NISSAN’S ADEL HUSSEIN ABDULLA GETS BAJA PORTALEGRE 500 CHALLENGE UNDERWAY WITH THIRD ON COUTADES SPECIAL STAGE

FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, round 9

October 27-29, 2016

 

For immediate release

Friday, October 28^th, 2016

NISSAN’S ADEL HUSSEIN ABDULLA GETS BAJA PORTALEGRE 500 CHALLENGE UNDERWAY WITH THIRD ON COUTADES SPECIAL STAGE

EVORA (PORTUGAL): Nissan’s Adel Hussein Abdulla began his challenge for honours at the 30^th Baja Portalegre 500 in Portugal by tackling a testing 5.62km super special stage at Coutades on Friday morning.

The Qatari is aiming to round off his season-long challenge for FIA T2 honours in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies with a category win and the Doha-based driver steered his Nissan Patrol to the third quickest time of five minutes 36.73 seconds.

Portugal’s César Sequiera clocked the fastest time to snatch the early advantage and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Saleh was second.

Fourteen drivers from Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Sweden entered the hotly-contested T2 category on this occasion and Adel knows that it will not be easy to beat some of the European drivers, particular several of the seven Portuguese entrants who have knowledge of the area and the rural terrain that is used for the route for the traditional FIA World Cup finale.

Running with support from Nissan Middle East, Nissan Qatar and the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), Adel Hussein lies second in the points’ standings and he and French navigator Sébastien Delaunay are targeting a maximum points’ haul to keep alive their chance of snatching the T2 title.

“I am very satisfied with the result on the super special stage,” said Adel Hussein. “I was not pushing at all and was taking it steady and driving cleanly. The car feels very comfortable with the new Reiger suspension. The aim is to try and win.”

After a longer selective section of 83.94km on Friday afternoon, cars reach the overnight halt at the NERPOR facility, near Evora, and then tackle two further selective sections of 171.47km and 211.94km on Saturday. The event is scheduled to finish for the FIA entrants from 17.30hrs on Saturday at NERPOR.

2016 Baja Portalegre – T2 positions after SS1 (unofficial):

• 1. César Sequiera (PRT)/Tânia Sequeira (PRT) Isuzu D-Max                                         5min 24.81sec
• 2. Abdullah Saleh (SAU)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Toyota Land Cruiser 155                5min 34.96sec
• 3. Adel Hussein Abdulla (QAT)/Sébastian Delaunay (FRA) Nissan Patrol                       5min 36.73sec
• 4. Yasir Saeidan (SAU)/Alexei Kuzmich (RUS) Toyota Land Cruiser 200                           5min 38.65sec
• 5. Josep Solé (ESP)/Laura Díaz (ESP) Mitsubishi Pajero                                    5min 44.33sec
• 6. Luis Ferreira (PRT)/Pedro Colaço (PRT) Nissan Pathfinder                                             5min 47.08sec
• 7. Alessandro Bellini (ITA)/Paolo Bellini (ITA) Mitsubishi Pajero                    5min 51.49sec
• 8. Carmine Salvi (PRY)/Lucio Salvi (PRT) Mitsubishi Pajero                                    5min 53.05sec
• 9. Alexandre Mota (PRT)/Anibal Mendonça (PRT) Nissan Pick-Up                    5min 53.79sec
• 10. Sergio Vitorino (PRT)/Luis Ramalho (PRT) Nissan Navara                                     5min 54.06sec
• 11. Anders Svensson (SWE)/Duangphon Sorrasit (SWE) Isuzu D-Max                         6min 03.57sec
• 12. José-Camilo Martins (PRT)/António José Santos (PRT) Nissan Navara                6min 06.93sec
• 13. Pieter de Backere (BEL)/Martina Smuljic (BEL) Isuzu D-Max                         6min 12.31sec
• 14. Nuno Corvo (PRT)/António Maghalães (PRT) Nissan Navara                     6min 30.25sec