Dubai Festival City plays host to the stars of off-road rallying next week as the Dubai International Baja concludes the 2023 FIA and FIM World Cup series.
In an exciting new innovation, this year’s event will begin with a night-time prologue stage on Friday (10th November) as the competitors race over two kilometres in Dubai Festival City against the spectacular backdrop of the Dubai skyline.
It’s a unique opportunity for Dubai motorsport fans to experience the heart-pounding sights and sounds of Baja off-road cars, bikes and quads in all their forms the night before the competitors head into the Al Qudra desert for legs one and two on Saturday and Sunday.
This is the second year that Dubai Festival City has been the event hub for the competitors who will begin and end each day in the Middle East’s largest mixed-use development where all elements for work, living and leisure are contained within a single location.
The partnership with Dubai Festival City is part of a wider collaboration between Dubai International Baja and the Al-Futtaim Group which includes key logistical support from official Automotive Partner Al-Futtaim Toyota, also in the form of Toyota vehicles for event organisers.
Dubai International Baja HQ, Service Park, Parc Ferme, Documentation, Podium Ceremony, and Media Centre will be located at Festival City Mall.
The Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) event kicks off on Friday with the Prologue immediately after the opening ceremony at 18:20, which will present all of the competitors on the start ramp in Festival Bay, overlooking the fountain.
The cars, bikes and quads will then go straight into the 2km prologue over a specially designed route next to the mall, on the waterfront, which has as its backdrop the imposing and colourful cityscape of Dubai.
The floodlit stage route set against the lights from the city is sure to make for a memorable and unique occasion in off-road motorsport, as well as establishing the early classification and the starting order for Saturday’s Leg 1.
Khalid Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO): “We are delighted to be able to bring the best of off-road Baja rallying to the heart of the city, and on this occasion and for the first time ever in the UAE, for the fans to enjoy as a night event.
This spectacular innovation is only possible thanks to the great support from Al Futtaim Toyota and Al Futtaim Group, which immediately took on the challenge when we presented the idea to them. Festival City is a family-friendly sports and social destination that tics all the boxes as it provides the perfect backdrop for the rally’s qualifier stage and, at the same time, gives spectators a wonderful opportunity to see these amazing machines and competitors in full flight.”
In line with the vision of the Dubai Government of building upon community engagement, in 2022, a vast crowd of people came to Festival City to enjoy the rally action and celebrate the UAE National Day, and after such a successful first edition in this modern and strategically located venue, this seventh edition of the Dubai International Baja is poised to be a real thrill.
The entry list among the cars is headed by 2-time FIA World Rally-Raid Champion and 18-time Middle East Rally Champion Nasser Al-Attiyah with his new Prodrive Hunter facing the challenge of the last year’s winner Yazeed Al Rajhi of Saudi Arabia and his Toyota Overdrive teammate, Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini.
The motorcycle entry features a fascinating three-way competition for FIM Bajas World Cup Honours between the UAE’s local hero Mohammed Al Balooshi (Yamaha) and Portuguese riders David Megre (Kawasaki) and Pedro Bianchi Prata (Honda).
The Dubai International Baja takes place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
In cooperation with Automotive partner Al Futtaim Toyota, Dubai Festival City, Energy Partner ENOC, and Al Ain Water. The rally is also supported by the Dubai Government and its entities Dubai Police, RTA, Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Customs, Dubai Civil Defense, Wild Affairs Region Department, Dubai Media and Dubai Sport TV.
The 2023 edition of this desert classic event kicks off in Festival City in Dubai on Friday, 10th November, with the evening prologue stage offering spectators a chance to see all of the competitors in action ahead of Saturday and Sunday’s cross-country legs.
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Formula E and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have today revealed the next generation of race car, the new all-electric GEN3 Evo, capable of 0-60mph in 1.82s.
Leveraging a roster of innovative technical upgrades, the GEN3 Evo unveiled at H.S.H Prince Albert II’s Private Car Collection will debut in Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship where some of the world’s greatest manufacturers and drivers race wheel-to-wheel in iconic locations around the globe.
Developed by specialists from Formula E and the FIA, the latest GEN3 Evo edition marks a significant leap in electric racing technology, with acceleration 0-60mph 30% faster than a current F1 car, and 36% faster than the GEN3 car.
Capable of accelerating nearly a full second faster than its predecessor – the GEN3 – that was the world’s first race car designed for street racing, it sets an even higher standard in performance, sustainability, and efficiency. The GEN3 Evo serves as a formidable ambassador for the future of motorsport, embodying cutting-edge advancements and a commitment to environmental responsibility.
On Saturday, April 27th, Abu Dhabi will host a groundbreaking event, welcoming 10,000 spectators to witness the inaugural ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. This brand-new autonomous racing competition marks a significant milestone in motorsport history, billed as the largest league of its kind globally.
Eight teams will compete: Code19 Racing (one of the first independent autonomous racing entity from the USA), Constructor University (based in Germany and Switzerland), Fly Eagle (representing Beijing Institute of Technology from China and Khalifa University from the UAE), HUMDA Lab (a member of the Széchenyi István University Group from Hungary), KINETIZ (a collaboration between Singapore Nanyang Technological University and Kintsugi based in the UAE), PoliMOVE (representing Politecnico di Milano from Italy), UNIMORE (also from Italy - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), and Technical University of Munich - TUM (from Germany), vying for a substantial prize purse of US$ 2.25 million.
Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3 continues its hunt for glory in the world’s two most prestigious endurance racing series, as the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship [IMSA] resume this weekend.
The WEC begins its European leg on Sunday with the 6 Hours of Imola (ITA), and an inaugural visit to one of the continent’s best-known circuits, before heading to Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) on 11 May, and then the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15-16 June. Meanwhile IMSA heads to the world famous Long Beach street track for its first sprint race (100 minutes) of the season. A second-place finish in the brand-new LMGT3 class for the Heart of Racing (HoR), and third for D’station Racing, made Aston Martin the only one of the nine GT manufacturers present to score a WEC double podium finish at the season-opening 1812km of Qatar in March. It means both teams arrive in Italy in strong form.
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