* Victory Team star closes in on championship Leader
* World Champion Carlos Sousa wins Baja Spain
ZARAGOZA. Spain: Dubai's Khalifa Al-Mutaiwei and French co-driver Alain Guehennec finished second overall in the Baja Spain Aragon, the fourth round of the 2004 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, and Khalifa duly closed to within four points of the FIA World Cup leader Stephane Peterhansel.
The event was based in Zaragoza and offered four tricky selective sections across remote farmland and forest terrain in searing mid-summer temperatures in central Spain. Al-Mutaiwei's diesel-engined BMW X5 eventually finished 1m 37s behind the defending FIA World Cup champions Carlos Sousa and Henri Magne in the overall standings, but the Victory Rally Team star collected an invaluable 22 points for his efforts and now has 86 points in the World Drivers' Championship. He also holds second position behind Sousa in the FIA European Baja Cup for Drivers.
"Carlos drove very well to take a good win - he has the best car in the world for these type of events," said Al Mutaiwei. "His team has tested extensively recently and this was their reward. For me, I had to make sure that I finished and took as many points as possible."
"Second place was the same result as I achieved last year, but it gave me 22 points and that was vital. I began the rally 26 points behind Stephane and I will go to Turkey next month only four points behind," Al-Mutaiwei added. "Stephane will not be there, so I have a fantastic chance to take the lead in the World Championship and move one step nearer my goal of becoming a 2004 FIA World Champion."
The Dubai driver began the opening stage of the 2004 Baja Spain Aragon in sixth position on the road and quickly leap- frogged his nearest Spanish and Portuguese rivals into a podium placing. He was second quickest behind Sousa on the first two selective sections on Friday and trailed the Portuguese driver by 1m 41s at the start of the final day.
As Sousa continued to push, Al-Mutaiwei settled into a safe and comfortable pace behind his rival and finished the third and penultimate stage 2m 32s behind the Libson-based driver to start the final selective 4m 13s adrift, but over 11 minutes clear of the third-placed Honda Buggy of Frenchman Thierry Magnaldi. Spaniard Jose-Luis Monterde was fourth in a Ralliart Mitsubishi Pajero.
Sousa hung on to take a dramatic win, despite damaging a tyre and being passed on the final stage by Al-Mutaiwei. His win was the Japanese manufacturer's fourth success on the event since its inception back in 1983. The win also marked Sousa's third successive victory on a European Baja event this year and gives him a commanding lead in the FIA European Baja Cup for Drivers, of which this was the third round of five.
Magnaldi retired with mechanical problems on the final stage and this handed the third podium placing to Monterde and co-driver Rafael Tornabell in the Ralliart Mitsubishi Pajero. Italian Marco Tempestini was fourth in a Nissan Pathfinder.
Khalifa's next challenge will be the Rally de Cappadoce in Turkey in August - the third and penultimate long-distance event in this year's championship, where a massive 45 points will be on offer for the winner. Al-Mutaiwei remains firmly on track to clinch the coveted FIA World Championship on his home event - the UAE Desert Challenge - in October.
Baja Spain Aragon - final positions:
1. Carlos Sousa /Henri Magne (AND) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 10h 10m 03s
2. Khalifa Al-Mutaiwei (UAE)/Alain Guehennec (F) BMW X5 Rallye Raid 10h 11m 40s
3. Jose-Luis Monterde (E)/Rafael Tornabell (E) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero 10h 33m 58s
4. Marco Tempestini /Giacomo Inocenti Nissan Pathfinder 10h 37m 37s
5. Carlos Sotelo (E)/Victor Bofill (E) BMW X5 Rallye-Raid 10h 49m 05s
2004 FIA Cross-Country World Cup Drivers' Championship - after round 4:
1. Stphane Peterhansel (F) 90 pts
2. Khalifa Al-Mutaiwei (UAE) 86 pts
3. Carlos Sousa 81 pts
4. Jean-Louis Schlesser (F) 33 pts
5. Jos-Luis Monterde (E) 29 pts
6. Isabelle Patissier (F) 21 pts
6. Dominique Housieaux (F) 21 pts
8. Jutta Kleinschmidt (D) 15 pts,
2004 FIA European Baja Cup for Drivers after round 3 (unofficial)
1. Carlos Sousa 30 pts
2. Khalifa Al-Mutaiwei (UAE) 16 pts
3. Marco Tempestini 10 pts
4. Luc Alphand (F) 8 pts
5. Luis Pereira Costa 6 pts
5. Jos-Luis Monterde (E) 6 pts
7. Riccardo Colombo 5 pts
7. Carlos Oliveira 5 pts, etc
-Ends-
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© Press Release 2004
