Spanish newcomer marks the start of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies

Andalucía Rally runs for the 2d time and this year marks its debut in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, providing a new topic for plenty of the crews on the impressive entry checklist of bigger than 80 opponents in the T1, T3 and T4 groups. Basically based spherical the bivouac at Hacienda El Rosalejo, end to Villamartin in jap Spain, the tournament takes in 5 selective sections covering 966 competitive kilometres over frequent gravel Andalusian panorama.

Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Matthieu Baumel head the provisional entry checklist and the extra than one title-winning duo return to Spain because the victors of the predominant running of the tournament in 2020. The Qatari/French crew, utilizing a Toyota Hilux Overdrive, will nonetheless face stiff opponents from some of their closest opponents who furthermore contested last year’s candidate tournament in anticipation of its inclusion in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

Carlos Sainz, double FIA World Rally Champion and winner of the Dakar Rally on three instances, furthermore returns to the Andalucía Rally. The Spaniard, with Lucas Cruz alongside him in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally, narrowly misplaced out on the remove last year by factual over three minutes after practically 9 hours of opponents and will with out doubt be taking a glimpse to add a residence remove to an already impressive checklist of victories.

Yazeed Al Rajhi acquired his substandard-nation campaign off to a mountainous start this season with victory on the Dubai Worldwide Baja, the 2d spherical of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. The Saudi Arabian driver, navigated by Dirk von Zitzewitz, furthermore stood on the 2020 Andalucía Rally podium last year with a intellectual third role and is sure to be lend a hand on the tempo in every other Hilux Overdrive.

Vladimir Vasilyev furthermore had a acceptable start to the season, winning the gap Northern Forest spherical of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas in February. He and co-driver Alexey Kuzmich will be competing in their BMW X3 on the Andalucía Rally for the predominant time, hoping to kick start their Cross-Country Rally campaign in intellectual vogue.

Yasir Seaidan today heads the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas courtesy of two wins from four events, and he and fellow Saudi Arabian co-driver Omar Allahim will with out doubt be taking a glimpse to better last year’s 10th role carry out in Spain in their MINI John Cooper Works Rally. Erik van Loon and Sébastien Delaunay furthermore return to the tournament as crew-mates to Al Rajhi, and the Dutch/French pairing will be hoping for better perfect fortune after losing arrangement down the classification last year. A range of diversified sturdy contenders in T1 consist of Denis Krotov/Konstantin Zhiltsov in every other MINI John Cooper Works Rally and the X-Raid crew of Mattias Ekström, 2016 FIA World Rallycross Champion, and Emil Bergkvist. Laia Sanz is furthermore supporting her home spherical of the sequence and moves from her extra common T4 machinery into every other X-Raid elope T1 MINI All 4 Racing.

The T3 category has every other impressive self-discipline with no fewer than 25 crews on the provisional entry checklist, whereas T4 has attracted 22 entrants to the gap spherical of the sequence. Kees Koolen, Aron Domzala and Khalifa Al Attiyah top the T4 entries, the trio finishing first, 2d and third respectively in last year’s FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.

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