Mansour Al-Helei collected 51 points at the fifth round of the 2026 FIA World Baja Cup to seize the lead in the SSV category, according to a report by the Emirates News Agency. The Emirati driver, navigating a Can-Am Maverick R with co-driver Khalid Al-Kindi for the Liwa Team of Liwa Sports Club, now sits on 212 points. That total puts him 30 points ahead of Argentina’s Fernando Alvarez, who has 182 points, while Norway’s Hedda Hosås occupies third place with 176 points, FIA classifications show.
Al-Helei described the Spanish result as a significant milestone but cautioned that the battle for the title is far from over. “We achieved an important result in our journey this season, but the competition is still ongoing, and we will work to maintain the lead in the category and continue to progress in the overall standings,” he told the Emirates News Agency. The duo’s consistency across challenging gravel and off-road stages in Aragon reinforced their position as serious contenders in a series that features eight rounds but counts only the best six scores toward the final tally.
The Liwa Team’s ascent follows a series of encouraging performances earlier in the 2026 season, a WAM dispatch on the Italian Baja indicated. After a retirement in Jordan, the Emirati crew secured second overall and first in SSV at Baja Greece in June, then climbed to second in the standings with 161 points after a resilient third-place finish in the decisive stage at the Italian event in late June. Those results demonstrated the team’s ability to recover from setbacks while competing against 91 crews from 28 nations at the Italian round alone, according to the Emirates News Agency.
FIA records for the 2026 season place the Liwa Team among a competitive SSV field that includes established international entries such as South Racing Can-Am and R-X Sport. The championship, formerly known as the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas before its renaming in 2024, attracts global talent to a mix of European and Middle Eastern venues, an FIA overview of the series history notes. Al-Helei’s progress has also elevated him to second in the overall World Baja Cup drivers’ table, trailing the leader by just 10 points after the Spanish round.
Baja Aragon represented a demanding test on the calendar, with technical sections that rewarded precise driving and mechanical reliability, the Emirates News Agency assessment found. The Liwa Team’s haul of maximum points in the SSV division at the event moved them clear at the top of the standings with three rounds still to run. Such momentum aligns with the UAE’s broader investment in cross-country motorsport, where national drivers have increasingly featured on international podiums in recent seasons, previous WAM coverage of similar events indicated.
Team officials at Liwa Sports Club have used the campaign to develop Emirati talent against world-class opposition, multiple WAM reports on prior rounds stated. The SSV category, which utilises lightweight side-by-side vehicles, has grown in popularity within the FIA World Baja Cup, drawing both professional squads and emerging drivers. With the championship entering its decisive phase, Al-Helei and Al-Kindi will look to defend their category lead at the remaining events in Portugal, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
