2024 Rallye Du Maroc: Stage 3 highlights and results

Results and video highlights from stage three of the 2024 Rallye Du Maroc, World Rally-Raid Championship final round, where Chucky Sanders claimed his first win for Red Bull KTM Rally Team and claims the overall lead as Tosha Schareina drops the ball for Honda.

The longest stage of the week between Zagora and Mengoub/Bouârfa passed through the Merzouga dunes on stage three of the 2024 Rallye du Maroc. Clocking up 687kms, including 327km of special, the caravan entered the Oriental region of Morocco and historic Dakar terrain.
It was a dramatic day in the RallyGP category with Daniel Sanders claiming his first stage win in the official Red Bull KTM colours, 4’21” ahead of Adrien Van beveren. After two days waiting to pounce on the overall lead, the Australian takes the top spot with just two day to go.

But it is a lead in huge part thanks to a rookie error from the previous race leader, Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy Honda). The Spaniard, misreading the notes on the new digital roadbooks, rode through a neutralisation zone and received a 13 minute penalty as a result on arriving at the bivouac. Oosh.

Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): “We knew it was going to be a long race today and that it would be an early start. We set off on fast tracks and I caught up with the first two at the first neutralisation. But Tosha didn't stop and continued the stage while Adrien and I waited. In any case, I tried not to let it bother me and to concentrate on what I was doing.”

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“I am a little bit disappointed with the result for Tosha”, says Honda team manager, Ruben Faria, with the team and rider claiming the neutralisation zone was not clear, despite the other riders stopping. “This is the first race with the new digital roadbook that is integrated with the GPS. There were problems yesterday with this system too and the organisation have recognised this, while today similar problems may have appeared but the organisation have taken a different stance resulting in Tosha losing the lead of the rally.”

Cox bossing Rally2

In Rally2, Bradley Cox won his 3rd stage in a row ahead of prologue winner Edgar Canet. Overall, the South African has a 14'42’ lead on the young Spaniard. Michael Docherty, third on the day, is also on the overall podium (+ 17'28‘’).

“Very different” stage 4

Stage four is a “completely new stage,” according to race director David Castera, “It’s a Saudi-style special because it’s fast and there are lots of tracks. The pace is quite quick, with average speeds higher than on previous days. There’s a lot of navigation because there are a lot of difficult-to-see tracks and you have to look for them. It’s very different from what we're used to in Morocco. I really like it. On the other hand, there's no sand, but no big stones either, so it's still pleasant to race.”