Baja Russia 2018 – Round 1, FIA Cross Country
Rally World Cup
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MINI to contest Baja Russia, the opening round of the 2018
FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. -
MINI Family crew of Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski and Tom Colsoul
to compete at Baja Russia in a MINI John Cooper Works Rally. -
Baja Russia is the only round of the 11 round FIA World Cup
series to be run in winter conditions.
Munich. The annual
Baja Russia (Northern Forest) is once again the starting round
of the increasingly popular FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. For
2018, the FIA World Cup will be run over 11 rounds, all of which
take place on some of the most scenic but also difficult off-road
terrain racing in the world of motorsport.
As a season starter, Baja Russia (16-18th February) is
unlike any of the following ten rounds of the FIA Cross Country Rally
World Cup. It is the only round where competitors have to race in
winter conditions of snow, ice and, of course below freezing
temperatures – it can drop to -18°C! It is race conditions like this
that provide a perfect starting point for the racing season in terms
of technical preparation and competitor fitness.
Taking on the challenges of Russia Baja and its five special stages
for MINI Motorsport is the crew of Jakub ‘Kuba’ Przygonski (POL) and
co-driver Tom Colsoul (BEL), in a MINI John Cooper Works Rally. This
pairing will again race under the banner of Orlen Team, with the
technical support of MINI Motorsport partner X-raid.
The crew of Przygonski and Colsoul is no stranger to cross-country
rally racing. In the 2017 edition of the FIA Cross Country Rally World
Cup, the pairing placed MINI second. This was followed by fifth place
overall at the 2018 Dakar Rally at the controls of a MINI John Cooper
Works Rally.
The action of Baja Russia starts on Friday 16th February
with Leg 1 and the first of five stages. Sunday 18th is the
closing day with Stage 4 and 5 before the race end ceremony.
For more information about Baja Russia 2018, please visit the host’s
event home page here.
FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup 2018 calendar