MEDIA INFORMATION
30th Baja Portalegre 500
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, round 9
October 27-29, 2016
For immediate release
Friday, October 28th, 2016
NISSAN’S ADEL HUSSEIN ABDULLA GETS BAJA PORTALEGRE 500 CHALLENGE UNDERWAY WITH THIRD ON COUTADES SPECIAL STAGE
EVORA (PORTUGAL): Nissan’s Adel Hussein Abdulla began his challenge for honours at the 30th Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal by tackling a testing 5.62km super special stage at Coutades on Friday morning.
The Qatari is aiming to round off his season-long challenge for FIA T2 honours in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with a category win and the Doha-based driver steered his Nissan Patrol to the third quickest time of five minutes 36.73 seconds.
Portugal’s César Sequiera clocked the fastest time to snatch the early advantage and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Saleh was second.
Fourteen drivers from Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Sweden entered the hotly-contested T2 category on this occasion and Adel knows that it will not be easy to beat some of the European drivers, particular several of the seven Portuguese entrants who have knowledge of the area and the rural terrain that is used for the route for the traditional FIA World Cup finale.
Running with support from Nissan Middle East, Nissan Qatar and the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), Adel Hussein lies second in the points’ standings and he and French navigator Sébastien Delaunay are targeting a maximum points’ haul to keep alive their chance of snatching the T2 title.
“I am very satisfied with the result on the super special stage,” said Adel Hussein. “I was not pushing at all and was taking it steady and driving cleanly. The car feels very comfortable with the new Reiger suspension. The aim is to try and win.”
After a longer selective section of 83.94km on Friday afternoon, cars reach the overnight halt at the NERPOR facility, near Evora, and then tackle two further selective sections of 171.47km and 211.94km on Saturday. The event is scheduled to finish for the FIA entrants from 17.30hrs on Saturday at NERPOR.
2016 Baja Portalegre – T2 positions after SS1 (unofficial):
1. César Sequiera (PRT)/Tânia Sequeira (PRT) Isuzu D-Max 5min 24.81sec
2. Abdullah Saleh (SAU)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Toyota Land Cruiser 155 5min 34.96sec
3. Adel Hussein Abdulla (QAT)/Sébastian Delaunay (FRA) Nissan Patrol 5min 36.73sec
4. Yasir Saeidan (SAU)/Alexei Kuzmich (RUS) Toyota Land Cruiser 200 5min 38.65sec
5. Josep Solé (ESP)/Laura Díaz (ESP) Mitsubishi Pajero 5min 44.33sec
6. Luis Ferreira (PRT)/Pedro Colaço (PRT) Nissan Pathfinder 5min 47.08sec
7. Alessandro Bellini (ITA)/Paolo Bellini (ITA) Mitsubishi Pajero 5min 51.49sec
8. Carmine Salvi (PRY)/Lucio Salvi (PRT) Mitsubishi Pajero 5min 53.05sec
9. Alexandre Mota (PRT)/Anibal Mendonça (PRT) Nissan Pick-Up 5min 53.79sec
10. Sergio Vitorino (PRT)/Luis Ramalho (PRT) Nissan Navara 5min 54.06sec
11. Anders Svensson (SWE)/Duangphon Sorrasit (SWE) Isuzu D-Max 6min 03.57sec
12. José-Camilo Martins (PRT)/António José Santos (PRT) Nissan Navara 6min 06.93sec
13. Pieter de Backere (BEL)/Martina Smuljic (BEL) Isuzu D-Max 6min 12.31sec
14. Nuno Corvo (PRT)/António Maghalães (PRT) Nissan Navara 6min 30.25sec
Ends