Alkass Digital
Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk claimed a dramatic last-stage victory at the Italian Baja, round three of the 2023 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, when they set the fastest time and Toyota team-mates Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Andorra-based co-driver Mathieu Baumel lost vital minutes with differential issues and slipped to second overall in Pordenone, Italy.
Al Rajhi managed to beat fellow team-mate Juan Cruz Yacopini by 3min 40.7sec on the last stage to secure victory by 9min 27.7sec, but second place for Al Attiyah means the Qatari strengthens his grip on the Drivers’ Championship with Overdrive Racing well clear in the Teams’ Championship.
Baumel said: "We started the last stage with a good chance to bring the cup back home but, unfortunately, after 10-15km we had an issue with the rear differential and we only had front-wheel drive, so it was really difficult to manage. Nasser did very well but you cannot fight when you have only two-wheel drive, especially in the river beds and water crossings. We finished second in the race and this is good points for the championship and we were able to increase our leads.”
Yacopini and Spanish co-driver Dani Oliveras confirmed a fine fourth overall with the second quickest time on the last stage and the Argentine remains second in the Drivers’ Championship as a result.
Overdrive Racing also entered two Hiluxes for Dennis Krotov and Portuguese driver Francisco Barata Barreto and their respective co-drivers, Konstantin Zhiltsov and Carlos Silva. Krotov retired on Saturday evening after a servicing violation and Barata Barreto’s first appearance with Overdrive Racing team ended with retirement on the last stage.
Action got underway with a revised Qualifying Stage of 10.07km at Zoppolo and the Overdrive Racing quintet began strongly with Al Rajhi and Al Attiyah slotting into second and third overall behind the stage-winning Portuguese Joao Ferreira. Yacopini finished sixth, Barata Barreto came home in 14th and Krotov stopped the clocks in 26th place.
Competitors then tackle two passes through a 131.24km selective section that started in Pasch and finishes in Dignano and was divided into two sections of 12.02km and 119.19km by a neutralisation zone.
Al Attiyah and Al Rajhi were the class of the field and moved to the top of the rankings with the first and second fastest times, the Qatari beating his Saudi rival by 16.1 seconds to lead the Baja by 12.7.
Yacopini came home in fourth to hold a similar place in the general classification, while Krotov moved up to sixth place and Barata Barreto dropped back to 31st.
Al Attiyah continued his winning ways on the second pass through the stage and extended his lead over Al Rajhi to 1min 37.7sec. Fifth place on the stage enabled Yacopini to maintain fourth overall.
On-stage action concluded with a section of 119.27km between Dignano and Cordenons yesterday morning that passed through Casa Quaranta and the village of Murlis in the municipality of Zoppolo.
The next round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies takes place in Spain from July 21 to 23.