The 93-car entry includes 24 entered in the Ultimate category, a staggering 39 running in the Challenger section for lightweight prototype cross-country machines, 28 entered in the SSV section and two in the Stock class for series-production cross-country vehicles.

Of those, 11 are competing for points in the FIA World Baja Cup and 10 are hoping to add to their points’ tallies in the FIA European Baja Cup. The formidable entry also includes several well-known names in the cross-country world and multiple Dakar winners, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Joan ‘Nani’ Roma.

Six-time event winner Al-Attiyah teams up with Belgian navigator Fabian Lurquin for the first time to continue the development work on his Dacia Sandrider before the next round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). Five-time event winner Roma and navigator Alex Haro are continuing work on the M-Sport Ford team’s Raptor alongside Belgian support driver Jourdan Serderidis.

But the spotlight in the FIA World Baja Cup centres around the battle for the overall Drivers’ Championship with the class points-scoring structure giving drivers and navigators in all the categories an equal chance of achieving success.

Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal currently the leads the Drivers’ Championship by 15 points and also tops the Ultimate and Master classes in his Ford F-150 Evo. His closest challenger is Ultimate rival Juan Cruz Yacopini at the wheel of an Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux.

The Argentine won two rounds this season in Jordan and Italy and that has given his navigator Daniel Oliveras a 25-point lead over Andrei Rudnitskiy in the Navigators’ Championship. Francisco Barreto of Portugal is also chasing FIA World Baja Cup points in a Toyota Hilux.

Emirati Khalid Al-Jafla currently leads the Challenger category in his Taurus T3 Max and holds third place in the overall Drivers’ Championship and second in the Master category. He has already scored from four events this season and has not registered for points in Spain.

UAE-based Sergei Remennik is his closest Challenger rival and has made the trip to Spain to compete in a Taurus T3 Max with navigator Aleksei Ignatov. Sergei claimed maximum points in Saudi Arabia and Jordan but has only competed in two rounds of the series so far.

The battle for honours in the SSV class is also hotting up as the season nears its mid-point, although Great Britain’s Paul Severn (Polaris) – the leader of the SSV category by 23 points – has not made the trip to Teruel.

That may enable six of his closest rivals to close the gap on the Briton or move ahead in the title race. Dutchman Mitchel Van Den Brink (Can-Am) is his closest challenger after a strong performance in Italy and Italian Amerigo Ventura (Yamaha) is only two points further behind.

Oman’s Hamed Al-Wahaibi scored maximum points in Italy earlier this month and that has lifted the Can-Am driver to fourth in the championship. Former WRC co-driver Ilka Minor returns to partner the veteran after missing the last round in Pordenone.

Other registered SSV rivals include Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Haydan, Argentina’s Diego Martinez and Eugenio Amos in a trio of Can-Am Maverick Rs. Regular FIA Baja champion Fernando Alvarez returns to action after a back surgery-induced lay-off but is not registered for FIA points on this occasion.

The impressive list of SSV drivers not registered for FIA points also includes the likes of Portugal’s João Dias, Alexandre Pinto and João Monteiro, Frenchman Michael Metge and the talented Norwegian girl Hedda Hosås.

Saudi Arabia’s Majed Al-Thunayyan (Nissan) again opts to miss a European round and the Stock category leader is sure to see his 37-point advantage trimmed by Portugal’s Fernando Barreiros, who is the sole entrant registered for the FIA World Baja Cup in his Isuzu D-Max.

The list of non-registered drivers competing in the Ultimate class extends way beyond Al-Attiyah and Roma. Leading South African driver Saood Variawa and Portugal’s João Ferreira represent Toyota Gazoo Racing, the latter making his debut after switching from the X-Raid Team.

Veteran WRC driver and former Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge winner Martin Prokop wheels out his Ford Raptor, X-Raid runs a pair of diesel-engined Mini JCW Rally machines for Lionel Baud and Maria Gameiro and the Polish Energylandia Rally Team trio of Eryk, Marek and Michal Goczal return to action in three Toyota Hilux IMT Evos. Overdrive Racing has also entered a Hilux for Italian Baja runner-up Martin Kaczmarski.

