Qatar Cross Country Rally: Two MINI ALL4 Racing after three stages in the top 5

Abu Issa and Przygonski third and fourth in the overall standings

Two more stages to go

Mixed emotions for X-raid in the start into the Qatar Cross Country Rally, the fourth round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. With the short super special stage and yesterday’s first long stage contested, Jakub Przygonski (POL) and Tom Colsoul (BEL) held the lead with their MINI ALL4 Racing, followed by Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA) / Timo Gottschalk (GER) in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally in second position. Przygonski had taken the lead by winning the second stage. Mohamed Abu Issa (QAT) and Xavier Panseri (FRA) held fourth place, with their MINI ALL4 Racing. Over the course of the final kilometres they lost a lot of time due to a damaged tyre. The main challenge of the special stage was the high navigation-difficulty level.

In the third special stage, however, the order was turned upside down. Abu Issa finished third in the stage, thus also working his way up to third place in the overall standings. “This was a good day,” beamed the driver from Qatar. “At the beginning the stage took us to the dunes. There we pushed really hard and succeeded in passing several other competitors. And we also raced at a good pace for the rest of the stage. Unfortunately, just like yesterday, we were stopped by a puncture but we are happy with our achievements.” At the same time, Przygonski dropped back to fourth position in the overall standings. “Following yesterday’s great win today’s stage proved to be really tough, for us,” admitted the young Pole. “We had to act as pathfinder and to make things even worse, we had to do so in the dunes. “That cost us a lot of time. After the dunes we pushed and that’s what we also have to do in the two final stages.” Al-Rajhi got unlucky: In the dust of another car he hit a hole and damaged a wishbone. Therefore he had to abort the special stage.