Victory for Nasser and Mathieu at Qatar International Baja
Poor weather forces early closure of event
Perfect performance by Dakar-winning GR DKR Hilux T1+
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel recorded victory at the 2022 Qatar International Baja, which was shortened when a developing sandstorm, high winds and reduced visibility forced the organisers to cancel the final leg of the three-day event. The GR DKR Hilux T1+ crew had built up a lead of 3min 53sec over the preceding days, and while they were keen to build on this over the closing sections, and to record some more valuable data for the development of their Dakar-winning car, they had to accept that safety was the primary concern for the organisers in Qatar.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing had decided to add the Qatar International Baja to its racing calendar for the year, following the cancellation of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) round in Kazakhstan. This allowed Nasser and Mathieu to continue the testing and further development of the GR DKR Hilux T1+, simultaneously affording Nasser the opportunity to compete on home soil.
The Qatar International Baja is known as an extremely tough race, where good navigation is critical. This year’s race was scheduled to consist of a short qualifying stage of 9.2km, followed by two legs, each featuring two timed stages.
Al-Attiyah and Baumel set the fastest time on the qualifying stage, leading their nearest competitors by 4.3sec. Next, they tackled the two stages of Leg 1, where they increased their lead significantly over the 122.73km first section; with a measured performance on the second section of 124.86km seeing them with a consolidated lead of 3min 52.6sec.
The final Leg of the event was due to bring two more timed sections, but poor visibility forced the organisers to cancel the final Leg, which meant that Al-Attiyah and Baumel emerged victorious from the shortened event.
Comentarios