· UAE Rider Al Balooshi Delights Home Fans with Third FIM World Title
· Portugal’s Joao Ferreira Seals FIA World Baja Cup Crown
· Qatar’s Al Attiyah and Poland’s Dabrowski take Dubai Baja wins
Dubai, UAE, 1st December 2024: There was glory for the UAE on the eve of the country’s National Day as home rider Mohammed Al Balooshi sealed his third FIM Bajas World Cup crown after another exhilarating day’s competition at the Dubai International Baja.
This weekend’s action around the sands of Dubai marked the season finale for the world’s international off-road series on both two wheels and four. On the motorbikes Poland’s Konrad Dabrowski won the event itself but Al Balooshi’s second place was enough for him to take the championship.
As for the cars, Portugal’s Joao Ferreira took the FIA World Baja Cup title with a fine second place behind Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, who took his 13th win in Dubai after a blistering battle in the desert.
Heading into this weekend’s final Baja of 2024, championships were still up for grabs in numerous categories as the FIA and FIM World Cup seasons came to a conclusion.
Today’s Zayed and Rashid Stage 3 was a repeat of Saturday’s Al Futtaim Toyota Stage 2 featuring 195km of timed stages plus 164km of road section in the intense heat of Al Qudra Desert. Over the course of the event’s three days the competitors have each thus completed a mammoth total of 867km of driving and riding.
The motorcycles were the first to head out onto the sands and it was Poland’s Konrad Dabrowski who prevailed at the Dubai International Baja on his Duust Rally Team KTM 450. The 23-year-old edged out local hero Mohammed Al Balooshi on his MX Ride Dubai Yamaha 450YZF to take the victory by 3m34s following his stage wins on Friday and Saturday. Second place was still more than enough for UAE rider Al Balooshi to seal the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup title for the third time.
Afterwards a delighted Al Balooshi said: “I’m very happy to take second because the bigger picture was to win word title for the second time in a row – and my third time overall. And it’s a great way to celebrate my World Cup title on our National Day.
“It was a really strong race and I enjoyed racing against Konrad. I lost a lot of time yesterday on the fast sections because I made some miscalculations with the gearing. That was bad luck because I thought the track would be more technical like last year but I was stuck at 140kmh so I knew I’d already lost the race.
“Today was a much better day. I couldn’t quite make up the gap to win this event but the championship was what mattered. I’m very thankful to the organisers EMSO for including the Dubai International Baja in the championship for the last eight years. Everything was awesome.”
Dabrowski added: “I’m really happy to have won the Dubai International Baja. It was a good weekend of racing in my second home – and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Dubai-based Briton Alex McInnes completed a storming ride through the dunes for the fastest time of the day but had to settle for fourth place in the overall order due to earlier time penalties. Instead another home rider, Sultan Al Balooshi – Mohammed’s brother – took the third spot on the podium while their fellow countryman Hamdan Alali rounded out the top five.
Adding to the day’s triumphs for the UAE was Abdulaziz Ahli, who finished on top in the Quads, well clear of all his challengers, while Saudi Arabia’s Hani Al Noumesi took the overall title.
Ahli said: “This was a happy event and I’m only sorry it’s come to an end! The race was difficult but we managed to get over all the challenges that were in our face. In the end I did well and now I can’t wait for next year…”
In the women’s section Poland’s Joanna Modrzewska (Husqvarna) came into the Baja with a big championship lead and her crown was confirmed with today’s retirement of Aishwarysa Pissay (Sherco).
As for the cars, Portugal’s Joao Ferreira headed to Dubai with a slender nine-point lead over Fernando Alvarez (Argentina) in the race to be crowned the FIA Baja World Cup Champion. Ferreira came into the final day in third – alongside co-driver Filipe Palmeiro in their X-Raid Mini JCW Team Mini – and his eventual second place was enough to give the Portuguese driver the points he needed both for the Ultimate class honours and the overall title.
At least Alvarez and his co-driver Xavier Panseri (France) had the consolation that they had already secured the SSV title.
