Sunday, March 30, we’re back at it early in the morning. The first car sets off at 7:30 AM, allowing for a fresh morning ride. The roadbook shows 186 km of stage. From Foum Zuid, we head towards M’Hamid, descending south through a charming little oasis with beautiful vegetation, mountains, and Grand Canyon-like cliffs lining the right side. We then reach the northwest of Iriki before heading east toward the cafés bordering the Erg Chegaga, then turning south again before making our way to Tagounite.
Fast sand tracks, winding dune sections, and high-speed stretches alternate, but navigation is key—it wasn’t as easy as it seemed, even if it looked like a straight route.
Gilles Florin – Buggy Cotel 1988 #200
Gilles, who participated in the first edition and actually won it in 2024, shares his thoughts on this second stage. With around fifteen Dakars under his belt and about thirty rally raids in total, he knows the terrain well.
“Yesterday, we finished fourth. It was a fantastic stage because, despite all the navigation equipment, there were still opportunities to get off track—not completely lost, but enough to make it interesting. It’s a bit of a shame with all the modern technology—so many tablets and navigation aids. The stage was very diverse, with rocks, sand, and fast sections. We picked up a 10-minute penalty for missing waypoints. As for the car, nothing unusual—we just checked the air filter, oil, and tire pressure.
We drove on tracks I already knew, but I still take great pleasure in navigating and driving through these plains and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Today, it looks like we won (although, at the time of writing, the official results aren’t out yet).
The secret behind our success? The buggy goes back to Senlis to Dr. Cotel, who checks everything from A to Z. I’ve known him since Dakar ’82, we’ve raced together a lot—he’s a great guy, incredibly skilled, and a true professional. That’s what makes this car so reliable. He’s a perfectionist, and among all the buggies he has built, this one is probably the most refined for this kind of adventure.
As for today’s stage, it was like a shorter version of yesterday’s: fast rocky tracks, fast sandy sections, and some small dune crossings. The landscapes were stunning—Lake Iriki covered in De Mévius’ dust was a beautiful sight. Morocco is charming every kilometer. We had a bit of a battle out there this afternoon.”*
Note: This has been Gilles’ car since 1988. The chassis came from the USA and was later prepared by Hervé Cotel. It was cutting-edge back then, and 36 years later, it’s still competitive and up to date.
Axel Berrier – Porsche #265
This is my first time at the Merzouga 1000 after competing in the Dakar Classic in January 2025. This five-day race is demanding, with stages ranging from 200 to 300 km per day over varied terrain—rocky and sandy—requiring constant concentration because every mistake can be costly.
Thankfully, my past experience in the 2024 Rallye des Pionniers and the 2025 Dakar Classic has given me some key reflexes in reading the road and adapting my driving accordingly. As I always joke: “You need a sniper’s vision.”
I have a hybrid love for rally raids—I enjoy both timed races and regularity rallies, even though they are very different disciplines.
Despite good preparation for the Rallye Pionniers Classic, we had an unfortunate incident on the first day—a rear suspension arm broke, even though we hadn’t hit anything hard. That meant three hours in the sun with no shade. But I can’t complain—had it happened an hour earlier, when we were going 160 km/h on a track, the outcome could have been much worse. That’s the charm of these races—until you cross the finish line, anything can happen.
For example, last year at the 2024 Rallye des Pionniers, during the final stage, I entered an oued (dry riverbed) and completely lost visibility—my windshield was covered in mud. Watching the cameraman’s footage later, I realized I had come within inches of disaster, just three kilometers from exiting the canyon at Plage Blanche.
The second stage of the Merzouga 1000 went smoothly, helping boost morale for the challenges ahead. I even played the Good Samaritan at the finish line, towing a Range Rover to a gas station with my Porsche.
Future Plans
I plan to compete in the Baja Aragón, followed by the Rallye des Pionniers in October, and the Africa Eco Race in January 2026.
