The spirit of adventure returns to rallying this weekend, with the start of the week-long 24th Rallye International du Maroc, making a triumphant comeback after more than 20 years on the sidelines.
The last Rallye International du Maroc was held in 1985, following on from an illustrious World Championship history.
Now the event is back with two of the very biggest names in the sport: Bjorn Waldegard, the first FIA drivers’ champion in 1979, and Michele Mouton, the most successful woman in the history of world motorsport.
They will be driving cars that illustrate the diversity of the Rallye International du Maroc: Michele will be in a Porsche 911 prepared by British experts Tuthill Porsche, while Bjorn will drive a Peugeot 504 that is the property of Jean-Pierre Nicolas: a former two-time winner of the event in 1968 and 1976. All cars homologated before 31 December 1975 are eligible, a nod to what was widely considered to be the golden age of the Rallye International du Maroc.
“I’ve got some experience from Morocco from the past, once in a Citroen, the other time in a Fiat Spider so I know how extremely rough and dangerous the roads can be, especially in the areas by the dead rivers,” said Bjorn. “For this reason you have to be very alert – it can be a very difficult rally.”
Michele added: “For me, it’s all about fun. I’ve not driven in competition for a long time, but I was very pleased to get to chance to drive a Porsche on these roads. This was one of the events that I always wanted to do, and it’s fantastic to have the opportunity, in such a beautiful country.”
Porsche is the most well-represented manufacturer on the event, with a five-car team from Tuthill Porsche, while the second best-represented brand is Citroen: a manufacturer whose history is inextricably linked with that of the Rally International du Maroc.
Citroen’s success in rallying is far from a modern phenomenon: long before Sebastien Loeb was even born, the French cars were stamping their authority over some of the world’s toughest rallies.
Bob Neyret is one of the men who made it happen, thanks to his unprecedented run of success over the roads of Morocco that includes two wins in 1969 and 1970. “I’ve always had a good feeling with these roads, and I hope that I will again!” he says.
Bob is driving one of four Citroens that will take the start of the event: three examples of the DS21 – with which he won the rally twice – and one rare short-wheelbase SM, powered by its Maserati engine.
It will be the first time in 40 years that so many examples of the Citroen DS and SM have lined up to take the start of a stage rally; another way in which this year’s revival of the Rallye International du Maroc is creating history.
While the cars may be historic, the action is thoroughly modern, with both the drivers and the cars getting a thorough work out on roads that are mentally and physically demanding.
A distraction from the rigours of the 3000 kilometre route though is the constantly evolving scenery, which traverses both deserts and mountains, making the Rallye International du Maroc one of the most scenic events that the sport has ever seen.
Rallying is all about travel, adventure, and camaraderie. Nowhere are these values better reflected than in this year’s revival of the Rallye International du Maroc, which will ensure that competitors, media and spectators are in for the experience of a lifetime.
The seven-day route takes in 1700 kilometres of stages, with no recce allowed. Neyret, a two-time winner of the event in 1969 and 1970 at the wheel of his Citroen DS, sums it up when he says: “As an event it’s absolutely breathtaking. It’s also a rally that you win by using your head as much as your right foot, which I suppose is how we managed to do it in a DS…”
The route:
Day one, Sunday 10 October, takes the competitors in a loop from Marrakech to Marrakech, with 159 competitive kilometres of stages.
Day two takes in 170 more competitive kilometres, from Marrakech to Ouarzazate.
Day three is another 219 competitive kilometres, in a loop around Ouarzazate.
Day four contains the longest stage, 269 kilometres, taking the competitors from Ouarzazate to Foum Zguid.
Day five takes in a loop around Foum Zguid, making 187 competitive kilometres.
Day six contains the longest total distance, with 261 kilometres of stage and 259 kilometres of road section, making a total distance of 520 kilometres from Foum Zguid to Agadir.
The final day takes the triumphant crews from Agadir to Marrakech, with a final 170-kilometre stage.
The roads are fast, flowing and challenging: one look at the roll call of previous winners, which includes stars such as Hannu Mikkola and Simo Lampinen is enough to judge their quality. As well as Michele, Bob and Bjorn, other highlights of this year’s entry list include Ray Bellm (Porsche 911), Gregoire de Mevius (Porsche 911) and Philippe Wambergue (Citroen DS). Such has been the popularity of the rally this year that competitors have arrived from as far afield as Australia: specifically Paul Darrouzet in his Ford Capri Perana.
Local expertise is provided by event organiser Paul-Eric Jarry, who has lived in Marrakech for a number of years, and Clerk of the Course Surinder Thatthi.
For more information about the Rallye International du Maroc, including stage maps and an itinerary, please visit www.rallyeinternationaldumaroc.com