The Baja Jordan 2026 concluded on Saturday with a decisive second stage of 195 kilometers through the spectacular landscape of Wadi Rum. The final day brought several changes in the standings, but at the top Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Saood Variawa and his navigator François Cazalet ultimately emerged victorious in the car category. Among the bikes, Britain’s Alex McInnes secured his second consecutive win in the FIM Bajas World Cup with a composed performance. For the Netherlands, the day ended on a positive note thanks to a stage victory in the SSV category for Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar.
Variawa strikes on the final day
Saood Variawa started the final stage in fourth overall, nearly three minutes behind French leaders Lionel and Lucie Baud. The South African immediately chose to attack. In his Toyota Hilux IMT Evo, he delivered a strong and consistent run, won the stage by 4 minutes and 26.7 seconds, and completely reshuffled the standings. He ultimately claimed the rally victory with a total time of 4 hours 41 minutes and 37.3 seconds, finishing 3 minutes and 51.8 seconds ahead of Dania Akeel.
Dania Akeel and her navigator Sébastien Delaunay also completed a solid final stage in their Toyota Hilux Evo, securing second place overall. Lionel and Lucie Baud, who had opened the road after winning the first day, were unable to defend their lead. A puncture cost them time in the closing kilometers, but the French father and daughter duo still finished on the podium in third place with their X Raid Mini JCW Rally Plus.
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Max Delfino narrowly missed the podium and finished fourth in their MD Optimus Rallye. A fuel pump issue hampered their final day, but the Qatari driver still collected valuable championship points.
In the Challenger category, victory went to Yasir Seaidan with navigator Xavier Flick in a Taurus Evo Max. Miroslav Zapletal finished sixth overall in his Ford F-150. Hamed Al Wahaibi delivered a strong performance but received another time penalty and ended seventh overall and second in Challenger.
Stage win for Erik van Loon in SSV
For Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar, the final day offered sporting redemption. After turbo problems on the first stage, they started far down the order. Nevertheless, the Dutch duo delivered a controlled and mistake free performance in their Can Am Maverick R. They avoided unnecessary risks while maintaining a high enough pace to record the fastest SSV time of the day.
Van Loon described the rally as frustrating, with technical issues once again playing a decisive role. Despite that, he was satisfied with the stage result. In the overall classification, Van Loon and Rosegaar finished thirtieth with a total time of 11 hours 35 minutes and 1.6 seconds, but the stage victory clearly demonstrated their potential when reliability is on their side.
The overall SSV win went to Norway’s Hedda Hosås with navigator Pol Tibau. They finished ahead of Mohammed Al Marri, who took second in class. Fernando Álvarez completed the overall top ten and secured important championship points.
McInnes controls the rally among the bikes
In the bike category, Alex McInnes successfully defended his leading position. Despite an early mistake on the final day, the Brit remained calm. Abdulhalim Al Mogheera caught up with him early on, but McInnes managed the pace and delivered a tactically strong stage. He won the rally with a total time of 6 hours 54 minutes and 17.7 seconds, finishing 6 minutes and 25.6 seconds ahead of Al Mogheera.
Abdullah Al Shatti finished third, followed by Mohammed Al Balooshi, who ended fourth after a time penalty. Jordan’s Zaid Jaber secured fifth place, while Rafic Eid and Philip Horlemann also finished inside the top seven. In the quad category, victory once again went to Hani Al Noumesi on his Yamaha YFM 700R.
Strong competition across all categories
Baja Jordan 2026 delivered a thrilling conclusion, with several categories decided only on the final day. The varied terrain of Wadi Rum, featuring rocky sections, fast desert tracks, and technical passages, placed high demands on navigation, concentratio,n and mechanical reliability.
For Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar, the rally left mixed emotions. Their speed and teamwork were convincing, but technical problems prevented a top overall classification. The stage victory on the final day, however, clearly underlined their potential.
The ceremonial finish at the marina of the Ayla Resort in Aqaba marked the end of an intense rally weekend. Baja Jordan once again proved to be a compact yet technically demanding event where every mistake is heavily punished and where perseverance and strategy are just as important as outright speed.
