TAIF: The opening day of the first round of the 2026 Saudi Toyota Championship Hill Climb concluded Friday at Aqabat Al-Muhammadiyah in Al Shafa, Taif, with drivers battling for the fastest times in qualifying.
Backed by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and organized by Bakhashab Motorsport in partnership with Jameel Motorsport, the opening round attracted 70 male and female entrants.
Following technical inspections, 43 competitors were cleared to compete across 11 classes, highlighting the diversity of the field and the championship's strong technical standard.
Administrative checks and vehicle scrutineering had been completed on Thursday before drivers attended an official briefing on Friday morning with race stewards and organizers, who outlined the sporting, technical and safety regulations.
Competitors then took part in two official practice sessions, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the challenging mountain course, assess vehicle performance and fine-tune their setups ahead of qualifying. The opening qualifying run took place in the afternoon, setting the early benchmark for the weekend's competition.
Racing resumed on Saturday with a second qualifying session before the top 20 drivers overall, along with the fastest competitor from each class, advance to two decisive final runs. The overall results will be determined by each driver's fastest time across those final runs.
The opening day also featured a comprehensive safety operation involving 38 organizational, technical and field personnel responsible for marshaling, technical inspections, maintenance and race stewarding. Medical and emergency services, together with security and traffic authorities, were also deployed to ensure the event ran smoothly and in accordance with approved safety procedures.
The Aqabat Al-Muhammadiyah course stretches 4.2 kilometers through the mountains of Al Shafa, climbing from approximately 1,900 meters to 2,150 meters above sea level. Featuring 30 corners, the route demands precision, concentration and car control from competitors.
Mamoun Amr Alkabbani set the fastest time in the opening qualifying run with a time of 1 minute, 45.190 seconds, narrowly ahead of Faisal Soufyan Alkabbani, who clocked 1:45.955. Rabih Moayad Alawar was third fastest in 1:48.656, followed by Ahmed Abdul Algaidi (1:52.140) and Sultan Hamdi (1:55.886).
Mahmoud Ahmed Abed finished sixth with a time of 1:59.592, while Abdullah Ahmed Alamri placed seventh in 2:00.340. Abdullah Abdulaziz Khojah was eighth in 2:00.705, Ibrahim A. AlSharidah ninth in 2:00.866, and Abdulaziz Maged Alfudhili completed the top 10 with a run of 2:01.656.
