Media Information
Qatar Cross Country Rally
13 April 2017
2017 Qatar Cross Country Rally – Round 4, FIA Cross Country
Rally World cup.
- MINI John Cooper Works Rally makes 2017 Cross Country Rally debut
-
Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and Timo Gottschalk (GER) lead the
MINI charge - Mohamed Abu Issa (QAT) and Xavier Panseri (FRA) target more success
-
Jakub Kuba Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) start
their season.
Munich. Following extreme testing and development at the
demanding 2017 Dakar Rally, the MINI John Cooper Works Rally will
make its debut in the
2017 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies at the
forthcoming Qatar Cross Country Rally
on 17-22 April 2017. Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and Timo
Gottschalk (GER) will pilot the car across 1,994km and five stages
at the event that has been won twice by MINI.
Two MINI ALL4 Racing cars will also be among the competitors of the
FIA class and crewed by privateers from the MINI Family. Mohamed Abu
Issa (QAT) and co-driver Xavier Panseri (FRA) will be looking to build
on their success in Abu Dhabi where the pairing finished the third
round of the series in the top three. It is the home race for Abu
Issa, who is accustomed to the Qatar terrain, which presents a mix of
sand, dunes and rocky sections.
Joining them on the super special stage and four further special
stages will be Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) who
reunite after contesting a MINI in this year’s Dakar.
The route for this year’s event has been slightly shortened based on
refinements made following competitor feedback in 2016. The long
special stage from last year has been removed and the rally has been
designed with a more challenging route, across a larger geographical
area, but with less stony sections.
Scrutineering will take place on Monday 17 April with race action
beginning with a new 564km Super Special Stage close to Doha on
Tuesday 18 April.