Francisco Barreto and Konrad Dąbrowski got the Qatar International Baja off to a strong start on Thursday afternoon. On the 11.12-kilometre prologue near Lusail, the Portuguese Toyota driver was fastest among the cars, despite a five-second time penalty for hitting a gate. Dąbrowski, who has already won the event three times, set the fastest time among the bikes with a slim margin of 1.3 seconds over FIM championship leader Alex McInnes. Among the quads, defending champion Abdulaziz Ahli was quickest.
Mitchel van den Brink and Bart van Heun finished sixth overall and third among the Challengers in their Can-Am Maverick R, 20.0 seconds behind Barreto. Luc Dumore came eleventh among the bikes. At the ceremonial start in Lusail, where 37 cars, 45 bikes and eight quads were flagged off, QMMF president Abdulrahman Al-Mannai was joined by Ferdinand Lahnstein, who has been the Dutch ambassador to Qatar since September 2023.
Dąbrowski just faster than McInnes
Dąbrowski was the first rider into the stage on his KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica from the Duust Rally Team and set a time of 7 minutes and 15.1 seconds. Only once the last riders were in was it clear that no one could beat that time. McInnes (KTM) came closest. Some way back was Romain Dumontier, Rally2 winner in the 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, who started from the back of the field and conceded 30.3 seconds. Robert Wallace (KTM 450 EXC) and Simon Marčič (Kove) completed the top five.
“It went very well, but it was close,” the Pole said afterwards. He stressed that Qatar holds only good memories for him and that the event is part of his preparation for the Dakar Rally.
Behind the top five, Michael Anderson, Toni Mulec, the reigning Dakar Rally2 winner, and Ethan Lane finished close together. Lane picked up a fifteen-second penalty for missed or hit gates. Four-time FIM champion Mohammed Al-Balooshi was ninth at 1 minute and 5.8 seconds, already losing ground to championship leader McInnes. The prologue went badly for the second-placed man in the standings, Abdulhalim Al-Mogeera: the Saudi lost 2 minutes and 15.4 seconds to Dąbrowski. Joanna Modrzewska (Triumph) was the fastest woman. All 45 riders made it in.
Among the quads, Ahli (Yamaha Raptor 700) won by 33.6 seconds over Hani Al-Noumesi. FIM leader Ahmed Al-Jaber followed in third. Khalifa Al-Bastaki actually set the second-fastest quad time, but dropped well back due to a five-second gate penalty and a five-minute penalty for losing his time card. Italy’s Matteo Lardori ran into trouble after the finish with his navigation system and dirt in the carburettor following a rain shower on the liaison to Lusail, which earned him a five-minute penalty for checking in late.
Barreto strikes the first blow in the title fight
Among the cars, Barreto opened the stage as first starter with navigator Paulo Fiúza. His raw time of 7 minutes and 1.9 seconds became 7 minutes and 6.9 seconds after the penalty, still 12.1 seconds faster than Saood Variawa (Toyota). According to Barreto, his pursuer was troubled by the dust, as the cars started at one-minute intervals. “We didn’t make a single mistake,” said Barreto, immediately adding that the race only really begins on Friday.
Nasser Al-Attiyah posted the same time as Variawa down to the tenth of a second, but was classified behind the South African. The Qatari also received a five-second penalty and drove the final five kilometres on a flat tyre. He deliberately backed off to limit the damage and, by his own account, ultimately lost only twelve seconds. “Tomorrow is a long stage and we’re going to attack,” he said. Barreto was realistic about his pursuer: “Nasser is faster than me, we know that. It’s good to learn from him.”
There was a setback for Lionel Baud. The Frenchman punctured shortly after the start and finished 26th with daughter Lucie, 1 minute and 38.9 seconds behind Barreto. Because Baud is driving his last counting start in Qatar with five events completed, that leaves him in an unfavourable position for Friday’s long stage. Khalid Al-Jafla (Toyota Hilux Evo) was twelfth after a fifteen-second penalty. The Buggyra pairing of father Martin and daughter Aliyyah Koloc finished eighth and tenth.
Al-Kuwari ahead of Van den Brink among the Challengers
The fastest Challenger was Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Can-Am Maverick R) in fourth overall, 5.0 seconds ahead of Van den Brink. Nouef Al-Sowaidi (Taurus T3 Max), who is not entered for the World Baja Cup, came fifth. The Qatari Al-Kuwari reported that he only caught rain a hundred metres before the finish, as if there were a single cloud hanging over the line alone. Towards the end of the prologue a heavy shower fell.
