Starting in 2026, the Morocco Desert Challenge’s roadbooks will be uniform with that used by the FIA in the World Rally-Raid Championship and Baja Cups. Although the MDC is not organized by the federation, the move means competitors won’t have to learn a different system of navigation.

As part of the standardization process, the abbreviations and drawings in the MDC’s roadbook will be the same as those that FIA-sanctioned series use. The distance markings, colors, and size of danger warnings are also identical.

The roadbooks will also have more CAPs like their FIA counterpart. A CAP is a compass heading that dictates the cardinal direction to go; for example, a CAP heading of 0 is the same as 0° on a compass, or straight north.

“The advantage? Once you know the FIA lexicon, you can participate in any rally worldwide without being surprised by an unfamiliar symbol or sketch,” explained the MDC’s latest newsletter. “What will not change, however, is the accuracy and level of detail that MDC road books have been known for over the past 10 years.

“The combination of ERTF, Iritrack, and FIA road books makes the Morocco Desert Challenge an even better preparation for those aiming to take on the Dakar in 2027.”

The 2026 Morocco Desert Challenge will take place on April 9–18.

Featured image credit: Massey Ferguson