The closing round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship season is upon us in Morocco, and Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing's Sam Sunderland is eager to return to racing after what has been a tough season for the Brit. Sam is ready to put everything into the five-stage Rallye du Maroc and get some valuable seat time on his RX 450F ahead of the Dakar Rally in January.
Excited to finish the 2023 W2RC season on a high, Sunderland must now take on the 2,240-kilometer Rallye du Maroc. Made up of a prologue and five grueling stages in the desert, the event begins in Agadir before working its way east through Zagora to the finish in Merzouga. The final round will certainly put riders to the test, delivering rough terrain and difficult navigation.
After sustaining an injury at round three and being forced to withdraw from round four due to a sickness bug, Sunderland’s year has been a rollercoaster. Now, heading into the final round in Morocco, the 2022 World Rally-Raid Champion is aiming to secure a solid finish at Rallye du Maroc to end his 2023 season on a high.
Following an injury sustained in training earlier in the year, Sam’s Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing teammate Daniel Sanders is recovering quickly. The wild Aussie is focused on a return to competition at the Dakar Rally in January.
Sam Sunderland: “I have a lot of good memories here in Morocco so it’s really cool to be back! We’ve been working hard on the bike and have made some good steps and I’m really keen to put them to the test in race conditions. I’m feeling positive and looking forward to getting going, it’s gonna be a tough race for sure! The conditions here are always very difficult and all the riders that are here will be racing in Dakar too, so it’s a good place to see where we’re at. My year hasn’t been the best and I’m looking to turn that around and get things working in the right direction towards the Dakar. I’ve been working really hard at home and here this week with the team so I’m feeling good and looking forward to getting racing, taking each day as it comes, and reaching the finish line!”
The 2023 Rallye Du Maroc starts October 13 and covers a short prologue and five stages through the Moroccan desert before ending on October 18.