MUSCAT, OMAN – A broken leg, two missed rounds and a crash course on the sand could not stop him. Omani driver Hamed Al-Wahaibi has closed his 2026 FIA World Baja Cup campaign third overall, champion of the Masters category for drivers over 50, and runner-up in the Challenger category.
Al-Wahaibi sealed the result at the Qatar International Baja and the Dubai International Baja, racing a Can-Am Maverick R in the final two rounds of the season.
A season shaped by injury
The results came in spite of a broken leg that kept Hamed Al-Wahaibi from contesting the full season. The injury forced him to miss two European rounds, events he had been counting on to collect a big haul of points and strong results in his bid for the World Cup title.
With those rounds gone, he had to make up the ground at the Qatar International Baja and the Dubai International Baja. Earlier in the year he had led the Challenger standings after a strong run at the Jordan Baja.
Why Europe mattered, and why the sand was a challenge
Al-Wahaibi had built his plan around the European rounds because of the nature of their routes: long, twisty stages that reward technique and pure driving skill.
Driving a Challenger-category car on desert sand calls for a different style and a different way of handling the car. It is terrain where Al-Wahaibi has less experience than rivals who have spent far more time racing on it.
Qatar and Dubai: a lesson in the dunes
That is why his goal in Qatar and Dubai was to gain as much experience as possible on the sand, even though he was still feeling the effects of the injury and was not at 100% physically.
He left both events with a wealth of new experience on sandy terrain, having had a real chance of winning the World Cup in the Challenger category, which he finished in second place.
“I am very happy with these results. It was not an easy season. It was a difficult one, I learned a lot from it and made several mistakes. The speed was always there, but sand stages sometimes require experience to know when to ease off and not push to the absolute limit.”
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
Looking back on the final two rounds, the Omani driver added:
“I benefited a lot from taking part in Qatar and Dubai and gained great experience on the sand. I must also thank everyone who shared this achievement with me.”
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
2026 FIA World Baja Cup: Al-Wahaibi’s final results
- Overall: 3rd
- Masters category (drivers over 50): 1st
- Challenger category: 2nd
- Car: Can-Am Maverick R
- Final rounds: Qatar International Baja and Dubai International Baja