The tough six-day test in the Sonoran desert in Mexico was conquered by the Qatari driver aboard a well-prepared Toyota official team vehicle called Gazoo Racing.
Sonora Rally 2023 marked the first year the event had been included on the W2RC calendar, and the race proved to be a worthy addition, offering difficult terrain resembling parts of the iconic Dakar Rally and providing an exciting challenge for competitors.
The triumph of Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel
With arch-rivals for the title Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin retiring after the third stage, the Qatari was able to fend off a challenge from Toyota teammates Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk to claim victory at the finish. in San Luis Rio Colorado. for 6min 22sec. He won two of the event’s five stages, earning valuable bonus points along the way, and now has a 30-point lead over Al-Rajhi in the W2RC Drivers’ Championship.
Loeb and Lurquin were the favorites
Loeb and Lurquin topped the Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championships at the start of the event and looked set for a useful result after leading late in the second stage. Despite running out of fuel early in the race and suffering from navigation issues in the first stage, Loeb headed into the Puerto Peñasco circular stage with a three-second lead over Al-Attiyah.
But the Frenchman crashed into a ditch after 12km of the event’s longest stage and Lurquin complained of shoulder pain and was evacuated from the stage for medical checks. He was diagnosed with a minor fracture to his right shoulder at the overnight stop and the decision was made, unfortunately, to withdraw the Hunter from the event.
“We were in tricky terrain and we came to a crest with a very tight left hander,” Loeb said. “There was a big ditch in front that we couldn’t see clearly. I could only see at the last moment when we were jumping and ended up in the ditch.”
Nasser tops 2023 W2RC championship
This overall victory has strengthened the position of Nasser and Mathieu in the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) standings. They collected 51 points during the Sonora Rally, putting them 30 points ahead of their closest rivals in the season standings, with just two rounds remaining. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has also increased its lead in the Manufacturers’ standings to 68 points over its nearest competitor.
Alain Dujardyn, TGR W2RC Team Principal: “I want to congratulate Nasser and Mathieu for their consistent performance throughout the Sonora Rally, which was a completely new event for the team and the first time we have participated in this area with our GR DKR Hilux T1+. I would also like to thank the team of engineers and technicians who rebuilt the car after the accident in Abu Dhabi, allowing the race team to have the quality, durability and reliability that are synonymous with all Toyota products, while also doing an excellent job in the technical service, I also want to thank Aventura Events for organizing a spectacular event in which we regained the lead in the W2RC on all fronts: Manufacturers, Drivers and Co-Drivers. We are extremely pleased with the results.”
Nasser Al-Attiyah: “It’s great to have completed round three of the 2023 W2RC here in Mexico. Coming here after our big crash in Abu Dhabi and trying to defend our title by winning the race was not easy, but we managed to lead for most of the event. We also had a amazing fight with Sebastien Loeb and Yazeed Al Rajhi, and I’m happy that we now have a big lead in the championship. GR DKR Hilux T1+ was back in top form, and we had an amazing race.”
Mathieu Baumel: “It was a fantastic event and a great pleasure to discover more of Mexico. The first two days were quite unique, running amongst the cacti, after which things opened up into the more familiar and open desert. We enjoyed racing here and are very happy to have won the event. This is a great result for us, for the rally, for the team and also for the championship.”
RESULTS RALLY SONORA 2023 (CARS)
- 1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT/Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Toyota GR DKR Hilux 10hr 29min 55sec
- 2. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 10hr 36min 17sec
- 3. Sebastian Halpern (ARG)/Bernardo Graue (ARG) Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus 10hr 44min 13sec
- 4. Denis Krotov (KGZ)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (ISR) Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus 10hr 55min 43sec
- 5. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 11hr 01min 30sec
- 6. Guoyo Zhang (CHN)/Oriol Mena (ESP) Baic ORV BJ40 11hr 01min 43sec
W2RC DRIVER RANKING AFTER ROUND THREE:
- N. AL-ATTIYAH (QAT) TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 136 (Points)
- Y. AL RAJHI (SAU) OVERDRIVE RACING 106
- S. LOEB (FRA) BAHRAIN RAID XTREME 101
- S. HALPERN (ARG) X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM 74
- J. YACOPINI (ARG) OVERDRIVE RACING 69
W2RC MANUFACTURERS RANKING AFTER ROUND THREE:
- TOYOTA GAZOO RACING 175 (Points)
- X-RAID MINI JCW TEAM 107
- BAIC ORV 100
- BAHRAIN RAID XTREME 90
