The X Rally team will be first in the starting order for the final stage of the World Cross Country Rally Championship. The first stage will cover 311 timed kilometers
Drivers, navigators and teams had their first contact with the stopwatch on Friday (13) during the prologue of the Rally of Morocco, the final stage of the 2023 World Rally Championship. It was 19 kilometers against the clock in preparation for the five stages over the next five days. And for the start of the first day of the rally, which will have 311 kilometers of special stages, Brazil will come out on top: Marcos Baumgart and Kleber Cincea will be the first to start, with Cristian Baumgart and Beco Andreotti coming in second.
It's the first time in history that two Brazilian teams have started first and second in a round of the World Cross Country Rally Championship. Marcos and Cristian are racing the Prodrive Hunter T1+ representing X Rally and racing in the British manufacturer's structure, with drivers such as nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb and Orlando Terranova as teammates. During the 19-kilometer prologue, both Baumgart brothers were among the ten fastest on a stellar grid.
The first stage of the Rally of Morocco will cover a total of 708 kilometers in the day's competition, which runs from Agadir to Zagora including the off-road sections. The race will cover 311 kilometers.
"It's going to be a difficult navigation stage and starting at the front doesn't make things much easier. However, we've accepted the challenge because it will be interesting to measure our strength and see what our pace is compared to these other guys who have much more experience in this race and in this type of terrain. It will be an interesting exploration," says Marcos Baumgart, who will be the first to start, together with navigator Kleber Cincea.
Marcos' older brother, Cristian, sees it in the same light. "It's going to be a day of extreme concentration, because not only is driving on this terrain difficult, but the navigators will also have a lot of work to do," he said.
The Morocco Rally will cover more than 2,000 kilometers and ends on the 18th. The X Rally Team is sponsored by Vedacit, Motul, BF Goodrich and Rodobens.
Automatic translation from the original Brazilian Portuguese version
Source: X-Rally Team
Photo: Marcelo Machado de Melo/FOTOP
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