For the third time in a row, Team X-Raid has won the UAE Desert Challenge – this time with Russian Leonid Novitskiy and co-pilot Andy Schulz.

Leading for the majority of the five-day event and taking the lead at the end of the first stage, the pair were already far enough ahead by the fourth day that it was a case of ‘driving it home’ on the last leg. Their closest contenders, Ian Barker and the Fitech team’s Laurent Rosso would’ve put on more of a challenge, had they not collided on the penultimate day, leading Barker to retire.

Rosso carried on, but that left Emirati Abdul Bari Bin Sugat to take the third spot. Rosso played it safe for the second day running to ensure that his Nissan Patrol crossed the finish line to secure him a second place, while Sugat was pleased with his third place on the podium.

Sugat’s late charge in the Challenge saw him eventually driving past Yannick Comagnac on a final day that could have gone either way, but driver acumen and Nissan endurance ensured the Emirati stood with Novitskiy and Rosso on the podium.

Novitskiy won the challenge driving a BMW X3 CC – an off-roader powered by a 3-litre twin-turbo diesel developing 282bhp and 480lb ft of torque. With a spaceframe chassis and carbon kevlar body, the X3 is an FIA-spec rally raider with a top speed of 182kph.