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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.” **media[510290]**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.” **media[510291]**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.” **media[510289]**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. **media[510288]**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 

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has announced a bumper entry of 43 cars, 57 motorcycles and four quads for next weekend’s Qatar International Baja, the penultimate rounds of the FIA World and Middle East Baja Cups and the FIM Bajas World Cup.The event takes place over a total desert route of 773.83km with 453.21 timed against the clock on November 6-8. Argentine Toyota driver Juan Cruz Yacopini has a 22-point lead in the FIA World Baja Cup and tops a truly world class field of cars across the Ultimate, Challenger, SSV and Stock categories. There are 10 entries in the flagship Ultimate class, 10 in Challenger, 19 in SSV and four in the Stock section for series-production cross-country machines.Yacopini’s main FIA World Cup title rival Miroslav Zapletal is also present on an Ultimate list that includes leading Saudi star and FIA Middle East Baja Cup challenger Dania Akeel (Toyota), defending Baja champion Denis Krotov (Mini) and Czech veteran Martin Prokop (Ford).Sergei Remennik and Khalifa al-Jafla are currently locked in a duel for the Challenger title in their Taurus T3s with Remennik holding a 35-point lead with two rounds remaining,Competition will be fierce with local legend and multiple event winner Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah wheeling out a Taurus and the likes of FIA Middle East Baja Cup leader Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah, Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, Ahmed al-Kuwari and Nouef al-Sowaidi all representing the QMMF Team.Dutchman Mitchel van den Brink has a big lead in the SSV class and is also in contention for the overall title. The Can-Am Maverick R driver tops the category with team-mate Mattias Ekstrom and title rivals Hamed al-Wahaibi (Can-Am), Amerigo Ventura (Yamaha) and Paul Severn (Polaris).Mohammed al-Atteya and Mohammed al-Marri represent the QMMF Team, while last year’s Challenger category winner Anya Van Loon is also present racing against her husband Erik in the same class. Hamza Bakhashab leads the field in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup.Fernando Barreiros and Majed al-Thunayyan will fight it out for Stock points in the FIA World Baja Cup in their Nissans, while Abdullah al-Rabban will be hoping to hold off local rival Mohammed Al-Meer in the quest for FIA Middle East Baja Cup honours.Two-time event winner Mohammed al-Balooshi tops the two-wheel contingent on his KTM 450 RR, as the MX Ride Dubai pilot attempts to extend his lead in the FIM Bajas World Cup and retain the title.Main rival Rafic Eid is also present on his GasGas 450 Rally and another two-time event winner, Konrad Dabrowski, will wheel out his Duust Rally Team KTM in a bid to overhaul the absent Victor Manuel Moya Aguilera as the leading FIM Junior rider. Emirati Sultan Al-Shanqiti rides the third of the MX Ride Dubai entries.Saudi Baja winner Alex McInnes (Husqvarna) and leading Jordanian rider Abdullah Abu Aisheh (Yamaha) will also be looking to challenge for the podium.Three girls are chasing FIM points in the Women’s category. Alona Ben Natan leads the title race and faces competition from the Duust Rally Team’s Joanna Modrzewska and Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet.There is strength in depth down the entire motorcycle field with additional riders entered from Portugal, France, Jordan, India, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway, Lebanon, Mexico, the UAE and Poland.The host nation is represented by Mohammed al-Kubais and Abdulrahman al-Sheeb, Last year’s event winner Hani al-Noumesi leads the FIM Quad standings with two rounds to go and lines up against fellow Saudi Abdulaziz al-Atawi, Emirati Abdulaziz Ahli and local rider Yaghoob Azadi. All four entrants will ride Yamahas.

The Qatar International Baja will be the penultimate round of the FIM Bajas World Cup on November 6th-8th. While competitors in the FIA World Baja Cup wait for the outcome of this weekend’s Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal before the latest championship standings are known before the Lusail-based event, riders competing in the FIM category are already making final preparations for their title-deciding rounds in Qatar and Dubai.This year’s FIM Bajas World Cup is being fought out over just seven counting rounds after the Hungarian Baja pulled out of the series in August. Action began across the deserts of north-central Saudi Arabia for the Hail Baja at the start of February and then moved on to the narrow and twisty gravel tracks of Portugal for the Baja Escuderia Castelo Branco in wet conditions.British rider Alex McInnes claimed his maiden win on the series opener and then Junior rider Martin Ventura got the better of Jorge Brandao and Paulo Cardoso to win in Portugal.MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed al-Balooshi then confirmed his fifth victory at the Jordan Baja in April, an event that was held across the spectacular desert terrain of Wadi Rum in the south of the Hashemite Kingdom. That victory pushed the defending champion into title contention.The series then returned to Europe for back-to-back Bajas in Spain. Professional Honda rider Tosha Schareina overcame tricky muddy conditions to get the better of Javi Vega at the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura at the start of May. Lorenzo Santolino then guided his Sherco to victory over Neels Theric and Vega in the Teruel-based Baja Spain Aragón in the heat of the Spanish summer.Entries closed Wednesday for the event being organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the final lists will be announced on October 29th.But Dubai-based al-Balooshi is expected to take the start with a nine-point advantage over his Lebanese team-mate Rafic Eid in the overall 450cc riders’ championship. Vega is third in the rankings, ahead of Brandao, Cardoso and a tying Santolino, Schareina, Ventura and McInnes. Tragically, Brandao lost his life while competing at the recent W2RC event in Morocco. Rafic Eid leads the Veterans’ category by six points from al-Balooshi.The FIM Bajas World Cup also has a well-supported Ladies’ category. Alona Ben Natan leads the way on 58 points and has an eight-point cushion over Spaniard Sara Garcia Alvarez. Equador’s Maria Taranto is third, five points in front of Sarah Khuraibet from Kuwait. Kove Factory Racing’s Lili-may Mansuy and the Duust Rally Team’s Joanna Modrzewska are also in the points’ hunt.Polish rider Konrad Dabrowksi won the Qatar International Baja outright on two wheels in 2022 and 2023. He currently trails Spain’s Victor Manuel Moya Aguilera by 13 points in the race to become the leading Junior rider in 2025. Dabrowski rides for the Duust Rally Team and is tied in second place in the standings with Jordan’s Abdullah Al-Batayneh, Ventura and McInnes.Experienced Saudi rider Hani al-Noumesi won last year’s Qatar International Baja in the quad category and has a 16-point advantage in the FIM’s quad standings over Frenchman Antoine Sanchez and Portugal’s Fernando Jorge Sampaio.Frenchman Jerome Connart and the Saudi duo of Haitham al-Tuwaijri and Abdulaziz al-Shayban are also in the hunt. Administration and technical scrutineering will be based at Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit on Tuesday, November 4th with re-scrutineering for any FIA vehicles on Wednesday, November 5th.Competitive action will then take centre stage from Thursday, November 6th through to Saturday, November 8th over a total route of 773.83km and 453.21 competitive kilometres.