A season that started with podium at Dakar Rally ends with victory over closest challenger Miroslav Zapletal The Saudi champion thanked co-drivers Michael Orr and Dirk von Zitziwitz for their outstanding work DUBAI: Saudi rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi has been crowned champion of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas Drivers’ Championship for the second time in his career at the two-day Dubai International Baja. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @ArabNewsSport Al-Rajhi managed to overcome Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal, who was his closest challenger throughout the season, with the gap between the two only 10 points before the start of the Dubai Baja. “I dedicate my second historical victory of the World Cup title to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” said Al-Rajhi. “I also thank HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal for their continuous support, and I thank the great Saudi people and my fans from all over the world. I am very proud to be the first Saudi to win this world title twice in the history of the World Cup for Cross Country Bajas.” The Saudi champion produced a season of landmarks, the first of which was winning a historical podium at the Dakar Rally in Saudi in the W2RC Championship. He accomplished that alongside Irish navigator Michael Orr onboard the Toyota Hilux, before heading out on the journey to defend the world title in the World Cup for Cross-Country Rally Championships, which is supervised by the International Automobile Federation. In the course of eight rounds between Europe and the Middle East, Al-Rajhi’s defense of his world title began in the freezing conditions of the Russian Baja and ended in Dubai’s hot desert climate. Al-Rajhi and his co-drivers faced several challenges throughout the season, and the Saudi champion thanked Michael Orr and Dirk von Zitziwitz for their outstanding work, as well as his official partner Abdul Latif Jameel — the distributor of Toyota Motor Corporation products in Saudi Arabia — for their unlimited support at the international and regional rallies.