Mansour Al-Helei may not be competing for the World Rally-Raid Championship, however he was more than pleased to placed on a present for his fellow Emiratis on his dwelling soil. Al-Helei and Yasir Seaidan, from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, squared off for the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem SSV victory, with Al-Helei narrowly popping out on high.
The margin between the 2 was as shut as eighteen seconds at one level, when Seaidan gained Stage #3 to take the general lead from Al-Helei. Coming into the ultimate day, Al-Helei was clinging onto a 1:22 edge over Seaidan, a margin that might have been even nearer had the latter not obtained seventy seconds in time penalties. Regardless of Seaidan’s efforts, he was unable to catch Al-Helei in Stage #5 because the hole almost doubled. The two:42 separating them was the closest remaining margin of victory amongst all six classes.
Whereas developing quick, Seaidan being the highest finisher amongst W2RC-eligible drivers offers him extra of a bonus within the standings. He had additionally left the season-opening Dakar Rally as the perfect ending championship competitor regardless of ending third general, and repeating this feat places him almost sixty factors forward of Sebastián Guayasamín, who joined him and Al-Helei on the outright podium. Rebecca Busi, who missed the 2023 ADDC as a consequence of logistical points, notched her first profession W2RC podium end.
Abu Dhabi was the primary race for Seaidan with Michaël Metge as navigator. He labored together with his youthful brother Adrien Metge at Dakar whereas Michaël completed runner-up there because the co-driver for Jérôme de Sadeleer, that means the elder Metge is using a two-race SSV runner-up streak.
Father and son duo Michele and Pietro Cinotto respectively completed fifth and ninth, the latter coming into his first championship race exterior of Dakar. Not like his son, Michele is registered for factors.
João Ferreira gained the opening stage, however was disqualified a day later when he crashed on a dune and summoned his group to assist diagnose the issue. Crews are forbidden from coming inside a kilometre of their car whereas it’s on the Selective Part, leading to him being certainly one of two drivers getting the boot from the ultimate order alongside Final competitor Juan Cruz Yacopini for a similar motive.
SSV general outcomes
SSV stage winners
W2RC SSV standings
For readability, rivals registered for the championship who haven’t earned factors are excluded.
