Qatar International Baja – October 30th-November 2nd, 2024   

FIA World Baja Cup, round 6 of 8

For immediate release

Saturday, November 2nd, 2024

SOUTH RACING CAN-AM TEAM’S ALVAREZ AND MARTINEZ COLLECT VALUABLE POINTS FOR SOLID FINISHES IN QATAR

  • Top Challenger performance for Anja van Loon; valuable testing for Erik van Loon

LUSAIL (QATAR): The South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fernando Alvarez and Diego Martinez continued their relentless push towards FIA World Baja Cup success with strong finishes in their respective SSV and Challenger categories at a punishing three-day Qatar International Baja.

Alvarez and his French co-driver Xavier Panseri reached the finish of the three-day event in seventh overall, sixth of the crews registered for the FIA World Baja Cup and third in the SSV standings. The Argentina-based Spaniard continues to lead both championships in his Conarpesa-backed Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo heading to the final two rounds in Jordan and Dubai.

Alvarez said: “We finished and did a good job. Xavier did a good job. We finished third behind (João) Ferreira and João (Dias). We did our job. Still two races and I am leading (overall) and I am almost champion of the T4 (SSV). That is good news. We will try to do our best to win the overall championship.”

South Racing Can-Am colleagues Diego Martinez and Sergio Lafuente reached the ceremonial finish at Qatar’s Katara Cultural Village in 12th overall and third of the registered Challenger crews. The result enabled them to close the gap on category leader Eduardo Pons in the points’ standings.

Anja Van Loon and Floor Maten were registered for the FIA World Baja Cup in a third South Racing Can-Am and they reached the finish in a fine eighth and headed all the Challenger crews. The South Racing Can-Am Team continues to lead the FIA World Baja Cup Teams’ Championship.

Erik van Loon and Hein Verschuuren ran the new Maverick R for test and development purposes in an Experimental category that wasn’t eligible for the FIA classification.

South Racing Can-Am Team’s managing director Scott Abraham said: “It was another strong race for the team, once again consolidating our position and picking up valuable points towards the FIA World Baja Cup. Fernando continues to lead the overall Drivers’ Championship and the SSV category. Diego also gained crucial points towards his Challenger Championship. We look forward now to the Baja in Jordan. There will be a lot of points to fight for. A great result there will lead us to the final round in Dubai. Thanks again for the team for their tireless efforts in Qatar this weekend.”

Baja officials laid on a challenging three-day route with a Prologue of 10.01km deciding the starting order for a first stage of 246.41km that was made up of two sections of 123.91km and 122.50km.

It was a strong start for the South Racing crews on the rocky and challenging Prologue with Martinez coming home second of the Challenger drivers registered in the FIA World Cup and Alvarez claiming fourth of the SSV cars. Erik Van Loon was also on a competitive pace in the new Maverick R.

Alvarez said: “We didn’t push. In this race I don’t like to be in front. It is very easy to lose the way. The time is not important because it is not a race time, it is only for position. Stage one is the start of the action and it is windy and that is good as well.”

Tricky navigation and punctures played a part in determining the outcome of the opening run south to a stage finish close to the Tamim Airbase. Alvarez finished third of the registered SSV drivers and eighth in the World Cup, while Martinez was fourth of the registered Challenger runners behind team-mate Anja Van Loon.

Several of the local drivers fell by the wayside on the run north along the west coast during the second stage and Alvarez, Van Loon and Martinez took full advantage to hold eighth, 13th and 16th in the general classification at the end of day one. Alvarez was third in his SSV class and Van Loon and Martinez were second and third in Challenger of the World Cup contenders, the latter’s cause not helped by a 17-minute penalty for missing two route waypoints.

Alvarez said: “We made a really good job. Only two in front of us for the World Cup. I don’t try to push and try and beat them because they are faster than me. The only possibility is to do a good job and just wait and see what happens in the race. The car was perfect.”

The third 251.10km stage ran from a start to the east of Dukhan and through the south of the country to the renowned Sealine region with its sand dunes by the Inland Sea. Martinez set a storming pace to record the fourth quickest time and the fastest of the Challenger drivers registered for the FIA World Baja Cup. Alvarez was third of the World Cup SSVs.

The South Racing Can-Am Team receives valuable support for the race programme from BRP, Rotax, Method Wheels, Tensor Tires, Motul, J.Juan Brake Systems, Oakley and Sparco.

The FIA World Baja Cup continues with the Jordan Baja on November 14th-16th.

Qatar International Baja (Challenger – final result):

  1. Anja Van Loon (NLD)/Floor Maten (NLD) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 29min 27.6sec*
  2. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Taurus T3 Max 6hr 30min 52.1sec
  3. Khalid Al-Jafla (ARE)/Andrei Rudnitski (LTU) Taurus T3 Max 6hr 31min 27.9sec*
  4. Diego Martinez (ARG)/Sergio Lafuente (URY) South Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 31min 29.8sec*
  5. Nouef Al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Taurus T3 Max 6hr 36min 19.4sec+
  6. Maha Al-Hameli (SAU)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Can-Am Maverick X3 6hr 40min 30.7sec+
  7. Hamad Al-Harbi (SAU)/Hugo Magalhães (PRT) Can-Am Maverick X3 7hr 05min 20.7sec+
  8. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Taurus T3 Max 7hr 20min 56.9sec+
  9. Eduardo Pons (ESP)/Jaume Betriu (ESP) Taurus T3 Max 7hr 45min 46.3sec*

Qatar International Baja (SSV – final result):

  1. João Ferreira (PRT)/Filipe Palmeiro (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 5hr 57min 20.4sec*
  2. João Dias (PRT)/Gonçalo Reis (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 6hr 01min 09.7sec*
  3. Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 6hr 16min 59.4sec*
  4. Abdullah Al-Khelaifi (QAT)/Abdulaziz Al-Jabri (QAT) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift 6hr 41min 09.4sec+
  5. Ahmed Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Manuel Lucchese (QAT) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift 7hr 02min 26.2sec+
  6. Amerigo Ventura (ITA)/Erika Mingozzi (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000R Short Shift 7hr 14min 26.1sec*
  7. Mohammed Al-Atteya (QAT)/Aleksei Kuzmich (ARE) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR 7hr 38min 30.0sec

*denotes registered for the FIA World Baja Cup

+ denotes registered for the FIA Middle East Baja Cup

Ends

For further information: contact Scott Abraham, South Racing, Email: Scott.Abraham@southracing.com, Tel: + 49 172 6662880.

www.southracing.com

Facebook group: South Racing Can-Am

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published On: 2 November 2024