Hail, February 11, 2024,Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Hail region and Chairman of the Hail Region Development Authority (HRDA), bestowed the title of the 2024 Hail Toyota International Rally upon race driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi during the event's 19th edition.
The rally, organized by the Ministry of Sport in collaboration with HRDA and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), serves as the inaugural round of the 2024 World Rally Cup "Baja" category. It also marks the commencement of the 2024 Middle East Rally Championship and is a key component of the Saudi Toyota 2024 Championship.
The awarding ceremony, held at Al-Maghwah Entertainment Park in Hail on Saturday under the auspices of the governor, witnessed the presence of notable figures including Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdullah bin Faisal, President of SAMF, Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Meqrin bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Hail region and HRDA Vice Chairman, and Princess Haifa bint Abdulmohsen bin Abdulaziz.
Prince Abdulaziz, who also serves as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, presented the accolades to the victors of the 2024 Hail Toyota International Rally. Yazeed Al-Rajhi, alongside his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk, clinched the title for the seventh time aboard a Toyota Hilux, covering the 164 km special stage in one hour, 42 minutes, and 55 seconds.
Portuguese driver Joao Ferreira secured second place overall, trailing Al-Rajhi by a narrow margin of 38 seconds, while Lithuanian racer Rokas Baciuska claimed the third spot with a time difference of one minute and 9 seconds.
In the "Challenger" category, rally driver Saleh Al-Saif emerged victorious in the 2024 Hail Toyota International Rally, outpacing Joao Dias of Portugal and Diego Martinez of Argentina, who secured second and third places respectively.
Prince Abdulaziz concluded the ceremony by commending the steadfast support of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and HRH the Crown Prince for the sports sector at large, particularly for motorsports epitomized by the Hail Toyota International Rally, a beacon of rally racing in the Kingdom.