Ferreira thus succeeds last year’s FIA Baja World Cup Champion Nasser Al Attiyah, who was also in action this weekend, taking an incredible 13th victory in Dubai at the wheel of his Nasser Racing Taurus T3 buggy with co-driver Pablo Moreno.
The fastest car on the first two days had been Brazilian Lucas Moraes’ experimental Toyota Hilux co-driven by Armand Monleon. Despite not being eligible for victory, the Toyota Gazoo Racing pair came into Sunday with a 6m05s advantage but an early retirement put paid to their hopes. That left the way free for Al Attiyah to romp to yet another dominant Dubai victory.
Completing the podium was Ferreira’s X-Raid Mini team-mate Denis Krotov of Kyrgyzstan alongside co-driver Konstantin Zhiltsov. Next came two French pairings: the father/daughter combination of Lionel and Lucie Baud (Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i) were fourth while Ronan Chabot and Gilles Pillot took fifth in their Toyota Hilux Overdrive.
In the Challenger class Emirati driver Khalid Al Jalfa headed into the weekend level on points with Spain’s Edoardo Pons following his win at the previous round in Jordan. But it was Pons who prevailed, putting in an impressive drive to sixth place overall, enough to take the championship crown.
Overall honours in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup went to Dania Akeel of Saudi Arabia, who had already guaranteed the Ultimate class honours. Hamad Nasser Al Harbi won the Challenger division while Ahmed Al Kuwari had already sealed the SSV title.
Among the National Event competitors one stand-out duo of debutants was made up of two former motocross riders in a CanAm Side by Side machine: Austria’s Hannes Kinigadner, a key inspiration behind the Wings for Life Foundation, with Briton Sam Sunderland calling the pace notes for the first time. Unfortunately, they failed to reach the finish after retiring on Saturday.
The Dubai International Baja was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. Run in tandem with the UAE’s National Day celebrations, it benefited from the support of Official Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota, Energy Partner ENOC and the strategic collaboration of the Dubai Government and its entities, including the Dubai Police, RTA and Dubai Municipality.
This classic event started out as the Dubai International Rally in 1979 before turning into a Baja in 2016. This year’s eighth edition – run by the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council – featured a record entry of 65 drivers and 32 riders from a total of 37 countries.
The action kicked off on Friday afternoon with a prologue stage in the mountains of Hatta before the evening’s ceremonial start at Festival City. This offered spectators the chance to get a close view of all the competitors and machinery ahead of Saturday and Sunday’s 195km cross-country legs around the dunes of Al Qudra desert.
Today’s finale – Zayed and Rashid Stage 3 – was named in honour of the moment on 18th February 1968 when His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi met Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai to agree on uniting their respective emirates, the starting point for the vision to unite the seven emirates of UAE.
Mr Mahir Badri, CEO of the EMSO said: “This has been a spectacular event in Dubai and its surrounding areas, showcasing to the world so much of what the UAE has to offer. It was a particular pleasure to stage Thursday’s opening action in the stunning mountains of Hatta for the first time since the event’s reformulation as an off-road Baja in 2016. From that area’s rugged beauty to our two days of incredible action in the Al Qudra desert, I’m thrilled that the Dubai International Baja has again been the host of a wonderful festival of off-road motorsport.
“On the eve of the National Day of the UAE it gives us particular pride to put on such a show for everyone watching both here and all around the globe. We have welcomed many of the world’s finest drivers and riders and run an event to the very highest international standards for safety as the event celebrates its 45th year of history.
“We could not have managed such a spectacular success without the continued support of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. We would also like to thank the Government of Dubai and its entities, including the Dubai Police, Civil Defence and Dubai Sports Council. We also express our deepest gratitude to our
partners – Al Futtaim Group, Toyota, Festival City Mall, and Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) – for their support as we seek to take this event to ever greater heights. Last but not least, I would like to thank my team for their commitment and professionalism plus the endless hours of work they put in to deliver this successful conclusion to the Baja season.”
-ENDS-