The 2025 Qatar International Baja concluded on Saturday after two demanding days across the northwest and southern regions of the country. While the day’s battles played out in the sands near the Inland Sea, a major Dutch achievement quietly came together behind the scenes: Mitchel van den Brink and Bart van Heun are the new champions of the FIA World Baja Cup in the SSV category. Despite a difficult final stage, their points lead proved large enough to secure the title.
World champions: Van den Brink and Van Heun
The opening stage on Friday went smoothly for the young Eurol Rallysport duo, who drove their South Racing Can-Am Maverick R to a strong second place. Saturday, however, was a different story. “Not really a day to be proud of,” Mitchel admitted afterwards. “We ran out of fuel and lost a lot of time. But we reached the finish within the time limit and collected all the waypoints. That was the goal.”
With main rival Hamed Al-Wahaibi retiring from the event, the championship title effectively fell into Dutch hands before the finish line. Van den Brink then safely brought the car home without unnecessary risks, ending the rally in third overall in the SSV1 class. “Bart did a great job navigating again. We’re really happy to have secured the championship already.”
Van Loon Racing Reaches Finish Line Despite Setbacks
The second stage brought its fair share of challenges for Van Loon Racing. Both Erik and Anja van Loon made it to the finish, but once again not without issues. Erik, together with navigator Martin van den Brink, ended the day in seventh place in the SSV class despite a string of problems. “We had a fuel pump failure, dealt with heavy dust, and the sentinel system wasn’t working. On top of that, we had a flat tire, and after a water crossing, the iPad froze,” Erik explained. “Still, we managed to finish, and it was special to do this with Martin. And despite all the bad luck, we still have a reason to celebrate because Martin’s son, Mitchell, has become the FIA Baja World Cup champion.”
Anja van Loon also had a difficult final day, finishing ninth in the SSV class. According to her, the partnership with navigator Hein Verschuuren was the highlight of the weekend. “We were stuck for a long time due to a fuel pump issue, but eventually made it to the finish. The teamwork with Hein was fantastic, that’s the positive takeaway from this weekend.”
Due to the technical issues in the opening stage, a strong overall result was already out of reach, but both drivers showed that a top ten finish was well within their capabilities under normal circumstances. All focus now shifts to the season finale in Dubai, which takes place in two weeks.
Yacopini capitalizes as Prokop falters near the finish
Victory in the car category went to Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini, who, together with Dani Oliveras, claimed his first win in Qatar and sealed the overall title in the FIA World Baja Cup Ultimate category. The pair benefited from the dramatic retirement of Denis Krotov, who had been leading until his Mini suffered drivetrain failure in the final section.
Martin Prokop had set the second-fastest time on Saturday and seemed poised to win the rally, but Yacopini ultimately edged ahead. “We knew we had to give everything from the first kilometer. We played it smart in the dunes,” the Argentine said after the finish.
Dabrowski dominates bikes
Polish rider Konrad Dabrowski made history in the bike category with his third win in Qatar, following victories in 2022 and 2023. He won every special stage and led the rally from start to finish. Even a GPS malfunction couldn’t stop him from flawlessly navigating the tricky dune terrain. “Today was tough, but I stayed calm. I feel comfortable in Qatar, which gives me confidence heading into Dakar,” said Dabrowski.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi finished second and extended his lead in the FIM Bajas World Cup standings. Third place went to Frenchman Jean Loup Lepan. British Husqvarna rider Alex McInnes, initially en route to a stage win, received a penalty for missing waypoints and dropped to P7.
Dumore hit by late issue
Dutch rider Luc Dumore saw his rally end on a sour note. He lost more than an hour due to mechanical trouble but managed to get his Husqvarna to the finish. He placed 30th on the second stage and ended 32nd overall among the bikes — a respectable result in such a competitive field.
Al-Attiyah and Al-Marri victorious in support classes
Nasser Al-Attiyah drove a controlled final stage to win the Challenger class, while young Qatari talent Mohammed Al-Marri took top honors in the highly competitive SSV category. Despite not being the fastest on Saturday, Al-Marri maintained a sufficient lead over his rivals.
Looking ahead to Dubai
The season finale of both the FIA World Baja Cup and the FIM Bajas World Cup will be held in Dubai from November 20 to 23. For Van den Brink and Van Heun, it will be a victory lap to celebrate their world title, while the fight for remaining podium spots remains wide open across several categories.
