Final round in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in Portugal // Vasilyev close to winning the title // Three MINI ALL4 Racing participating at the Baja Portalegre.

Press Release.

30 October 2014.

Final round in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in Portugal // Vasilyev close to winning the title // Three MINI ALL4 Racing participating at the Baja Portalegre.  

Munich (DE). MINI and the Monster Energy X-raid team are ready for the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, the Baja Portalegre in Portugal. The successful rally team will compete with three MINI ALL4 Racing, including the one of Vladimir Vasilyev/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RU/RU). The Russian duo is currently leading the World Cup with 216 points, 20 points ahead of Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT), who’s currently in 2nd place overall.

“Now it counts,” Vasilyev says ahead of the final round of the season. “Every mistake can be the one which decides the World Cup. While Nasser Al-Attiyah has to push to try to close the gap to us, we can choose a more conservative and less risky approach.”

The winner of the Baja Portalegre will be awarded with 30 points. A fourth place for Vasilyev/Zhiltsov in Portugal would be enough to win the World Cup title.  Vasilyev: “We have to stay focussed. It’s important to make no mistakes at this decisive event.”

The Baja Portugal will be held around the city of Portalegre, close to the Spanish border. The event, which was held for the first time in 1987, will be started on Friday with a 5.5-kilometre prologue, followed by two special stages on Saturday: SS1 with 200.41 and SS2 with 212.61 kilometres.

The other two MINI ALL4 Racing cars will be driven by two local duos. The Portuguese drivers Filipe Campos/Joana Sotto-Mayor and Ricardo Porém/Manuel Porém will fight for points at the Baja, which is also the final round of the Portuguese Off Road Championship. Ricardo Porém/Manuel Porém are currently leading the overall classification by 11 points.

FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies: Classifications (Top 3).

01       Vladimir Vasilyev (RU)                                           216 pts.

02       Nasser Al-Attiyah (QT)                                           196

03       Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SA)                                              120

2014 Baja Portalegre MINI driver line-up.

#501 MINI ALL4 Racing.

X-raid Team

Vladimir Vasilyev/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RU/RU)

#511 MINI ALL4 Racing.

X-raid Team

Filipe Campos/Joana Sotto-Mayor (PT/PT)

#522 MINI ALL4 Racing.

X-raid Team

Ricardo Porém/Manuel Porém (PT/PT)

Race calendar: FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.

14/02 – 16/02 Baja Russia
13/03 – 16/03 Baja Italy
06/04 – 10/04 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
20/04 – 25/04 Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar
18/05 – 25/05 Pharaons Rally Egypt
18/07 – 20/07 Baja Aragón
14/08 – 16/08 Baja Hungary
28/08 – 30/08 Baja Poland
03/10 – 09/10 Rally Morocco
30/10 – 02/11 Baja Portugal

Media contact.

BMW Sports Communications
Danilo Coglianese
Telephone: +49-176-601-72405
E-mail: danilo.coglianese@bmwgroup.com
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup-sport.com

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