Wajzer and Górecki look to defend FIA European Baja Cup leads

The format of this year’s nine-round FIA European Baja Cup has enabled the Polish crew of Barthomiej Wajzer and Ernest Górecki to forge into a 64-point lead over their nearest rivals in the Drivers’ and Navigators’ Championships. The Toyota Land Cruiser KDJ 155 crew also lead the Stock category and Wajzer is the front-runner in the Master class.

Their nearest rivals are currently the Challenger category-leading Spanish duo of Miguel Angel Valero and Carlos Ruiz in a VN Competición T34. Valero is also second in the Master driver class and leads Challenger by 35 points from Portugal’s Tiago Reis. Hungarian Lőrinc Mészáros will also be chasing Challenger points in Spain.

Reis holds fifth in the Drivers’ Championship in his Taurus T3 Max behind Wajzer, Valero, SSV front-runner Yağiz Birinci and Ultimate class leader Magdalena Zając. Birinci has not made the trip to Spain but retains the lead in the Junior class over Afonso Oliveira. Only Polaris RXR Pro R Sport drivers Oliveira and Sean Haran are registered for SSV points in the FIA European Baja Cup in Spain.

Zając will be looking to extend her Ultimate class advantage in the absence of closest rival Wlodzimierz Grajek, although the Lithuanian Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics crew of Benediktas Vanagas and Aisvydas Paliukenas scored maximum points for finishing third overall in Italy and are competing in Spain. Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov will be hoping to bounce back strongly after finishing down in 23rd place in Italy in their X-Raid Mini JCW 3.0i.

The event is based out of the town of Teruel in the Aragón region of eastern Spain. Competitors will tackle 545.47km competitive kilometres in a revised 797.69km route laid on by Motor Club Baja – Octagon.

A Prologue of 6.78km will determine starting orders on Friday (July 25th) afternoon before competitors tackle two stages of 172.71km and 193.37km through the punishing heat of a Spanish summer’s day on Saturday (July 26th).  

Action concludes on Sunday (July 26th) with a single stage of 172.71km before the podium and prize giving ceremony in Teruel in the evening.  

2025 Baja Spain Aragón – leading entries:

Ultimate

200. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Fabian Lurquin (BEL)                                       Dacia Sandrider

201. Juan Cruz Yacopini (ARG)/Daniel Oliveras (ESP)                                                Toyota Hilux Overdrive*        

202. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK)                                                                       Ford F-150 Evo*

203. Saood Variawa (RSA)/Oriol Mena (ESP)                                                              Toyota Hilux IMT Evo

204. Joan ‘Nani’ Roma (ESP)/Alex Haro (ESP)                                                             Ford Raptor

205. Martin Prokop (CZE)/Viktor Chytka (CZE)                                                           Ford Raptor T1

206. João Ferreira (POR)/Filipe Palmeiro (POR)                                                         Toyota Hilux IMT Evo+

207. Denis Krotov (KGZ)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (ISR)                                                                      Mini JCW Rally 3.0i+

208. Francisco Barreto (POR)/Carlos Silva (POR)                                                       Toyota Hilux Overdrive*

209. Eryk Goczal (POL)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL)                                               Toyota Hilux IMT Evo

210. Marek Goczal (POL)/Maciej Marton (POL)                                                         Toyota Hilux IMT Evo

211. Benediktas Vanagas (LTU)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU)                                     Toyota Hilux Overdrive+

212. Magdalena Zając (POL)/Błażek Czekan (POL)                                                     Toyota Hilux+          

214. Michal Goczal (POL)/Daniel Dymurski (POL)                                                      Toyota Hilux IMT Evo

215. Martin Kaczmarski (POL)/Armand Monleón (ESP)                                            Toyota Hilux Overdrive

216. Lionel Baud (FRA)/Lucie Baud (FRA)                                                                    Mini JCW Rally 3.0d

217. Jourdan Serderidis (BEL)/Fréderic Miclotte (BEL)                                             Ford Raptor

218. Santiago Carnicer (ESP)/Sergio Peinado (ESP)                                                   Toyota Hilux Overdrive

219. Luis Recuenco (ESP)/Daniel Camara (ESP)                                                          Toyota Hilux Overdrive

220. Felix Macias (ESP)/José-Luis Conde (ESP)                                                           Toyota Hilux Overdrive

