Carlos Sainz achieved a significant milestone on October 10, 2024, by securing his first victory with Ford during the fourth stage of the Rally of Morocco. This win comes as Sainz prepares to compete for his fifth Dakar title in January, showcasing the potential of the new Raptor T1+ vehicle.
After finishing third in the previous stage, Sainz demonstrated the reliability of his new team’s vehicle by completing the 315-kilometer special stage in a time of 3 hours, 4 minutes, and 5 seconds. He finished 1 minute and 46 seconds ahead of Saudi driver Yazzed Al-Rajhi, who faced a subsequent penalty.
Despite his victory, Sainz is competing in the 'experimental' category and does not affect the overall standings where Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah continues to lead. Al-Attiyah holds a 9-minute and 12-second advantage over Belgian Guillaume de Mévius, who is in second place, and 11 minutes and 40 seconds over French driver Guerlain Chicherit in third.
In the motorcycle category, Spanish rider Tosha Schareina remains in second place overall despite a previous penalty. He finished fifth in the stage, trailing leader Daniel Sanders of Australia by 21 minutes and 44 seconds. Sanders won the stage with a time of 3 hours, 34 minutes, and 17 seconds, while Argentine Luciano Benavides secured third place in the stage.