Although there is still more than a month to go until the start of Hungary's most prestigious off-road rally, two iconic drivers will be in Várpalota from 8-10 August. While one of them is a young, but not inexperienced, talented driver, the other is a motorcycle and car Dakar Rally winning legend with a brilliant career.
The young driver of the X-Raid team, João Ferreira, will be back in action at the 21st Hungarian Baja after 2022. The driver of the T1+ MINI JCW Rally Plus set the second fastest time in his last Hungarian run, but a penalty allowed him to finish on the podium in 3rd place.
"I competed in Hungarian Baja for the first time in 2022 and really enjoyed it. I will return this year and I hope to take first place. I have great memories of the race, the course is very nice but very difficult because of the many bumpy sections. The style of the course, the spectators and the professional organisation is what makes Hungarian Baja so special." - João Ferreira highlighted the special features of the race.
The Portuguese driver won the European Cup in the same year and has since competed in World Cup races in a T3 car, and in the Dakar he took on the desert in an SSV with the South Racing Can-Am team. He finished 5th in the T4 category after a hard fought but persistent drive at the 2024 Dakar Rally, and then took second place in the MINI JCW Rally Plus (which he will be driving here) at Saudi Baja and the Portuguese Rally-Raid. In the first round of the 2024 European Cup, he overcame challenges to take victory at the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura and Baja de Lagos.
João Ferreira, after trying his hand in most of the categories, finally found his place in the most difficult group in Ultimate. Despite the challenge, the T1 car gives the Portuguese driver the most confidence and it's no mean feat that he can compete against the best in the sport at every off-road rally.
"It's been a bumpy road, but I've finally found my place and I've agreed a deal with X-Raid. The MINI JCW T1+ is the hardest car to drive compared to the other categories. I enjoy it the most and I'm much more confident, I think it was time to make the big leap to race in the top group. It's going to be incredibly difficult but I'm up for the challenge and I'm looking forward to battling it out with the best drivers and cars for the win." - said the driver.
Ferreira has positive memories of his previous Hungarian Baja races, and is preparing for this year's race by analysing his previous experience and further improving his physical condition.
"I'm trying to get as much information as possible from our previous race and I'm going to work on getting very physically fit. The track is very tricky and if it gets hot, it will be a particularly tough race for the drivers and the cars." - the driver outlined his plans.
In the next article, we'll also reveal the other legend you can meet in Várpalota at the 21st Hungarian Baja from 8-10 August!
Source: Terep-Rally.hu
Automatic translation from the Hungarian version
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