Sergei Remennik and Alexei Shmotev Start at FIA World Baja Cup with Nasser Racing!
The first round of the FIA World Baja Cup in Saudi Arabia will feature a distinguished lineup of competitors. Among them are Russian crews debuting in the Challenger category.
Less than two weeks after the finish of the 47th edition of the Dakar Rally, Saudi Arabia will once again host rally-raids: the 2025 Saudi Baja – Hail will be held from January 30 to February 1. This competition will open the new season of the FIA World Baja Cup and the Middle East Baja Cup, and will also mark the 20th anniversary of motorsports in the region.
Hail is a city in the north of the country, known not only for its sandy landscapes, but also for its rich history – once a pilgrimage caravan route passed through here. Now its surroundings have become an ideal testing ground for rally-raids.
Who Starts?
Following the conclusion of the Dakar Rally in Shubaytah, many teams opted to transport their vehicles to Hail, located in the northern region of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the competition, organized by the Saudi Arabian Motorsports Federation (SAMF), attracted a high-quality lineup of competitors: 35 crews, including nine in the Ultimate category (T1+), 10 in the Challenger (T3.1), 11 in the SSV category (T4), and five in the T2 production car category.
The entry list includes global stars: Dakar winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota Overdrive) and Dania Akeel – last year’s Middle East Champion. The Belgian team will also service the Toyota for Argentine Juan Cruz Yacopini. His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, the Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Motorsport Federation (SAMF), will also be taking part in the baja at the wheel of Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux. He will be competing for Saudi National Championship points alongside a number of well-known veteran raiders from the region, but is not registered for the FIA World Baja Cup.
In the Challenger category (T3.1), there are two Russian crews: Sergei Remennik / Alexei Ignatov (No. 309, Nasser Racing Taurus T3 Max) and Alexei Shmotev / Yaroslav Fedorov (No. 308, Nasser Racing Taurus T3 Max). For Remennik and Shmotev, this will be their debut on the Tauruses, and they are competing for one of the strongest teams – Nasser Racing Team, led by the legendary Nasser Al-Attiyah!
Remennik, “With That Kind of Support, I Couldn’t Refuse”
Sergei Remennik has already tried himself in rally-raids in recent years and achieved good results. In 2022, he debuted in this discipline, winning the Russia Northern Forest Baja in the T4 category. In 2023, he switched to the sandy tracks of the UAE and took third place in the national standings of the Dubai International Baja.
Now he faces a new challenge: en event in a top team with vehicle close in characteristics to the factory one, “We met Nasser several times at the rounds of classic rally. In Dubai, at the World Cup final, we talked, and then I ended up at tests in Qatar… To be honest, I didn’t plan to participate in the World Cup so soon – I expected to devote a year to training. But when Nasser is around, he has a great team, and he is ready to help – can you wait?
In the near future, we will have to figure out the discipline step by step. The main goal is to learn to maintain a high average pace and bring the car to the finish line intact.”
Challenge for Crews
Remennik will start with his already familiar co-driver Alexei Ignatov, who also has an extensive track record in classic rallying and solid experience as the first driver in rally-raids. But the new car is a challenge.
Sergei Remennik, “We spent two test days with Nasser and his team. I really like the car, it’s ergonomics, power-to-weight ratio, control. It’s very similar to the R5 from classic rallying, but only for sand. And what’s especially cool is that Nasser himself is involved in the whole process – he monitors how the team works, gives us advice and tips on driving through sand. Yesterday we even dried out, and he personally went to refuel us! It was probably the most expensive refueling in my life” (laughs).
Alexei Shmotev is also ready for the Baja, “I’m already looking forward to the start – the baja could be very interesting. I’ve never driven this kind of vehicle, and my co-driver has never driven classic sand rally-raids. Let’s see how it goes. Yaroslav is a very experienced co-driver in world rallying, and he was recommended to me as a person who quickly adapts to new conditions.”
His co-driver Yaroslav Fedorov has extensive experience in the FIA World Rally Championship, but rally-raids are practically a new discipline for him, “Of course, my main challenge is navigation. There’s a lot of work on the course, quick decisions. But my colleagues say that the devices are user-friendly and intuitive, so I hope to figure it out quickly. It will be an interesting experience.
And I would like to note that the team is not just named after Nasser, but he personally controls everything, always clarifies whether everything is OK. In general, it’s as comfortable as possible here in terms of service.”
What is Ahead?
Saudi Arabia is known for its unpredictable track conditions. In addition to the difficult terrain, the main problem in a car without a windshield in the desert can be… the cold:
“When you drive an open car without a windshield, the temperature feels completely different. In 2020, at the Dakar in Hail, my hands were freezing, and when we were towed, I had to drive in warm clothes. Judging by the forecast, it will be the same now,” Shmotev recalls.
Despite the numerous challenges, the crews are highly motivated. For Remennik and Shmotev, this is a new chance to make a name for themselves at the global level.
“It’s nice to return to international competitions, which I certainly miss. When you are called “world”, you want to live up to this not only in your memories. The main thing is to show a decent result and get comfortable in the discipline,” Fedorov added.
Baja Schedule:
Wednesday, January 29 – Administrative Checks and Scrutineering to be allowed to start at the competition.
Thursday, January 30 – the official Ceremonial Start of the Baja and the Prologue (5.8 km). Based on its results, the top ten drivers will choose the starting positions for the next day.
Friday, January 31 – start of the first stage: the distance of two selective sections separated by a neutralization zone is 261 km, plus 181.4 km of liaisons.
Saturday, February 1 – the second stage: a selective section of 160 km, final checks and award-giving.
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