Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Maciej Szczepaniak finished the incredibly challenging Rally Saudi Arabia in fifth place in the WRC2 Challenger category. A cooling system issue cost the ORLEN Rally Team crew a podium finish.
Saudi Arabia hosted the world’s most important rally series for the first time. Based in Jeddah, on the Red Sea, the event marked the return of the World Rally Championship to the Middle East after a fourteen-years break.
The final day of the season showdown consisted of three special stages: Thahban (two runs) and Asfan. Their total distance almost reached 66 kilometres and – as this rally has proved so far – the difficulty level of these desert special stages could have led to a complete turnover in the standings at any moment.
The ORLEN Rally Team crew, having performed brilliantly on earlier special stages and leading the WRC2 Challenger standings for a long time before suffering a puncture, started the day in second position in their category, with the podium finish within reach. Unfortunately, just six kilometres into the opening test, the Polish duo had to stop. A cooling system pipe, held in place by a special clamp, came loose from its mounting. This failure resulted in a leak and a rapid increase of engine temperature. A heroic on-road repair allowed them to complete not only this stage but also the entire rally. However, the stoppage lasted over fifteen minutes and dropped them to fifth place. There was no way they could even partially make up the lost ground.
We finish Rally Saudi Arabia with an even greater awareness that rallying is a technical sport and some things are beyond our control. I am happy we gave our best and that our pace was at least podium-worthy. Until the first setbacks, we were leading the WRC2 Challenger classification, running second in the overall WRC2 standings and winning the battle against factory drivers. Most of the competitors were plagued by problems but our biggest problem happened on the first special stage today. A cooling pipe completely fell off and all the coolant leaked out. You could say that meant the end of our fight but we had water supplies and somehow we barely made it to the finish of the stage. We grabbed more bottles and managed the situation. My hands are burnt and the water is already draining from the blisters, whereas before I did not feel a thing, being so emotional. I am glad we made it to the finish line. We never give up and today’s fight can truly sum up the entire season. The pace was really good in places but we were a bit unlucky and I also made a mistake somewhere in one of the rallies. There is no excuse in such a strong field. One or two poor results already put us further down in the standings. It is not always possible to be on the podium but we are happy that we have been able to “beat” a bit, so to speak, the factory guys who have practically everything – and we are a privateer team with a lot of heart
– Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the 2023 WRC2 Challenger champion, commented after the rally.
Kajetanowicz and Szczepaniak took part in seven rallies, according to the WRC2 Challenger regulations. They won Acropolis Rally in Greece, adding a podium finish in Sardinia. Points scored in those starts and in other events gave them sixth place in the final standings of the 2025 season.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz’s starts are supported by the ORLEN Rally Team’s title partner, ORLEN S.A., as well as technical partners Delphi and ORLEN OIL.
Rally Saudi Arabia, unofficial WRC2 Challenger classification:
- Gryazin/Aleksandrov (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) 3:33.21.0
- Virves/Viilo (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +2:25.5
- Domínguez/Peñate (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +14:16.3
- Al-Kuwari/Bernacchini (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +17:26.9
- Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +19:36.3
- Mauro/Pérez (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +30:08.3
- Bakhashab/Moore (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +37:00.6
- Korhonen/Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +51:15.0
- Al-Attiyah/Chehab (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +56:23.0
- Díaz-Aboitiz/Sanjuan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) +1:19:49.3
