ABU DHABI, UAE – Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won the 34th Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, round two of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), while Overdrive Racing and Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) cars filled places two to four after a dramatic final day.
The fifth stage, from the remote desert camp at Mzeer’ah to the finish on Hudayriyat Island, cost two Overdrive Racing crews their top-10 places. But TGR’s Lucas Moraes / Armand Monleón and Seth Quintero / Dennis Zenz secured second and third behind Al-Attiyah, keeping Toyota Gazoo Racing at the top of the W2RC Manufacturers’ standings.
This was my second time here. It was a nice race for us. We started off really well and it was a great fight with Nasser (Al-Attiyah). It was my first time actually fighting for the win of a World Championship as a whole and not just stage wins. The car was unbelievable, really nice to drive. I hope we can keep this fight going throughout the championship.
Lucas Moraes
Heartbreak for Al-Rajhi and Goczal
W2RC leaders Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk suffered engine overheating 13km into the final stage and dropped to second in the Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championships.
Young Eryk Goczal, who took a sensational maiden stage win the day before on his first event with Overdrive Racing in the Energylandia Rally Team car, lost a likely fourth overall when his Toyota caught fire after 37km. He and navigator Oriol Mena still brought the damaged Hilux home in 28th.
We finished the rally and we finished the stage. We had a really good pace. Unfortunately, when we won the stage a day ago, we damaged the shock absorbers. We switched the shockers from my father’s car but I think he also had damaged ones. So, at km37 today, the left shock exploded and the whole back of the car caught fire because the oil went on the exhaust. Thankfully, we managed to stop the fire with extinguishers and sand. Lucas (Moraes) also stopped to lend a hand. I am really happy and we gained more and more experience in the car.
Eryk Goczal
Their misfortune lifted team-mates Juan Cruz Yacopini and Dani Oliveras, consistent all week, to fourth. South Africans Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy, last-minute replacements for Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings in a TGR car, finished sixth. Chilean privateer Hernan Garces and Juan Pablo Latrach were 15th, while Denis Krotov / Konstantin Zhiltsov and Saood Variawa / François Cazalet finished 33rd and 31st.
Marek Goczal and Maciej Marton took a maximum penalty on stage one, then Goczal suffered a back compression injury over a cut dune early on stage three. He was flown to hospital and then to Poland for surgery, with a good prognosis. Lithuania’s Rokas Baciuška did not start.
How the week unfolded
Organised by the Emirates Motorsports Organisation (EMSO), the event opened with an 11.19km Prologue at Jebel Hafit Desert Park and the ceremonial start in Al-Ain. Moraes was second in the Prologue, then won the 243km first stage to Mzeer’ah to lead Sébastien Loeb by 1min 01sec.
I was happy to deliver the stage win for the team. The guys have been working so hard ever since we finished Dakar and I’m glad we managed to pick up where he left off, winning the last stage there and the first stage here. The times are going to be very close, so no strategy, just full attack to the end.
Lucas Moraes
Loeb won the 227.71km stage two loop around Mzeer’ah, with Moraes slipping 41sec behind. Stages three and four formed a new Marathon stage to the Al-Qoua camp: Al-Attiyah won the weather-hit first part by almost four minutes to take the lead, and Eryk Goczal beat Moraes by 2min 29sec on stage four to become one of the youngest stage winners in Abu Dhabi.
After my dad’s accident, he had to return to Poland with my mom. We decided that we should stay here and continue fighting. This win is for my dad. He taught me everything I know and can do today.
Eryk Goczal
Just 41 seconds separated Moraes and Al-Attiyah before the final stage. The Qatari won it to clinch victory. Round three of the W2RC takes teams to the new South African Safari Rally on 18–24 May.
Result (unofficial)
- Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Edouard Boulanger (FRA) – Dacia Sandrider – 14hr 26min 55sec
- Lucas Moraes (BRA) / Armand Monleón (ESP) – Toyota GR DKR Hilux – 14hr 29min 23sec
- Seth Quintero (USA) / Dennis Zenz (GER) – Toyota GR DKR Hilux – 14hr 38min 51sec
- Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG) / Daniel Oliveras (ESP) – Toyota Hilux Overdrive – 14hr 56min 48sec
- Mitch Guthrie (USA) / Kellon Walch (USA) – Ford Raptor – 14hr 57min 57sec
- Guy Botterill (RSA) / Dennis Murphy (RSA) – Toyota Hilux IMT Evo – 15hr 05min 47sec
- João Ferreira (POR) / Filipe Palmeiro (POR) – Mini JCW Rally 3.0D – 15hr 13min 35sec
- Dania Akeel (KSA) / Stéphane Duplé (FRA) – Taurus T3 Max – 15hr 44min 25sec
- Pau Navarro (ESP) / Jan Rosa Vinas (ESP) – Taurus T3 Max – 15hr 47min 53sec
- Marcus Baumgart (BRA) / Kleber Cincea (BRA) – Taurus T3 Max – 15hr 56min 06sec