JEDDAH — Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, paired with French co-driver Max Delfino, claimed the overall lead at the Jeddah Baja Toyota Rally following Friday’s demanding opening desert stage.
The rear-wheel-drive Optimus MD crew completed the morning’s selective section one minute and 7.8 seconds ahead of Saudi contender Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German navigator Dennis Zenz, who are competing in an Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
In the two-wheel and quad categories, Emirati rider Mohammed Al-Balooshi and Saudi quad competitor Haitham Al-Tuwaijri both extended their respective class advantages. The day saw one notable retirement in the motorcycle division, as Ahmed Olfat withdrew his KTM during the second round of the 2026 Saudi Toyota Rally Championship.
The event is organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) in partnership with the Ministry of Sport and official partner Jameel Motorsport, with additional support from Toyota, Lexonz, and Brandship. It operates under the supervision of SAMF Chairman Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.
Reflecting on the stage, Al-Rajhi acknowledged the navigational challenges: “Today was not easy. After the start we lost some time. The road was not clear. We lost a few seconds in this area and then gained some time back in the second part. I think the first 5km were difficult navigation and not easy to find the correct road.”
In the Challenger class, Saleh Al-Saif and Albert Veliamovič widened their margin over Dania Akeel and Sébastien Delaunay to 2 minutes, 16.9 seconds aboard their G Rally Team OT3. Khalaf Joan Al-Shammeri and Mashal Saleh Al-Shammeri rounded out the top five overall in a Nissan Patrol.
A tight battle unfolded in the SSV category, where Saudi driver Maha Al-Hamali held off compatriot Hamad Al-Harbi and navigator Faisal Al-Suwayh to secure sixth place overall, leading by 3 minutes, 3.6 seconds.
Despite missing Thursday’s prologue, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Omar Al-Lahim surged to the top of the Stock category in their Isuzu D-Max, posting the 11th fastest time on the stage. Mohammed Al-Asiri failed to finish and received a notional penalty time.
On two wheels, Al-Balooshi backed up his prologue victory with a stage win, stretching his lead over brother Sultan to 6 minutes, 13.3 seconds. Dominic Wells finished a distant third on a Yamaha, while Ibrahim Al-Jaralla and Abdullah Al-Jahdali completed the top five. Al-Jaralla recovered to fourth after serving a 15-minute time-card penalty incurred on Thursday.
In the quad class, Yamaha’s Haitham Al-Tuwaijri pushed his advantage over CF Moto C Force 1000 rider Badr Al-Hamdan beyond 14 minutes as he pursues a fourth Jeddah victory in five years. Abdulrahman Alabdullatif and Yassin Mahmoud Al-Hamad retained third and fourth positions respectively.
The rally concludes Saturday with a single 82.57-kilometer selective section before competitors return to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the ceremonial finish.
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