Carta Rallye: strong fourth place Maria Gameiro
04/26/2026
- Consistent performance leads to success
- Strong field of competitors in Morocco
It was a successful debut for X-raid at the Carta Rallye in Morocco. The event, which takes place outside the well-known FIA calendar, led participants across diverse terrain over the course of six days. MINI JCW Rally 3.0d driver Maria Gameiro, competing for the first time alongside Argentinian Ronnie Graue, was delighted to secure fourth place at the finish. The MINI desert racer was the first 4×4 vehicle home, trailing only three two-wheel-drive buggies. Lionel and Lucie Baud retired due to technical issues while running in a strong second place overall.
Gameiro and Graue impressed above all with their consistency. The duo finished every special stage in the top 10, placing in the top 5 on several occasions. They thus delivered a very strong performance in a competitive field. Although it was not an FIA event, many highly experienced and successful rally raid pilots – such as reigning Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah – took the opportunity to compete in Morocco. The route featured plenty of sand and high dunes, as well as stony sections.
Maria Gameiro will be back at the start in Spain in just a few weeks. The next FIA W2RC event is the Ruta 40 in Argentina. X-raid will announce the line-up in due course.
Statements
Maria Gameiro (MINI JCW Rally 3.0d): „It was a long and tough rally – a great experience where I was able to learn a lot alongside my co-driver Ronnie. It was a ‘real’ rally with demanding navigation. I am truly overjoyed with our fourth place overall, especially considering that three champions like Vitse, Nasser, and Serradori finished ahead of me. It certainly wouldn’t have been easy to pass them. Finishing right behind them is a great success and a true joy for me personally. This is also a remarkable result for our MINI – it is the first 4×4 after the buggies. I would say it was always a bit easier for the buggies. The entire team was perfect and did a fantastic job. I think we can all be very proud of what we achieved in this race. For me personally, it was definitely an unforgettable rally.“
overall standings
1. S. Vitse / M. Delfino – Optimus – 23h 25m 57s
2. M. Serradori / L. Minaudier – Century – 23h 30m 43s
3. N. Al-Attyiah / F. Lurquin – Optimus – 24h 40m 55s
4. M. Gameiro / R. Graue – MINI JCW Rally 3.0d – 26h 58m 56s
5. H. Zingraf / E. Bersey – Casteu – 28h 01m 50s
