The Toyota Hilux driver trailed overnight leader and defending champion Denis Krotov and his navigator Konstantin Zhiltsov by 2min 48.5sec and nibbled away at the X-Raid Mini driver’s advantage through the early kilometres of the final stage through the central and southern deserts of Qatar.

Czech veteran Martin Prokop and his navigator Viktor Chytka were also in the mix and started the day in second place in the latest version of the Ford Raptor they will use at the Dakar Rally. They too began to eat into Krotov’s advantage not knowing that Yacopini was charging even harder behind them.

When Krotov slowed with differential issues over the closing kilometres in the dunes to the south of Doha, Yacopini stormed through to take the win and a frustrated Prokop confirmed second place. Yacopini also confirmed the Ultimate category title in the FIA World Baja Cup. Krotov ground to a halt in the dunes and was not able to continue.

The triumphant Argentine said: “I’m super happy to finish this race. Today’s stage was super tough for us. Yesterday, there was a gap between us and the first car and we knew we had to push really hard. Since the first kilometre we did our best and then we had to manage the race in the dunes at the end. Now we have won the category in the World Cup. We have worked hard for this all year.”

Runner-up Prokop added: “It was a very good test. It was very difficult for navigation and driving this new car for me. It was a great two days and two enjoyable stages. We didn’t win but it was close. We slowed down towards the end behind Krotov and thought that was enough. But Yacopini was full gas and he passed us and he won. He did a very good job. Second position, but it was great fun to drive this car in these conditions. Denis was going very slow and we left him there. He had been fast the whole day.”

Dania Akeel took full advantage of Krotov’s problems and eventual retirement to snatch the final place on the podium and pick up maximum points in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup with French navigator Sébastien Delaunay. She also confirmed overall Ultimate class success in the regional Baja Cup.

Akeel said: “Really happy for the podium. This is a good place to train for your driving skills. Today was nice but I lost quite a bit of time in the last 70km. I definitely need to work on that. Sébastien was great. It was tough with the navigation. We have a good chance of a shot at the Middle East Cup (Drivers’ Championship) now in Dubai.”

Multiple event winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah was not registered for either Baja Cup but wanted to gain further experience with his new co-driver Fabian Lurquin and fine-tune their navigational skills. The duo finished fourth in a Nasser Racing Team Taurus T3 and topped the Challenger standings.

Master Driver champion Miroslav Zapletal and Marek Sykora finished fifth in their Ford F-150 Evo and picked up valuable FIA World Baja Cup points. They are still in the mix for the overall podium heading to the final round.

The QMMF Team’s Nouef Al-Sowaidi and Aisvydas Paliukenas finished sixth and topped the Challenger standings in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup. Team-mate Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah remains in contention for the overall Drivers’ Championship and the regional Challenger title after finishing 11th. A 15-minute penalty was added to his time for missing a waypoint on the final day.

Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari won the Prologue outright and was sixth overall after day one but crashed out of the event on the final day and lost ground on his QMMF team-mate in the Challenger title race.

Sergei Remennik teamed up with Aleksei Ignatov and took one step nearer to the FIA World Baja Cup’s Challenger title by finishing seventh and first in his class. Arch rival Khalif Al-Jafla suffered a fistful of time penalties and was classified down in 31st overall and third in class behind Aleksei Shmotev.

Lionel and Lucie Baud were eighth in the second of the X-Raid Minis snd young Qatari rookie Mohammed Al-Marri belied his lack of cross-country experience to top the SSV standings on his Baja debut in a Can-Am Maverick R. The youngster has come through the Qatar Academy Stars programme in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

The French duo of Ronan Chabot and Xavier Panseri rounded off the top 10 in an Overdrive Toyota. Emirati Ahmed Al-Shami (Century CR6) was 12th overall and fourth of the registered drivers in the regional Baja Cup and Maha Al-Hameli picked up points in the FIA World Cup for finishing 14th. 

Van den Brink and Van Heun earn SSV titles

The South Racing Can-Am Maverick R duo of Mitchel van den Brink and Bart van Heun finished 15th and are the new SSV champions in the FIA World Baja Cup (subject to FIA confirmation). The Dutch duo made a strong start on day one but then ran out of fuel on the second stage and lost a lot of time.

“We reached the finish within the time limit and collected all the waypoints. That was the goal,” said van den Brink, who had already won the Junior Driver category.