Van den Brink’s closest rival in the Challenger class, Hamed Al-Wahaibi, was seventh at 3.6 seconds from the Dutchman. The Omani is driving here with François Cazalet instead of Maciej Giemza, who sits second behind Van Heun in the Challenger navigators’ standings.
Fernando Alvarez was the fastest SSV driver with the eleventh time. “For me, eleventh is the perfect position,” said the Argentine, who was satisfied with his Can-Am’s suspension on the Qatari terrain. Ghanim Al-Attiyah, a cousin of Nasser, made his debut in the event and finished 21st and third among the SSVs. Mohammed Al-Marri, leader of the SSV and Junior standings in the Middle East Baja Cup, had a difficult afternoon and brought up the rear in 37th at 4 minutes and 12.6 seconds. Notable in the Middle East class is the presence of Xavier Flick: the Frenchman, seventeen points behind Max Delfino in the navigators’ standings, is navigating here for Maha Hamali.
In the Stock category, Abdulla Al-Rabban (Nissan Patrol) was fastest in thirtieth overall. Majed Al-Thunayyan, who needs eight points in Qatar for the World Cup title in this class, was 34th at 3 minutes and 27.7 seconds.
Van den Brink: “A good result after all”
Van den Brink and Van Heun lost their time at one specific point. According to the Dutchman, it was sometimes difficult along the way to see the white and red flags properly, even though they determine which side the course runs on. At one passage a flag stood behind another, which the pairing overlooked. “We had to reverse and take the corner again, and we lost some time there,” he said. “Even so, we’re happy with the result.”
In the fight for the overall World Cup title, Van den Brink sits behind Barreto and Variawa after the prologue, but comfortably ahead of Baud. On Thursday evening, the drivers choose their starting position for the first stage in the order of the prologue classification. In Qatar, the prologue mainly serves to determine that starting order.
Luc Dumore finished eleventh among the bikes on his Husqvarna FR 450, 1 minute and 26.5 seconds behind Dąbrowski. In doing so he stayed ahead of, among others, Modrzewska, Andrew Houlihan and Marcin Talaga, and finished comfortably ahead of FIM title contender Al-Mogeera.
Penalty seconds and a long Friday
The gates on the prologue took their toll: twelve of the 37 cars received penalty time for hitting or missing a gate, among them Barreto, Al-Attiyah and Baud. Al-Jafla and Abdullah Al-Fahad were given fifteen seconds. Among the bikes and quads, five riders were penalised for gates, and several quad riders picked up heavy penalties for checking in late or a lost time card. It is also striking that, according to the organisers, the prologue measured 11.12 kilometres, while the rally guide still listed 9.51 kilometres.
Friday brings the real test. The first stage runs more than 336 kilometres against the clock through the north, west and centre of Qatar and is the longest special stage of the World Baja Cup season. The first bike departs at 06:55 local time (04:55 Dutch time), the first car at 09:00 (07:00 Dutch time).
Prologue result
Bikes (top 5 and Dutch riders)
- 1st Konrad Dąbrowski (POL), KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica, 00:07:15.1
- 2nd Alex McInnes (GBR), KTM 450 RFR, 00:07:16.4
- 3rd Romain Dumontier (FRA), KTM 450 Rally Factory, 00:07:45.4
- 4th Robert Wallace (GBR), KTM 450 EXC, 00:07:52.2
- 5th Simon Marčič (SLO), Kove Rally 450 EX, 00:07:53.3
- 11th Luc Dumore (NED), Husqvarna FR 450, 00:08:41.6
Quads (top 3)
- 1st Abdulaziz Ahli (UAE), Yamaha Raptor 700, 00:08:28.1
- 2nd Hani Al-Noumesi (KSA), Yamaha 700, 00:09:01.7
- 3rd Ahmed Al-Jaber (KSA), Yamaha Raptor, 00:09:47.9
Cars (top 5 and Dutch crews)
- 1st Francisco Barreto (POR) / Paulo Fiúza (POR), Toyota Hilux IMT Evo, 00:07:06.9
- 2nd Saood Variawa (RSA) / Charan Moore (RSA), Toyota Hilux IMT Evo, 00:07:19.0
- 3rd Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Max Delfino (FRA), Optimus MD Rallye, 00:07:19.0
- 4th Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT) / Oriol Mena (ESP), Can-Am Maverick R, 00:07:21.9
- 5th Nouef Al-Sowaidi (QAT) / Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU), Taurus T3 Max, 00:07:26.1
- 6th Mitchel van den Brink (NED) / Bart van Heun (NED), Can-Am Maverick R, 00:07:26.9
