HAIL: Overdrive Racing’s Yazeed Al-Rajhi followed up his recent Dakar Rally victory with an eighth career success in the Hail Toyota International Rally (Saudi Baja) on Saturday.
The Toyota Hilux driver won the event five times in its longer format before 2020 and since then has won in 2022, 2024 and 2025. His German co-driver Timo Gottschalk won the longer rally with Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah in 2011 and has now taken won with Al-Rajhi in 2015, 2016, 2024 and 2025. The duo lead the 2025 FIA World Baja Cup after the opening round.
Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini and his Spanish co-driver Dani Oliveras kept the pressure on Al-Rajhi for long periods of the three-day event on a new route through the north-central deserts of Saudi Arabia, eventually finishing second in their Toyota Hilux, 5 minutes 49 seconds behind the Dakar winner.
Dania Akeel and Stephane Duple — hoping to defend Akeel’s 2024 FIA Middle East Baja Cup title — finished third to give Overdrive Racing a clean sweep of the podium places.
A prologue of 5.76km determined the start order for the opening special stage over a new route through the An-Nafud desert. Al-Rajhi set the pace with a run of 3:56, beating Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah by eight seconds. Yacopini and Akeel came fourth and sixth respectively.
Al-Rajhi started the opening 260km from ninth on the road and made his favorable starting position count with the fastest time. The Saudi beat Yacopini by 1:35 to take the lead with Akeel in third, 3:48 adrift.
There was no late drama for Al-Rajhi, who won the final 160km stage by 4:14 to secure victory.
The 2025 FIA World Baja Cup continues with the Jordan Baja in Aqaba on April 10.
2025 Saudi Baja unofficial result:
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4:28:15*
Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4:34:04*
Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stephane Duple (FRA) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4:38:26+
Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Taurus T3 Max 4:39:51+
Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Alexander Toril (ESP) G Rally Team OT3 4:45:12+
Ahmed Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Augusto Sanz (ARG) Taurus T3 Max 4:46:17+
Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Michal Goleniewski (POL) Ford F-150 4:53:28*
Hamza Bakhashab (SAU)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Can-Am Maverick R 4:54:21+
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Taurus T3 Max 4:56:25+
Sergei Remennik (ARE)/Aleksei Ignatov (KGZ) Taurus T3 Max 4:58:28*
* registered for FIA World Cup
+ registered for FIA Middle East Cup
