Overdrive Racing’s Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah in action during the Baja Aragon in Spain, round seven of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, in Teruel yesterday.
Teruel, Spain: Overdrive Racing’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel delivered a sensational final stage to seal a dramatic victory in Spain’s Baja Aragon, round seven of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, in Teruel yesterday.
Trailing overnight leader Mikko Hirvonen at the start of the stage by 11 seconds, Al Attiyah threw caution to the wind to win the final stage by 2min 25sec and seal a second successive victory for Overdrive Racing and Toyota on Europe’s leading Baja event. The result also strengthened the Qatar’s grip on the FIA World Cup in a virtual carbon copy repeat of the stage performance he put in last year to win the event for a second time.
Spain’s Joan ‘Nani’ Roma has won this event five times in the past on four wheels and he and co-driver Alex Haro brought the Monster Energy-backed Overdrive Toyota Hilux to the finish in a solid fourth overall.
South African Leeroy Poulter and Germany’s Dirk von Zitzewitz tackled the event for the first time together in a Toyota GAZOO Racing South Africa car. Poulter delivered an impressive performance to reach Teruel in fifth position after overhauling Al Attiyah’s closest title rival Jakub Przygonski on the final stage.
A harsh time penalty ruined Aron Domzala’s chance of finishing inside the top six but the Pole and navigator Maciej Marton recovered strongly to reach the finish in 12th position, Aron climbing eight places on the final selective section.
Spanish privateer Luis Recuenco teamed up with navigator Manuel Navarro to drive a Toyota Hilux supplied by Overdrive Racing. He held 22nd overall after the second stage, 18th after SS3 but failed to reach the finish in Teruel after hitting a rock and losing a wheel on the last stage.
The fourth and final section of the rally took place yesterday morning and ran for 184.05km between Barrachina and Caude before the ceremonial finish in Teruel. Hirvonen carded the target time of 2hrs 14min 34sec, but he was beaten by 52 seconds by Terranova who moved 31 seconds in front of the Finn in the overall standings.
All eyes were on Al Attiyah’s stage time and the Qatari didn’t disappoint. He crossed the finish line in 2hrs 11min 17sec to storm to the top of the leader board and claim a second successive victory in Spain for Overdrive Racing and Toyota.
