Jeddah: Gulf Tech News
Saudi driver Dania Akeel achieved a historic milestone by claiming victory in the FIA Middle East Baja Cup 2024 after securing her category title at the final round of the Dubai International Baja.
Dania participated in all four rounds of this regional Baja rally championship with different co-drivers and three car preparation teams, accumulating the necessary points to win the overall championship title and achieve successes in the *Ultimate* category.
Her performance throughout the four rounds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Dubai was marked by consistency, earning podium finishes in the Middle East Baja Cup category at each rally.
Akeel claimed third and first places with the Overdrive Toyota Hilux team in the opening two rounds and led the overall standings of the Qatar rally after the first day.
In Baja Jordan, held in Aqaba, Akeel secured second place with the South Racing Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR team, before making history with a victorious performance in the final Dubai rally with the South Racing Can-Am team. These achievements cemented Dania Akeel’s place in the history of motorsport in the Middle East, as the first female driver in the region to win the championship, breaking barriers and setting high standards for women’s participation in motorsport.
Akeel commented:
“The FIA Middle East Baja Cup was both exciting and challenging. Initially, I didn’t plan to compete in the entire championship. I participated in Baja Hail as part of the Saudi Championship and registered for the Middle East Cup to evaluate my standing based on the points I could earn.”
She added:
“The result in Hail was strong, and afterward, I had the opportunity to race with Toyota and Overdrive in the Ultimate category at Baja Qatar. Following that rally, we noticed we were leading in that category and the Middle East Cup standings, which led to the decision to compete in Baja Jordan.”
“I was able to secure second place in Jordan and earn valuable points, which encouraged me to participate in Baja Dubai, where I achieved victory and secured the championship title. It was a thrilling competition.”
Akeel concluded:
“There were many key factors contributing to this achievement. It wasn’t just about the team or logistics; we also had to strategize on how to accumulate the maximum points to secure the championship title. I’m incredibly happy to have won the Ultimate category and the overall title as well.”
She added:
“I competed with Stéphane Duplé in Hail, Qatar, and Dubai, and with Sébastien Delaunay in Baja Jordan. It was an honor to work with the Overdrive and Toyota team, South Racing with the Can-Am vehicle in Dubai, and SRT Racing in Baja Jordan with another Can-Am vehicle.”
Dania Akeel was supported throughout the season by Jameel Motorsports, Tamer Group, Hertz Saudi Arabia, Toyota Motor Oil, BFGoodrich Tires, Accelerom, and Red Bull Saudi Arabia in overcoming the challenges she faced.
Akeel now shifts her focus to participating in the Toyota Jeddah Rally, the final round of the Saudi Rally Championship, taking place from December 19 to 21.
