Yazeed Al-Rajhi Wins Desafio Ruta 40 in Thrilling Finish
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk have emerged victorious at the Desafio Ruta 40, the fourth event of the World Rally-Raid Championship. The Saudi Arabian driver, Al-Rajhi, managed to prevent Nasser Al-Attiyah from clinching the world title by a mere 40 seconds. The final decision will now come down to the Rallye du Maroc in October.
Nasser Al-Attiyah, who was hoping to secure the World Rally-Raid Championship before turning his focus to the Olympics, will have to wait. He was narrowly beaten by Yazeed Al-Rajhi at the Desafio Ruta 40, leaving him with a 25-point lead heading into the final event of the season in Morocco. Al-Attiyah and co-driver Boulanger won two out of the five stages of the Desafio Ruta 40, but it was not enough to secure the victory.
The battle for the championship title will now shift to Morocco, where Al-Attiyah will aim to claim his third world title. He will be swapping his Hunter Prodrive for a new Dacia that is currently under development. Meanwhile, Sebastian Halpern secured the third spot on the podium in his X-raid Mini JCW.
In the motorcycle category, Adrien Van Beveren once again finished in third place, maintaining his consistent performance from previous events. He was beaten by Honda’s Ricky Brabec and Tosha Schareina, with the American rider finishing just 15 seconds ahead of him. Ross Branch, riding for Hero, finished in fifth place and continues to lead the championship standings, with Van Beveren currently in third place.
The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the World Rally-Raid Championship at the Rallye du Maroc, where the battle for the title will reach its climax. Stay tuned for more updates and action-packed racing from the world of rally-raid.