SAINT PETERSBURG: Reigning World Cup champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Irish co-driver Michael Orr are preparing to defend their title in the opening round of the 18th World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas taking place in Russia from Feb. 11 to 13.

The Saudi defending champion, along with Orr, will take on the challenging Baja Russia Northern Forest’s total distance of 600 kilometers on snow-covered tracks — with the total distance of its special stages reaching 387 km — over two days with nine special stages.

Al-Rajhi will seek to repeat his title win last year once again in a Toyota Hilux by Abdul Latif Jameel Motors and prepared by Overdrive.

Armed with extensive experience in snowy tracks, he will also hope to repeat the 2014 achievement on his debut in the cross-country rallies with the Overdrive team, when he won Baja Russia Northern Forest, which represented the opening round of the cross-country rallies at that time, in a Toyota Hilux.

The snow-covered tracks are not new to the titleholder. Al-Rajhi won the Swedish Rally in 2013 when he was a competitor in the World Rally Championship, proving his ability to excel in all weather conditions in different rallies around the world.

Al-Rajhi, who recently claimed a podium at the Dakar Rally as the first Saudi to achieve a third-place position in T1, said: “We headed to Russia to participate in the Baja Russia Northern Forest, which is the second participation for me in this baja in my career.

“I have fond memories in Russia, I won the snowy Baja Russia on my cross-country debut with a Toyota Hilux eight years ago. I love racing in the snow, it is a lot of fun and full of adventures.

“I remember when I won here with the Overdrive team, it was a great moment that I can’t forget because it was my first season in cross-country rally, and I won the first round. Now all we have to do is to adopt the right strategy to win the first round of the new season,” he added.

“We’re looking forward to a wonderful season opener of the World Cup for the Cross-Country Bajas and a lucky journey. I would also like to thank my strategic partner Toyota and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors for their unlimited support.”

Orr said he was looking forward to his Baja Russia debut.

“This will be the first time that I will participate in a snowy baja in the cross-country baja with Yazeed. The driving style is different from the hatchbacks in the WRC, and Yazeed and I have a lot of experience before in snow in the World Rally Championship. It will be a new experience for me with my friend Yazeed.”