallying has come. If they hold on, this week in Morocco could change Spain's place in rally-raid for good.
