World Rally-Raid Championship: Rallye du Maroc stage four Brabec leads, Price crashes
Video highlights and results from the moto categories at the 2022 Rallye du Maroc, World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) where Ricky Brabec took the race lead over Skyler Howes and Toby Price crashes out.
On today’s penultimate stage Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) not only took the win but with it the overall lead but he has a problem in the shape of his fellow American Skyler Howes (Husqvarna Factory Racing). Howes is only 1’11” behind and starts tomorrow’s final stage back in a favourable sixth place.
Rally logic suggests that Brabec will lose time opening the way, while Howes will gain time following and is therefore favourite for the top step of the final podium. However, this is rally racing and they both know that the terrain and navigation are so tricky here that anything can happen.
Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda): “Good day today. Starting a way back on the longest stage worked in my favour. The only downside is that tomorrow I’m going to have to open the track. This is rally so anything can happen but we’re going to stay focused and do our best so that we end up somewhere on the podium - hopefully on the top step.”
Second on the stage and moving up to third overall was Sam Sunderland who put in a solid performance on this longest stage of the rally. Sam leads the world championship and can clinch the 2022 title tomorrow if he scores well enough and along with Brabec is able to maintain a pace and gap out front.
Price takes a hit
Anything can happen is something that Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) knows only too well. Third place overall this morning the Australian crashed at pk 85 and was evacuated by helicopter suffering from concussion. Further examinations found nothing more serious thankfully.
The sailing was smoother in Rally2 with Mason Klein (BAS World KTM Racing) coming across the line 13’48” ahead of teammate Bradley Cox. Overall the American leads the South African by 42’11”.
In Rally3 the Indian Sherco rider Abdul Wahid finally broke Amine Echiguer’s stranglehold on the category with the Moroccan rider maintaining his overall lead 12’21” ahead of Guillaume Borne.
The 2022 Rallye du Maroc concludes with Thursday’s stage five, a 379-kilometer stage that includes a timed special of 290 kilometres. Riders leave the bivouac at Tan-Tan and head north, returning to the host city of Agadir and the chequered flag.
Rallye du Maroc stage 4 results (RallyGP class):
RallyGP Standings – 2022 Rallye du Maroc (after 4 of 5 stages):
Rally 2 Standings – 2022 Rallye du Maroc (after 4 of 5 stages):
Photo Credit: A.S.O. DPPI Rally Zone