221. Daniel Alonso (ESP)/Alejandro Lopez (ESP)                                                        Ford Ranger

222. Jesus Calleja (ESP)/Eduardo Blanco (ESP)                                                           Century CR7

223. Maria Gameiro (POR)/Rosa Romero (ESP)                                                         Mini JCW Rally 3.0d

225. Ronald Schoolerman (NED)/Mark Salomons (NED)                                         Mitsubishi ASX

Challenger

300. Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)/Pablo Moreno (ESP)                                                                      Taurus T3 Max

301. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Omar Al-Lahim (SAU)                                                         MMP T3 Rally-Raid

302. Eduardo Pons (ESP)/Jaume Betriu (ESP)                                                             Taurus T3 Max

303. Sergei Remennik (UAE)/Aleksei Ignatov (KGZ)                                                  Taurus T3 Max*

304. Miguel Angel Valero (ESP)/Carlos Ruiz (ESP)                                                     VN Competición T34+

305. Tiago Reis (POR)/Fabio Ribeiro (POR)                                                                 Taurus T3 Max+

306. Lőrinc Mészáros (HUN)/Albert Horn (HUN)                                                       G Rally Team OT3+

307. Khalid Al-Jafla (UAE)/Andrei Rudnitskiy (LTU)                                                    Taurus T3 Max

308. Fidel Castillo (ESP)/Candido Carrera (ESP)                                                         Taurus T3 Max

309. Ricardo Porém (POR)/Nuno Sousa (POR)                                                           Kaizen S1

310. Pau Navarro (ESP)/Jan Rosa (ESP)                                                                        Taurus T3 Max

311. Rui Carneiro ((POR)/Ola Floene (NOR)                                                                G Rally Team OT3

312. Emilio Fernandez (CHI)/Ion Del Cid (ESP)                                                           Taurus T3 Max

314. Daniel Silva (POR)/Gonçalo Magalhães (POR)                                                   Taurus T3 Max

315. Laia Sanz (ESP)/Luka Larrosa (ESP)                                                                                         Taurus T3 Max

316. Puck Klaassen (RSA)/Augusto Sanz (ARG)                                                          G-ECKO Challenger One

317. Jesus Fuster (ESP)/Joan Rubi (ESP)                                                                                         Herrator Inzane 901

318. Paul Spierings (NED)/Dick van Culenborg (NED)                                               Taurus T3 Max

319. Juan Gasso (ESP)/Pol Ros (ESP)                                                                             G Rally Team OT3

320. Andre Lotterer (MON)/Alexandre Giroud (FRA)                                               Taurus T3 Max

321. Charles Tuthill (GBR)/Alex Sabater (ESP)                                                            Oryx T3 Evo2

322. Alex Toril (ESP)/Daniel Jordão (POR)                                                                   JMP JMPT T3

323. Luis Climent (ESP)/Carles Jimenez (ESP)                                                             Can-Am Maverick X3

324. José Maria Nananjo (ESP)/Eduard Ferran (ESP)                                                JMP JMPT T3

325. Charles Munster (LUX)/Loris Pascaud (FRA)                                                      Taurus T3 Max

326. Yannick Panagiotis (FRA)/Valérie Panagiotis (FRA)                                           Apache APH-03

327. Pim Klaassen (NED)/Wade Harris (RSA)                                                              Taurus T3 Max

328. Pedro Gonçalves (POR)/Hugo Magalhães (POR)                                               Taurus T3 Max

329. Nicolas Martinez (FRA)/Loriane Forgues (FRA)                                                 G Rally Team OT3

330. Vincent Albira (FRA)/Maxime Albira (FRA)                                                         Can-Am Maverick X3

331. Paulo Rodrigues (POR)/João Miranda (POR)                                                      Can-Am Maverick X3

332. Jedidia Favre (FRA)/Antoine Lecourbe (FRA)                                                                       MMP T3 Rally-Raid

333. Kevin Jimenez (FRA)/Paul Durame (FRA)                                                            MMP T3 Rally-Raid

334. Benjamin Lattard (FRA)/Benoît Fahy (FRA)                                                        MMP T3 Rally-Raid

335. Benjamin Favre (FRA)/Thibaud Darroux (FRA)                                                  MMP T3 Rally-Raid

336. Lasne Romuald (FRA)/Delphine Delfino (FRA)                                                   Can-Am Maverick X3

337. Jordi Pons (AND)/Miguel Amblas (ESP)                                                               MMP T3 Rally-Raid

