Rallye du Maroc 2026 is now over, marking another important week of racing for MM Technology. Martin Macík finished the Moroccan rally second overall, while Michal Valtr took fourth place. The MMT EVO 5 also claimed victory in Stage 4 with the Macík, Tomášek and Švanda crew. One of the key improvements demonstrated by the new evolution in Morocco was the combination of speed and comfort. For the MM Technology Factory Team, the rally was also the final major competitive test ahead of Dakar 2027.
For Martin Macík, Rallye du Maroc was his first competitive experience with the new MMT EVO 5. In the demanding Moroccan terrain, his crew was able to maintain a high pace throughout the rally.
“Personally, and I think I can speak for the whole crew, we really enjoyed this rally. There is one reason for that, and that is the MMT EVO 5. What the guys have built and developed is incredible. The MMT EVO 5 performed brilliantly throughout the entire rally. We were battling with Mitchell for the whole race, fighting over seconds on gravel and rough roads where we simply couldn’t go this fast with the previous evolutions,” says Martin Macík.
The combination of speed and comfort was one of the key improvements demonstrated by the MMT EVO 5 in Morocco. But the changes were not limited to the truck itself.
“I feel really good after the rally. There are several reasons for that, of course. The truck is one of them, we also adjusted my seat position and I completely reworked my physical preparation. I’m getting older, after all, so I have to approach things a little differently,” Macík adds.
Factory Team Takes Second and Fourth
Alongside Martin Macík, MM Technology’s second Factory Team driver Michal Valtr also completed Rallye du Maroc in fourth place with his Valtr Racing Team crew.
“This was my first Rallye du Maroc and it was really demanding, maybe even more than I expected. I have a lot of experience and insights from the rally that I now need to evaluate and continue working on. I believe I’ll be able to put what I’ve learned to use already in the preparations for Dakar. The exchange of experience between me and the whole team is also very important to me. I’m really looking forward to Dakar and I believe that together with the team we can achieve even better results,” says Michal Valtr.
Michal’s MMT EVO 4 truck underwent a complete rebuild to MMT EVO 5 specification before the rally, covering performance, design and comfort. It was a logical step in the development process, as this particular MM Technology truck had been used as a test vehicle during the development of the fifth evolution.
Alongside the two Factory Team crews, Rallye du Maroc was also completed by MM Technology’s MMT Client Teams, with Claudio Bellina in an MMT EVO 5 and Jürgen Helgeth in an MMT EVO 4.
Heading Towards Dakar 2027
Rallye du Maroc was MM Technology’s final major racing programme before Dakar 2027. The team will now evaluate the data from Morocco and continue working on the trucks. According to the latest information from the organisers, two scenarios are currently on the table for Dakar 2027.
“We’re fully focused on Dakar from now on. At the moment, there are two scenarios. The first is Dakar in Saudi Arabia, where we are still waiting for confirmation of the security situation and the necessary approvals. The route has already been completely changed and is expected to head much further north. The second option is an alternative rally in Morocco and the surrounding countries,” explains Macík.
The final format of the rally is expected to be confirmed by mid-November at the latest.
“Of course, we hope it will go ahead in Saudi Arabia and that we’ll have a proper Dakar,” Macík concludes.
English
Czech