A series of three flat tyres cost Omani rival Hamed Al-Wahaibi his place in the rankings on day one but the Can-Am man bounced back strongly with the fastest time on day two. He finished 27th. Italy’s Amerigo Ventura overcame a series of first day punctures to finish at the foot of the classification in his Quaddy Racing Yamaha YXZ 1000R. The remaining places on the SSV podium behind van den Brink will be decided in Dubai with Paul Severn also in contention. He finished 20th in Qatar.

Hamza Bakhashab and Marcin Pasek finished 22nd overall in Qatar in their Can-Am Maverick R but picked up points for second place in the SSV section of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup behind the winning crew of Ibrahim Al-Muhanna and Faisal Al-Suwayh. The points have given the Saudi an unassailable lead in the regional Baja Cup standings after main rival Mohammed Al-Attiyah retired. The result also keeps Bakhashab in contention for a podium finish in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup’s Drivers’ Championship.

Portugal’s Fernando Barreiros enjoyed his first experience of the dunes and the desert on day one but retired on the second leg. That paved the way for Saudi rival Majed Al-Thunayyan to take full advantage and claim maximum Stock category points to take to the showdown to the final round in Dubai. Their respective navigators José Sá Pires and Fahad Al-Sufyani will also decide that championship.

Regional Master Driver champion Abdullah Al-Rabban secured overall victory in the Stock section in his Nissan Patrol and topped the Middle East Baja Cup standings from fellow Qatari Mohammed Al-Meer. The Qatari also secured the regional title with one round to spare.

The final start list featured 43 entries, including 10 vehicles entered in the Ultimate category, nine in Challenger, 20 in SSV and four in the Stock class for series-production cross-country machines. Fifteen were registered for the FIA World Baja Cup and 11 concentrated on the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.

Al-Kuwari and Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah topped the times from Mattias Ekström and Yacopini on the 10.59km Prologue that preceded the ceremonial start at a new location on Doha Corniche in front of the ‘Way to the World Cup’ Qatar 2022 landmark. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah lost over a minute with a fuel pump issue, finished down in 25th and opted to open the road for the first stage.

A revised opening stage of 220.31km was split into three timed sections. Krotov started strongly although Prokop took the virtual stage lead after passing the stage-opening Al-Attiyah near the start. The Czech managed to overhaul last year’s event winner as well and headed into the night halt with a 38.6-second lead with Yacopini finishing third behind Krotov.

Akeel was the quickest of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup entrants in fourth, ahead of Al-Attiyah and Al-Kuwari. Al-Marri topped the SSV times after Ekstrom and Van den Brink dropped time. Kuwait’s Nasser Al-Ajmi retired on the opening stage and that spelt the end of his challenge for Ultimate class honours in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.

The second test ran for 234.19km and was split into five timed sections split by a series of neutralisations.

A change of engine block and the resultant 20-hour penalty dropped Francesco Barreto out of the top 10 and he retired the Nasser Racing Taurus T3 midway through the stage. Erik van Loon was registered for the FIA World Baja Cup in a Can-Am and teamed up with Mitchel van den Brink’s father Martin at the 11th hour. The Dutchman suffered a fuel pump failure, a puncture and a faulty Sentinel system but finished 32nd.

The FIA World and Middle East Baja Cups conclude with the Dubai International Baja on November 20th-23rd.

2025 Qatar International Baja – final result:

1. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Dani Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo                                    4hr 50min 30.6sec*

2. Martin Prokop (CZE)/Viktor Chytka (CZE) Ford Raptor                                                             4hr 53min 02.6sec

3. Dania Akeel (KSA)/Sébastien Delaunay (FRA) Toyota Hilux                                                     5hr 07min 14.0sec+

4. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL) Taurus T3 Max                                     5hr 12min 59.3sec

5. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F-150 Evo                                                  5hr 32min 00.4sec*

6. Nouef Al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Taurus T3 Max                                      5hr 33min 36.7sec+

7. Sergei Remennik (UAE)/Aleksei Ignatov (KGZ) Taurus T3 Max                                               5hr 42min 02.7sec*

8. Lionel Baud (FRA)/Lucie Baud (FRA) Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0D                            5hr 42min 18.1sec

9. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Can-Am Maverick R                 5hr 43min 49.0sec

10. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Toyota Hilux                                                        5hr 44min 29.8sec

11. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Bruno Jacomy (ARG) Taurus T3 Max                                  5hr 53min 24.8sec+

12. Ahmed Al-Shami (UAE)/Ali Hassan Obaid (UAE) Century CR6                                              6hr 11min 34.8sec+

13. Aleksei Shmotev (UAE)/Yaroslav Fedorov (KGZ) Taurus T3 Max                                          6hr 14min 29.8sec*

14. Maha Al-Hamali (KSA)/Xavier Flick (FRA) Can-Am Maverick R                                             6hr 33min 53.4sec*

15. Mitchel van den Brink (NED)/Bart van Heun (NED) Can-Am Maverick R                            6hr 51min 58.5sec*

16. David Mabbs (UAE)/David McBride (UAE) Can-Am Maverick X3                                         7hr 01min 33.2sec

17. Camelia Liparoti (SMR)/Syndiely Wade (SEN) Yamaha YXZ 1000R                                      7hr 07min 41.1sec

18. Dhari Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)/Omar Al-Lahim (KSA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR            7hr 48min 56.7sec

19. Eugenio Amos (ITA)/Paolo Ceci (ITA) Can-Am Maverick R                                                     7hr 49min 50.2sec*

20. Paul Severn (GBR)/Delphine Denfino (FRA) Polaris RZR Pro R Sport                                   7hr 49min 53.0sec*

21. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna (KSA)/Faisal Al-Suwayh (KSA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR     7hr 56min 25.4sec

22. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Can-Am Maverick R                                     8hr 00min 56.2sec+

23. Erminio Nati (ITA)/Jacopo Casini (ITA) Can-Am Maverick R                                                  8hr 23min 44.0sec

24. Abdullah Al-Rabban (QAT)/Ali Ajami (UAE) Nissan Patrol                                                     9hr 05min 31.0sec+

25. Majed Al-Thunayyan (KSA)/Fahad Al-Sufyani (KSA) Nissan Patrol Y81                               9hr 16min 49.7sec*

26. Luigi Ricci (ITA)/Stefano Tiraboschi (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift                           10hr 32min 01.2sec

27. Hamed Al-Wahaibi (OMA)/Ilka Minor (AUT) Can-Am Maverick R                                       11hr 20min 20.4sec*

28. Anya van Loon (NED)/Hein Verschuuren (NED) Can-Am Maverick R                                  12hr 11min 26.2sec

29. Christiano Gabbarrini (ITA)/Alessandro Forni (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift        12hr 33min 34.9min

30. Mohammed Al-Meer (QAT)/Alexey Mun (KAZ) Nissan Patrol                                              13hr 31min 23.8sec+

31. Khalid Al-Jafla (UAE)/Andrei Rudnitski (LTU) Taurus T3 Max                                                14hr 45min 54.6sec*

32. Erik van Loon (NED)/Martin van den Brink (NED) Can-Am Maverick R                               15hr 01min 42.3sec*

33. Amerigo Ventura (ITA)/Erika Mingozzi (ITA)  Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift                   15hr 02min 23.1sec*

Mattias Ekström (SWE)/Emil Bergkvist (SWE) Can-Am Maverick R                                            RETIRED – SS2

Mohammed Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Aleksei Kuzmich (UAE) Can-Am Maverick R                             RETIRED – SS2+

Denis Krotov (KGZ)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (KGZ) Mini John Cooper Works Rally 3.0i                RETIRED – SS2

Nora Al-Jassasi (UAE)/Egor Okhotnikov (KGZ) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR                     RETIRED – SS2

Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Taurus T3 Max                                             RETIRED – SS2+

Francisco Barreto (POR)/Paulo Fiuza (POR) Taurus T3 Max                                                         RETIRED – SS2*

Abdullah Al-Khelaifi (QAT)/Abdulaziz Al-Jabri (QAT) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift             RETIRED – SS2

Khalid Al-Feraihi (KSA)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo                                        RETIRED – SS2

Fernando Barreiros (POR)/Jose Sá Pies (POR) Nissan Patrol                                                        RETIRED – SS2*

Nasser Al-Ajmi (KUW)/Nuno Sousa (POR) Nissan Safari                                                               RETIRED – SS1+

*denotes registered for the FIA World Baja Cup

+ denotes registered for the FIA Middle East Baja Cup