Nasser al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel set a blistering pace at this weekend’s Italian Baja to win the race and increase their FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup lead.
The Qatari driver and his French navigator secured their third win of the season in trademark style as they attacked from the front during the 400km race in northern Italy.
There were also impressive performances from fellow Red Bull Desert Wings Marek Dabrowski and Bryce Menzies who finished up in fourth and fifth place respectively within a world class field of opponents.
Nasser and Mathieu are at the controls of a different vehicle to when they won the Italian Baja and also the Cross-Country Rally World Cup last year, but the switch in machinery has not cost them a second of speed.
The 2015 Dakar Rally winners now compete in a Toyota Hilux and they have been consistently delivering winning results for their new team throughout the year. This latest dominant performance follows on from victories in the UAE and Qatar this season.
The notoriously unpredictable and technically challenging Italian Baja certainly lived up to its fearsome reputation this weekend. Nasser’s skills behind the wheel were tested to the limit as he weaved his Toyota through the narrow, dusty tracks in the Pordenone region of Italy. The pressure was also on co-driver Mathieu during the contest with pinpoint navigation required to maintain the stunning pace that was required to win the event.
There was also plenty to celebrate for Polish pair Marek Dabrowski and Jacek Czachor as they brought home their own Hilux in fourth place overall.
Marek and co-driver Jacek finished their first Dakar together on four wheels inside the top 10.
Now this result in Italy will have confidence growing inside the Orlen Team that the duo can surpass even that impressive achievement in the near future.
Nasser al-Attiyah in action.