338. Henk Klaassen (NED)/Mark Lann (NED)                                                              Taurus T3 Max

339. Marco Pereira (POR)/Eurico Adão (POR)                                                            Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

SSV

400. Fernando Alvarez (ARG)/Xavier Panseri (FRA)                                                   Can-Am Maverick R

401. Mitchel Van Den Brink (NED)/Bart van Heun (NED)                                         Can-Am Maverick R*

402. Amerigo Ventura (ITA)/Erika Mingozzi (ITA)                                                      Yamaha YXZ 1000R SS*

403. Hamed Al-Wahaibi (OMA)/Ilka Minor (AUT)                                                      Can-Am Maverick R*

404. Diego Martinez (ARG)/Bernardo Graue (ARG)                                                   Can-Am Maverick R*

405. Eugenio Amos (ITA)/Paolo Ceci (ITA)                                                                   Can-Am Maverick R*

406. Abdullah Al-Haydan (KSA)/Bader Al-Ajmi (KUW)                                              Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR*

407. Afonso Oliveira (POR)/Fabio Belo (POR)                                                             Polaris RXR Pro R Sport+        

408. Sean Haran (GBR)/Martin Hales (GBR)                                                                Polaris RXR Pro R Sport+

409. Alexandro Pinto (POR)/Bernardo Oliveira (POR)                                              Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

410. Herlander Araújo (POR)/Tiago Magalhães (POR)                                              Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

411. Gonçalo Guerreiro (POR)/Joel Lutas (POR)                                                        Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

412. Federico Mogni (ESP)/David Nieto (ESP)                                                            Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

414. João Dias (POR)/Rui Pita (POR)                                                                             Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

415. Luís Cidade (POR)/Valter Cardoso (POR)                                                            Can-Am Maverick R

416. Wilson Galo (POR)/Carlos Paulino (POR)                                                            Polaris RXR Pro R Sport

417. José Cami (ESP)/Cristian Cami (ESP)                                                                    Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

418. Filipe Lopes (POR)/Gonçalo Reis (POR)                                                               Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

419. Gaël Queralt (ESP)/Marc Solà (ESP)                                                                     Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

420. Michael Metge (FRA)/Xavier Flick (FRA)                                                             Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

421. Rafa Muñoz (ESP)/Sergio Fernández (ESP)                                                         Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

422. Ruben Rodrigues (POR)/Rui Paulo (POR)                                                            Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

423. Mónica Plaza (ESP)/Marta Plaza (ESP)                                                                Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

425. Juan Manuel Maña (ESP)/Giovanni Di Blasi (ESP)                                             Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

426. João Monteiro (POR)/Nuno Morais (POR)                                                          Can-Am Maverick R

427. Hedda Hosås (NOR)/Harry Stubbs (GBR)                                                            Can-Am Maverick R

428. Agne Telycenaite (FRA)/Marion Andrieu (FRA)                                                 Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

429. Pierre-Antoine Rampon (FRA)/Loic Minaudier (FRA)                                       Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

Stock

500. Fernando Barreiros (POR)/Jose Sá Pies (POR)                                                    Isuzu D-Max*

501. Barthomiej Wajzer (POL)/Ernest Górecki (POL)                                                Toyota Land Cruiser KDJ 155+

*denotes registered for FIA World Baja Cup

+denotes registered for FIA European Baja Cup

Timetable of events

Wednesday, July 23

Administration checks, Rally HQ, Teruel                           09.00-13.00hrs and 15.00-19.00hrs

Scrutineering checks, Rally HQ, Teruel                             10.00-13.00hrs and 15.30-20.00hrs

Thursday, July 24

Administration checks, Rally HQ, Teruel                          08.00-13.00hrs and 14.00-19.30hrs

Scrutineering checks, Rally HQ, Teruel                             09.00-12.30hrs and 14.30-20.00hrs

Friday, July 25

Pre-event press conference, Media centre, Teruel     12.00hrs

SSS Prologue (6.78km)                                                              First car – 16.30hrs

Saturday, July 26

SS1 (172.71km)                                                                           First car – 07.33hrs

SS2 (193.37km)                                                                           First car – 12.35hrs

Sunday, July 27

SS3 (172.71km)                                                                           First car – 10.58hrs

Podium ceremony, Teruel                                                       14.00hrs

Post-event press conference, Media Centre, Teruel   15.00hrs

Prize giving, Rally HQ, Teruel                                                19.00hrs