A Prologue of 11.12km will kick start proceedings in the Qatar International Baja before the official ceremonial start at the Lusail International Circuit on Thursday afternoon.
An impressive field of cars, motorcycles and quads, competing in the penultimate rounds of the FIA World and Middle East Baja Cups and round five of the FIM Bajas World Cup, will then tackle a demanding two-day route through the northern, western and southern Qatar deserts.
A dozen of the leading drivers and riders attended the pre-event press conference on Wednesday evening at Lusail in the presence of QMMF President Abdulrahman al-Mannai and QMMF Executive Director Amro al-Hamad.
Six-time Dakar champion and current FIA Middle East Baja Cup leader Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah was joined at the press conference by fellow Qatari Mohammed al-Marri, SSV contender Fernando Alvarez, Dutch Challenger pace-setter Mitchel van den Brink and FIA World Baja Cup title rivals, Francisco Barreto and Lionel Baud.
FIM Bajas World Cup leader Alex McInnes was accompanied by defending FIM champion Mohammed al-Balooshi, last year’s Qatar event winner Konrad Dabrowski, leading female rider Joanna Modrzewska, quad front-runner Ahmed al-Jaber and Slovenian hot shot Toni Mulec from the FIM contingent.
Al-Attiyah is confident that he can compete for overall victory on his first ever appearance at his home event with an Optimus MD Rallye and navigator Max Delfino. The Qatari said: “This will be an amazing race. If you see the number of competitors, it is fantastic. We try to win this race and maintain the focus for the next one in Dubai. Last year, I came with a Taurus with my team Nasser Racing and now we are here with a rear-wheel drive. The Optimus is a really good car and I will try to win the overall.”
McInnes will be defending a two-point lead in the FIM Bajas World Cup. The Briton said: “This year I will really focus on the navigation as much as possible. Last year, I made a big mistake. I won the stage but had a penalty and I made a mistake at the end in Sealine and threw away the rally. I will try and play it safe and then go to Dubai next week and this is where I think I can make the gap. It’s a good level with two past Dakar winners here. This is good for the sport, the racing and for me, so I can see where I am.”
Al-Balooshi is the defending FIM champion and holds third in the rankings. The Emirati added: “My strategy is to do my best and get all the navigation right and ride well. This year third, but I started the season with an injury and now I am at 100%. It’s good for the sport and for the QMMF that the entry is so strong. The more good riders on the entry list, the better for the region and the championship.”
Argentina-based Alvarez is aiming for the SSV and overall championship titles in the FIA World Baja Cup with French navigator Xavier Panseri. The Can-Am driver said: “I have to finish this race but I am going to push because I need a good finish in the overall, for the SSV and for the Masters. I am fighting for many things on the last two races. Races like this are where you use a really good navigator. We have been together for a long time and I trust in him.”
Hamed al-Wahaibi returns to action after recovering from an August leg break and is looking to try and close the gap on Mitchel Van den Brink in the FIA Challenger category.
The Omani said: “The leg is a lot better, maybe 90%. Apart from that, I’ve lost a lot of fitness because I could not do a lot of training. We are here. That’s important. We are 60 points down. We would have been stronger in Europe. But I must stress that I am here for fun and to enjoy myself. I have a better chance in the Master Driver. Lionel (Baud) has done five events and I’ve done four. If we have a chance, why not?”
UAE-based Briton David Mabbs is aiming for a win double of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup’s Challenger class and the Master Driver award with his navigator David McBride. Both have tackled numerous desert Baja events on two wheels before but are aware of the unique challenge that await in Qatar.
Mabbs said: “We are here to enjoy as much as we can. The important thing is to finish. It’s easier for me, I’m the driver! For us, Qatar is difficult with the rocks and the punctures. We will be a little bit more conservative here.”
McBride added: “It’s harder maybe as a navigator. You don’t have control. Everything comes up so quick here. Every few hundred metres you have a direction change. It’s actually more difficult in a car than on a bike. On a bike, you are doing it yourself.”
Abdulaziz al-Kuwari is backed by the QMMF and drives one of the latest Can-Am Challengers. The winner of this year’s MERC round in Qatar said: “We forgot about fighting for the championship. I will not go to Dubai. I did Morocco in the new Can-Am and I need more mileage before Dakar. It is always good to win at home. We won the Qatar International Rally in February, so it would be good to win again in the Baja!”
