The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has confirmed that the 2021 Qatar International Baja will run on the new dates of September 30th-October 2nd as a round of the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup.
Originally set for early April on the FIM calendar, Qatar’s first FIM Bajas Cup counting round will follow a compact QMMF route of three stages and 504.24 competitive kilometres in an 872.44km route.
The route
Administrative checks are at the Losail Sports Arena on Wednesday, September 29th, followed by a 6.7km super special at Simasmina on Thursday, September 30th.
Its result sets the start order for Friday’s opening leg of about 248.80 competitive kilometres on October 1st. The section starts at Al-Jumaliyah, crosses the north-central deserts and has one refuelling point around halfway.
A second section of similar length (248.74km) starts at Al-Kharsaah, west of Doha, on Saturday, October 2nd, runs through the central and southern deserts, includes a refuel and finishes near Sealine, south of Doha.
Motorcycles up to 450cc (single or twin cylinder, 2T or 4T) are eligible, along with quads and SSVs. Bikes over 450cc can compete but, under the 2021 FIM Bajas World Cup rules, will not score Cup points.
New team format for national riders
A National category covers motorcycles, quads, SSVs and other vehicles, and the QMMF has introduced a new team concept. Two eligible riders can enter as a team and run separately or share a motorcycle or quad, provided both hold at least a National licence. Teams using two machines must fit each with a road-book reader and a bracket for a Stella GPS unit.
One rider tackles the super special, then a relay format applies: each day one rider covers roughly half of the desert section to the refuel, and the other takes over to the finish. In a two-rider team, each competitor covers about 125km a day.
New World Cup format
This year’s FIM Bajas World Cup has a series of qualifying events plus a final. Each qualifying event has a scoring coefficient of 1, and the October final in Portugal has a coefficient of 2.
The final is open to anyone who has finished and scored points in at least one qualifying round. Final standings combine the two best qualifying results with the points from the Final, across all three categories and all three classes (Women’s, Junior and Veteran).
The Baja is chaired by QMMF President Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, QMMF Executive Director Amro Al-Hamad and board member Abdulrazaq Al-Kuwari. Entries open on Wednesday, August 1st, close at reduced rates on Thursday, September 9th, with a final deadline of Monday, September 20th.