Three MINI ALL4 Racing to compete at the Sealine Cross Country Rally (Qatar) – round 3 of the 2016 FIA Cross Country World Cup.

Press release

16 April 2016

Three MINI ALL4 Racing to compete at the Sealine Cross Country Rally (Qatar) – round 3 of the 2016 FIA Cross Country World Cup.

Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER) look to improve on their successful second place at round 2, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Munich. The Sealine Cross Country Rally is the third round of the 2016 FIA Cross Country World Cup and takes place 17th-22nd April. Three MINI ALL4 Racing will start the rally that involves racing in the sands and rocky desert regions of Qatar in the Arabian Peninsular.

With race temperatures looking to achieve in excess of 40°C in the desert, this 1,960km race will no doubt call upon and underline the strengths of the MINI ALL4 Racing and its race-ready crews – previous desert race wins show the MINI ALL4 Racing is the car to beat in such climates.

Fresh from a successful second-place at the previous round (Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge), the MINI ALL4 Racing (#202) crew of Yazeed Al Rajhi (KSA) and co-driver Timo Gottschalk (GER) will look to go one better in Qatar. Although only his second outing in recent years inside a MINI ALL4 Racing, Al Rajhi is on form and hungry for the win.

The second MINI ALL4 Racing (#203) to challenge for the overall win at Qatar is that of Russian pairing Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov. This dynamic duo are no strangers to the desert and all the difficulties that it holds, but experience counts for a lot when dealing with high temperatures and racing surfaces that can puncture tyres as easily as breathing.

The third MINI ALL4 Racing (#205) sees a welcome return of Portuguese driver Ricardo Porém, with Tom Colsoul (BEL) in the co-driver’s seat. Ricardo is a confirmed fan of the MINI ALL4 Racing as a result of winning the 2014 Baja Portalegre inside this iconic car. All eyes will be on the Portuguese pairing to see if race success can be replicated once more.

Race action will start on Monday 18th April when the rally competitors leave the modern facilities of the Losail Circuit to start Leg 1 of the 5 Leg race.

2016 Sealine Cross Country Rally : MINI ALL4 Racing line up

Race calendar: 2016 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies.

19/02 – 22/02 Baja Russia
02/04 – 7/04 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
17/04 – 22/04 Sealine Cross-Country Rally Qatar
08/05 – 15/05 Pharaons Rally
23/06 – 26/06 Italian Baja
22/07 – 24/07 Baja Aragón
11/08 – 14/08 HunGarian Baja

25/08 – 28/08 Baja Poland

03/10 – 08/10 Rallye Oilibya du Maroc
21/10 – 23/10 Baja Portalegre 500

Find reports, photos and videos in high resolution of previous MINI ALL4 Racing activity on the BMW Media Website by clicking here.