Majed al-Thunayyan needs just three points to overhaul fellow Saudi Almashna al-Shammeri and clinch victory in the FIA World Baja Cup’s Stock category for series production cross-country vehicles.
Al-Thunayyan actually drove his Nissan Patrol to the last three Bajas in Europe. He attended the Italian event in late June and finished second. He pressed on to northern Spain to repeat the feat at the Baja Spain Aragón and then headed to Portugal for the recent Baja Portalegre 500. After pipping his rival to victory there, the Saudi drove the Nissan across the entire breadth of Europe, back into the Middle East and is now on the brink of a famous world title.
On Thursday, motorcycle and quad riders will tackle the 11.12km Prologue from 1:15pm with the first car taking the start at 2:45pm. The result of the Prologue will determine starting positions for the opening selective section on Friday morning.
Ceremonial start proceedings then get underway at the service park adjacent to the Lusail International Circuit from 6pm.
2026 Qatar International Baja – entry list (cars):
Ultimate: Francisco Barreto (POR)/Paulo Fiuza (POR) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo*; Lionel Baud (FRA)/Lucie Baud (FRA) X-Raid Mini JCW 3.0d*; Saood Variawa (RSA)/Charan Moore (RSA) Toyota Hilux IMT Evo*; Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT)/Max Delfino (FRA) Optimus MD Rallye+; Khalid al-Jafla (UAE)/Andrei Rudnitskiy (LTU) Toyota Hilux Evo*; Ahmed al-Shami (UAE)/Leonard Cremer (RSA) Chevrolet Corvette+; Aliiyah Koloc (UAE)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Red-Lined Revo GTR; Martin Koloc (CZE)/Hugo Magalhaes (POR) Red-Lined Revo V8; Fahad al-Fahad (KSA)/Yasir al-Khuraif (KSA) Optimus MD Rallye
Challenger: Mitchel van den Brink (NED)/Bart van Heun (NED) Can-Am Maverick R*; Hamed al-Wahaibi (OMA)/Maciej Giemza (POL) Can-Am Maverick R*; Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Can-Am Maverick R*; Ahmed al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Ali Hassan Obaid (UAE) MCE-5 T3M*; David Mabbs (UAE)/David McBride (UAE) Can-Am Maverick X3+; Abdullah al-Fahad (KSA)/Mohammed al-Muakhil (KSA) Taurus T3 Max+; Nouef al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Taurus T3 Max+; Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT)/Stephane Duple (FRA) Taurus T3 Max+; Ahmed al-Kuwari (QAT)/Augusto Sanz (ARG) Taurus T3 Max+; Rashid al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Taurus T3 Max; Mohammed al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Taurus T3 Max; Evgenii Kudriavtcev (UAE)/Oleg Zaikin (KGZ) Can-Am Maverick X3
SSV: Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick R*; Mohammed al-Marri (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR+; Hamad al-Harbi (KSA)/Faisal al-Suwayh (KSA) Can-Am Maverick R+; Maha al-Hamali (KSA)/Xavier Flick (FRA) Can-Am Maverick R+; Mohammed al-Atteya (QAT)/Aleksei Kuzmich (UAE) Can-Am Maverick R+; Camelia Liparoti (SMR)/Erika Mingozzi (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000R+; Dhari al-Dhafeeri (KUW)/Baptiste Cerrato (QAT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR+; Nora al-Jassasi (UAE)/Jeannette Kvick (DEN) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR+; Abdulla al-Khelaifi (QAT)/Abdulaziz al-Jabri (QAT) Yamaha YXZ 1000R; Stefano Marrini (ITA)/Stefano Tironi (ITA) Yamaha YXZ 1000R; Farah Zakaria (JOR)/Dolyne Schlink (LBN) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR; Christiano Gabbarrini (ITA)/Atif al-Zarouni (UAE) Yamaha YXZ 1000R; Ghanim al-Attiyah (QAT)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR
Stock: Majed al-Thunayyan (KSA)/Omar al-Lahim (KSA) Nissan Patrol*; 501. Abdulla al-Rabban (QAT)/Ali Ajami (UAE) Nissan Patrol*; 502. Abdullah al-Shegawi (KSA)/Ali Mirza (UAE) Toyota Prado+
*denotes registered for FIA World Baja Cup
+denotes registered for FIA Middle East Baja Cup
