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Rally motorcyclist on a sand dune in front of rock formations in the desert

Bajas World Cup 2026: Two Postponements, Finale in Castelo Branco

Published by Thomas Menzel on 21. October 2026

Series: FIM Organisation

The FIM Bajas World Cup 2026 will end differently from what was planned in January. When the sport’s governing body, the FIM, published the calendar on 16 January 2026, the season was due to finish in Dubai on 8 November. According to an FIM calendar change dated 31 March 2026, the Baja Castelo Branco in Portugal, on 13 to 15 November, now closes the season. The Baja Aragón was moved at short notice to September in July because of wildfire risk. The series has stayed at seven rounds in six countries.

The calendar after the changes

As of 18 October 2026, based on the FIM and organiser information cited:

  1. Saudi Baja (Saudi Arabia), 29 to 31 January, Ha’il: held
  2. Jordan Baja (Jordan), 12 to 14 February, Aqaba/Wadi Rum: held
  3. Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura (Spain), 19 to 20 June, Badajoz: held
  4. Baja España-Aragón (Spain), 11 to 13 September instead of 24 to 26 July, Teruel: held
  5. Qatar International Baja (Qatar), 28 to 31 October, Lusail
  6. Dubai International Baja (United Arab Emirates), 5 to 8 November
  7. Baja Escuderia Castelo Branco (Portugal), 13 to 15 November instead of 10 to 12 April

New in 2026 is also an FIM team classification in the motorcycle category. According to the FIM, it is intended to make the participating teams more visible. In the announcements consulted, the FIM has not given an interim standing for this team classification.

Motorcyclist on a sand dune in front of rocks in the desert
Alex McInnes at the Jordan Baja in February 2026. Photo: Edophoto/Irina Petrichei, via FIM

Season opener in Saudi Arabia and Jordan

In January, the FIM still listed the Saudi Baja as unconfirmed. It then went ahead as planned: according to the FIM preview, 30 motorcycles and six quads started in the FIM classification in Ha’il. The programme comprised a 6.25-kilometre prologue and special stages of 242 and 151 kilometres. According to the FIM, the winner was British Junior rider Alex McInnes (KTM).

Two weeks later in Jordan, 472.19 kilometres of special stages awaited in the Wadi Rum desert, with a total distance of 821.69 kilometres. After these two rounds, McInnes led with 50 points. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (KTM) and defending champion Mohammed Al-Balooshi (KTM) followed with 36 points each, as the FIM wrote in its preview of Extremadura.

Storm damage in Portugal, wildfire risk in Aragón

The European phase was originally due to begin in Castelo Branco on 10 April. After severe winter storms, fallen trees, landslides and closed roads blocked the route. According to the FIM, the Portuguese federation Federação de Motociclismo de Portugal therefore postponed the event to the end of the season. The organising club, Escuderia Castelo Branco, had initially named 30 October to 1 November as the new date in February, AutoLook reported. That date would have clashed with Qatar. The later FIM calendar of 31 March gives 13 to 15 November.

The European phase therefore did not begin until June with the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura around Badajoz. According to the FIM, 26 of the 82 riders entered were registered for the World Cup. After a prologue, two loops of 228 kilometres each followed on 20 June.

The Baja España-Aragón was cancelled by the Aragón government a few days before the planned start on 24 July. According to FIM information dated 22 July, the reason was extreme wildfire risk in the province of Teruel. On 29 July, the organiser announced 11 to 13 September as the replacement date, with the same format and Teruel as the hub, Europa Press reported. The motorcycle results from Extremadura and Aragón were not evaluated for this article.

Rally motorcycle jumping over an orange sand dune
Archive photo: Saudi Baja 2025, according to the FIM caption Alex McInnes. Photo: Edophoto, via FIM

Tight title race ahead of Qatar

Qatar is the fifth of seven rounds. According to a statement from the organisers of the Qatar International Baja, published by Irish Motorsports News on 28 September 2026, McInnes led the overall standings at that point with a 2-point advantage over Al-Mogheera. Al-Balooshi was 8 points behind and led the Veteran class. In the quads, Ahmed Al-Jaber was 7 points ahead of Hani Al-Noumesi, and Joanna Modrzewska led the women’s classification. An official FIM interim standing after Aragón was not available for this article.

After Qatar, the rounds in Dubai and Castelo Branco follow within a little over two weeks.

Sources and photo credits

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