Aqaba [Jordan], February 16: Omani hero Hamed Al-Wahaibi continued his winning streak in the 2026 FIA World Baja Cup by consolidating his lead in the Challenger category after finishing the Jordan International Baja in second place in class and seventh overall.
Al-Wahaibi previously claimed first place in the Challenger category at the Saudi Baja in Ha'il last month driving a Can-Am Maverick R Challenger, which he used for the first time in the Ha'il round with the RX Sport team.
Despite some damage to his car parts caused by heat from the exhaust system, the Omani driver showed immense speed across all stages to finish seventh in the overall standings.
This result comes amid continued harmony between Al-Wahaibi and his Polish co-driver Maciej Giemza, following their successful collaboration in Ha'il which continued in Jordan.
This participation is part of ongoing preparations for the challenges of the Dakar Rally, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia next year.
The competition in the Jordan Baja lasted for three days, starting from the Aqaba region, with contestants traversing diverse terrain in southern Jordan over a total distance of 821.69 kilometers, including 472.19 kilometers of timed competitive stages.
After crossing the finish line, Al-Wahaibi expressed his happiness with this result and stressed that the priority was to collect as many points as possible in the World Cup for the Challenger and Masters categories, which he successfully achieved.
He said: "We proved to everyone what our true capabilities are, that all our decisions in cooperation with the team were correct, and that the choice of car was also correct."
He added: "Everything went well. I am happy to achieve first place among the World Cup qualifiers. I must thank everyone who supported and sponsored me, and I also thank the organizers for this wonderful event, as well as my support team whom I have backing me step by step, led by champion Rashid Al-Ketbi."
Source: Times of Oman
