MINI enters Sealine Cross Country Rally Qatar as early leader of 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup // 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup, round three, Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar – six MINI ALL4 Racing set to defend last year’s win

Munich (DE). MINI and its successful MINI ALL4 Racing crews head to Qatar and the Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar (18th-24th April) – round three of the 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup – as dominant early leader of the World Cup. Following MINI victory at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (round two, 27 March – 2 April), where the top three podium steps were filled by MINI ALL4 Racing machines, the crews now move to Qatar for five stages of racing across 1,750 km of rocky, rugged and sand-lined terrain.

Six MINI ALL4 Racing machines will spearhead the MINI defense of the Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar race it won in 2014. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) will once again apply local knowledge to his racing prowess as he looks to repeat the win he took in Qatar last year – and the triumphant taking of the 2015 Dakar Rally.

Spanish driver and winner of the 2014 Dakar Rally Juan ‘Nani’ Roma will be joined in car #206 with Alex Haro, also from Spain. Using his vast rally car and motorcycle desert experience, Roma relishes the prospect of a desert win.

Present World Cup leader (81 points) Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) is in fine form. With regular co-driver and fellow Russian Konstantin Zhiltsov in the cab, both men will obviously push hard for the win and to extend their current lead.

With fifth and second placings from the opening two rounds, the Dutch pairing of Erik Van Loon / Wouter Rosegaar currently sit second in the World Cup standings. In third place (32 points) is Harry Hunt (GBR), the young newcomer to the MINI ALL4 Racing crews. Teamed again with Andreas Schulz (DE), Hunt will be determined to show he can better his third placed result at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – his first ever outing in a MINI ALL4 Racing.

The sixth of the reliable and race proven MINI ALL4 Racing Machines to battle it out in the desert is lined up with Polish pairing Adam Malysz / Rafal Marton. Malysz also had his first outing in the MINI ALL4 Racing machine at round two and is prepared to make full use of the car’s abilities.

Speaking ahead of the third round of the 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup, current World Cup leader Vladimir Vasilyev said: “Yes, it is great to be at the top of the driver standings, but there are still seven rounds to go and my fellow MINI ALL4 Racing drivers will be challenging all the way. Nasser Al-Attiyah will be particularly keen to retain his win from last year. It should all go to make close and interesting racing that’s for sure.”

The full line up of MINI ALL4 Racing crews competing in the Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar (18th-24th April) – round three of the 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World – is as follows:

Race calendar: 2015 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

20/02 – 22/02 Baja Russia
27/03 – 2/04 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
18/04 – 24/04 Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar
10/05 – 17/05 Pharaons Rally
25/06 – 28/06 Italian Baja
24/07 – 26/07 Baja Aragón
13/08 – 16/08 HunGarian Baja
27/08 – 30/08 Baja Poland
03/10 – 09/10 Rallye du Maroc
22/10 – 24/10 Baja Portalegre 500