The bad news for Hamed Al-Wahaibi is that he’ll likely miss the next two FIA World Baja Cup races, costing him the overall points lead. The good news is that the championship counts six of eight races rather than all of them, so he can make up the lost ground at the final two events.

Al-Wahaibi fractured his foot while doing water training on Monday. He was taken to Shifa Hospital in Seeb for surgery. Even though the Baja Aragón and Baja Portalegre 500 aren’t until September 11–13 and October 15–18, respectively, he doubts he’ll be able to recover in time for either.

He noted “there is still a chance to compete in the final two rounds of the championship”, the Qatar International Baja on October 28–31 and Dubai International Baja on November 5–8, though “this depends on the speed of my recovery.”

Fortunately, the World Baja Cup does not require teams to enter all eight races and only six are counted in the end. Al-Wahaibi did the first four rounds, after which he currently leads three different points standings: his 205 points are ahead of Dania Akeel’s 181 for the overall, 45 over Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari in Challenger, and 51 more than Lionel Baud for Master Drivers.

If anything, his return being in the Middle East might give him the advantage over Europe. He won his class at the first two rounds in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

Featured image credit: Oman Automobile Association