Fernando Barreiros, co-driven by José Sá Pires, arrived at the Baja Portalegre 500 leading the FIA World Cup for Bajas – Stock Category at the wheel of his Isuzu D-Max.
However, what could have been a major step towards strengthening that lead turned into a frustrating weekend, as a mechanical problem forced the team to stop on the beautiful tracks of the Alto Alentejo region.
Despite every effort to reach the finish — even presenting themselves at the final control and driving onto the podium — the team could not be classified in the final results.
“We had a gearbox issue that prevented us from completing the full route. As in most international cross-country events, we still checked in at the finish and handed in our time card, but unfortunately our result was not accepted. We remain leaders of the World Cup, but the points we hoped to score here were very important. Now we head to Qatar and Dubai to keep fighting for the title,” said Fernando Barreiros after the event, organised by the Automóvel Club de Portugal.
The Qatar International Baja and Dubai International Baja will take place on 6–8 and 20–23 November, respectively.
📄 Official press release
📷 Photo: ImagensDesportivas.pt
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