2023 RALLYE DU MAROC HIGHLIGHTS | FIM WORLD RALLY RAID CHAMPIONSHIP

LUCIANO BENAVIDES CROWNED 2023 FIM WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPION

HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING RIDER CLINCHES FIRST EVER WORLD TITLE WITH RUNNER-UP RESULT AT THE RALLYE DU MAROC

Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Luciano Benavides has won the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship at the final round of the series in Morocco. The FR 450 Rally mounted rider secured the title with a hard-fought runner-up result at the Rallye du Maroc, completing what has been an exceptional season for the Argentinian.

Opening the fifth and final stage of the rally today, Benavides delivered another impressive performance, completing the short, 157-kilometre timed special as second fastest. The stage result confirmed Luciano as runner-up for the event and in turn, the 28-year-old secured the world championship crown.

2023 has been an exceptional year for Benavides. Taking three stage wins at the Dakar Rally, Luciano went on to equal his career-best result of sixth. Runner-up at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in early March he then went on to secure further podium finishes at the Sonora Rally in Mexico and his home race, the Desafio Ruta 40. In total, Luciano has claimed an impressive 10 stage wins over the course of the five-round season.

Coming into the fifth and final round of the 2023 series, Benavides enjoyed a nine-point advantage at the top of the standings over rival Toby Price. If Price was to win in Morocco, a third place finish or higher would be enough for Luciano to secure the championship. The battle went down to the very last day, but Luciano held his nerve to deliver a true champion’s performance while opening the final stage, securing second overall in the race and claiming the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship title.

Luciano and the Husqvarna Factory Racing team will next switch their focus to the upcoming Dakar Rally, held in Saudi Arabia from January 5-19, 2024.

2023 Rallye du Maroc – Provisional Overall Classification [After Stage 5]
1. Toby Price (KTM) 15:56:43
2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 15:59:43
3. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 15:59:55
4. Ross Branch (Hero) 16:01:27
5. Tosha Schareina (Honda) 16:05:23
6. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 16:09:42

2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship Standings
1. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 100 points
2. Toby Price (KTM) 96 pts
3. Adrien Van Beveren (Honda) 76 pts
4. Ross Branch (Hero) 58 pts
5. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 55 pts
6. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 52 pts
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