Al Attiyah recovered and gained victory.
Trio of successfully races for him at the Italian Baja
The driver from Qatar (Toyota Hilux) defeats Al Rahji and Menzies after a sensational day:
The Saudi suffers a punctured tyre, the yankee gained the lead but he also complains the puncture of his tyre: Nasser overpasses them and assures himself the victory. Among bikers, Cominotto wins for the second time, Ventura leads quad rank
It is Nasser Al Attiyah, together with Matthieu Baumel, the winner of the Italian Baja, the Italian race of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rally. The driver from Qatar won the race, covering the route in a time of 3.37’13’’ with his Toyota Hilux Overdrive, gaining another success after the ones got in 2008 and 2015: it deals on an important trio of victories for him, as it allows him to reach the top of the Championship. Behind him, Vladimir Vasilyev (Bmw X3) with a gap of 2’09’’ and Boris Gadasin (G Force) with a gap of 5’42’’. In the evening, however, the College of Commissioners FIA awarded a penalty of 30’' to the "Zar" due to an irregularity in the tires barcode. In third place is so ascended the Polish Marek Dabrowski (Toyota Hilux Overdrive). Among bikes, double triumph celebrated by Vanni Cominotto (Husqvarna), while among quads it is Amerigo Ventura (Yamaha) who leads the rank.
SURPRISE. It couldn’t be described in another way this Baja. After Saturday’s sectors it was Al Rahji to lead the race, Al Attiya followed him with a gap of 26’’: yesterday the situation was reversed twice. In the first Leg, the Saudi driver with his Mini All4 Racing suffered mechanical problems and had to quit the race. The U.S.A. driver Menzies (Mini), who followed the challenger from Qatar with a gap of 53’’, avails himself of the situation. During last Leg, he could overpass him: a puncture of the yankee’s tyre allowed this time Al Attiyah to overpass his challenger and reach the arrival line, winning for the third time the Italian Baja. Menzies closed the race seizing the fifth position, while Al Rahji gained the sixth place, with a delay caused by a puncture (gap of 12’02’’).
Italian drivers confirmed the usual results, as the success was signed by Lorenzo Codecà with a Suzuki Grand Vitara (overall 14th position). Among local drivers, the president of the transport Atap Society Mauro Vagaggini (Mitsubishi Pajero) , finished the race with a successfully 24th place in the overall rank. As for other vehicles, the classification was not so exciting: Cominotto won both yesterday’s sectors, and easily gained victory with a gap of 5’23’’ ahead on the French De Soultrait.
Among quads, Amerigo Ventura came with a gap of just 2’’ ahead on the Spanish Vidal: because of some problems suffered by the Spanish rider in the morning, the Italian biker came easily to the lead of both Specials of the day, offering us a highlight performance: as well as Cominotto, he also led the rank from the very first day.
CARS– World Championship. 1) Al Attiya-Baumel (Toyota Hilux Overdrive) with a time of 3.37’13’’; 2) Vasilyev-Zhiltsov (Bmw X3) after a gap of 2’09’’; 3) Gadasin-Kuzmich (G-Force Proto) with a gap of 5’42’’; 4) Dabrowski-Czachor (Hilux) with a gap of 5’55’’; 5) Menzies-Colsoul (Mini All4 Racing) after a gap of 6’42’’; 6) Al-Rajhi-Gottschalk (Mini) just after a gap of 12’02’’.
BIKE- 1) Cominotto (Husqvarna 450 Te) with a time of 3.26’23’’; 2) De Soultrait (Yamaha Wrf 450) with a gap of 5’23’’; 3) Pedrero (Sherco 450) after a gap of 10’19’’.
QUAD - 1) Ventura (Yamaha Qdy 450R) with a time of 3.55’36’’; 2) Vidal (Yamaha Yfz 450) after a gap of 42’21’’; 3) Lami (Can Am Renegade 800) with a gap of 56’32’’.
