The tenth edition of the Carta Rallye in Morocco delivered spectacular rally racing from 18 to 24 April 2026. With an impressive field of competitors, ranging from Dakar winners to enthusiastic amateurs, the event once again proved its place as a fixture on the international rally-raid calendar.
The Carta Rallye is not part of the official FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), but that has done nothing to diminish its appeal over the past ten years. On the contrary, the rally attracts a stronger field every year. The 2026 edition was arguably the strongest ever in terms of competitors and star power.
The rally route covered more than 2,000 kilometres across Morocco, starting at Plage Blanche and finishing in Merzouga. Over six stages, competitors faced vast sandy plains, high dunes, and technical rocky sections, the classic Moroccan landscape that draws rally-raid riders in. The rally is open to motorcycles, cars (4×4s and buggies), SSVs, and uniquely combines world-class competitors with amateurs in one field.
For the tenth edition, six-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah, Dakar 2026 winner Simon Vitse, and Spanish motorcycle star Lorenzo Santolino all made their way to Morocco. MD Rallye Sport, the French team that won the Dakar earlier this year in the two-wheel drive category, fielded an impressive lineup of three buggies. X-raid also made its Carta Rallye debut with María Gameiro behind the wheel of a MINI JCW Rally.
Motorcycles: Santolino recovered and unstoppable
The motorcycle standings of the Carta Rallye 2026 had one dominant figure from the very start: Lorenzo Santolino of the Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team. The Spaniard was riding his first race of the season following an early retirement at the Dakar 2026, where a foot injury had forced him to withdraw as early as the third stage after several crashes.
In Morocco, there was no sign of that setback. Already in the opening stage, Santolino, running number 15, put in an excellent performance, immediately opening a gap of nearly two and a half minutes over his closest rival, his own teammate Bradley Cox. That lead only grew as the week went on. In stage five, Santolino claimed his second stage victory, and by the end of the six stages, he had built a margin of nearly thirty minutes over second place in the overall standings.
The battle behind Santolino, however, was anything but dull. The Ténéré Yamaha Racing Rally Team put in a strong showing with Kevin Gallas and Gautier Paulin. Gallas finished second overall, just over 20 minutes back. Paulin, who claimed multiple stage wins during the week, finished third despite collecting time penalties. Italian Alessandro Botturi, enduro world champion and well known for his Yamaha Ténéré exploits, rounded out the top four in fourth place.
Romain Dumontier of the Challenger Racing Team finished fifth. Noa Sainct, son of multiple Dakar winner and now riding for Nomade Racing, came home sixth.
Final motorcycle standings (top 5):
- Lorenzo Santolino (ESP) – Sherco TVS Rally Factory – 24:03:19
- Kevin Gallas (GER) – Ténéré Yamaha Racing Rally Team – +20:59
- Gautier Paulin (FRA) – Ténéré Yamaha Racing Rally Team – +29:55
- Alessandro Botturi (ITA) – Ténéré Yamaha Racing Rally Team – +50:58
- Romain Dumontier (FRA) – Challenger Racing Team – +57:35
Cars: Vitse and Delfino claim victory
In the car category, the presence of several big names added extra excitement. Nasser Al-Attiyah, the multiple Dakar champion from Qatar, competed for MD Rallye Sport in an Optimus buggy alongside Belgian navigator Fabian Lurquin — the same pairing that won the Dakar 2026. His main rival in the car category was Simon Vitse, the Frenchman who won the Dakar in the two-wheel drive class earlier this year, also for MD Rallye Sport, with navigator Max Delfino.
It was ultimately Vitse and Delfino who prevailed. The duo finished with a total time of 23 hours 25 minutes 57 seconds to take the win. Mathieu Serradori, who had been persuaded to enter by friends and rivals alike and raced in a Century Racing buggy, finished second less than five minutes behind. Al-Attiyah and Lurquin completed the podium in third, more than an hour adrift of the winner.
María Gameiro of X-raid made a strong impression on her Carta Rallye debut with a consistent performance. The Portuguese driver, competing for the first time alongside Argentine co-driver Ronnie Graue, finished fourth overall and first among 4×4 vehicles. She ran inside the top ten in each of the six stages and featured in the top five on multiple occasions. It was an excellent result for the MINI JCW Rally 3.0d, which came home as the first four-wheel drive vehicle behind three buggies.
French duo Lionel and Lucie Baud, also competing for X-raid, were unfortunately forced to retire from the event due to technical problems while running in a strong second place overall.
Final car standings (top 5):
- Simon Vitse / Max Delfino – Optimus – 23:25:57
- Mathieu Serradori / L. Minaudier – Century – +4:46
- Nasser Al-Attiyah / Fabian Lurquin – Optimus – +1:14:58
- María Gameiro / Ronnie Graue – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – +3:32:59
- H. Zingraf / E. Bersey – Casteu – +4:35:53
SSVs: Cliff and Bersey take the win
In the SSV (Side-by-Side Vehicle) category, Heatcliff Zingraf and Eric Bersey claimed victory. The French duo, running number 217, finished first in the overall SSV standings. Xavier Lormand and Guillaume Jorda finished second, nearly fourteen minutes back. Jerome Pelichet and Pascal Larroque completed the podium in third, more than 53 minutes behind the leaders. Belgian duo Fabrice Della Barbera and Maxcence Depaive were the fastest pairing in the SSV-Série class and finished sixth overall. Germans Robin Krüger and Matthias Schmunck were the only non-French or Belgian crew in the top eight.
Final SSV standings (top 5):
- Heatcliff Zingraf / Eric Bersey – 28:01:50
- Xavier Lormand / Guillaume Jorda – +13:57
- Jerome Pelichet / Pascal Larroque – +53:32
- Hugues Lacam / Lionel Costes – +3:02:53
- Marian Andreev / Marius Aurelian Pop – +3:28:45
A successful anniversary edition
The tenth edition of the Carta Rallye was a success in every respect. With big names, challenging stages and an international field, the event has reaffirmed its reputation as one of the most appealing non-FIA rally-raids on the calendar. For the competitors, it offers the perfect combination of sporting challenge, navigation, and the unique atmosphere of the Moroccan landscape.
