Lithuanian rally driver Rokas Baciuška will briefly return to the highest off-road rally category – T1+ “Ultimate” – at this weekend’s “Baja Aragón” race in Spain. For one of Europe’s most prestigious and fastest off-road competitions, the Lithuanian will get behind the wheel of the latest specification “Toyota Hilux T1+.”
Before the remaining rounds of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), the Lithuanian, together with co-driver Oriol Vidal, accepted an additional sporting challenge – they will start in the “Baja Aragón” race on July 24–26. This start is not part of the World Championship but will provide an opportunity to accumulate valuable racing kilometers in the Ultimate (T1+) category, test the latest equipment, and better prepare for the remaining W2RC rounds.
After the first tests in Spain, Rokas was satisfied with the new car and emphasized that he would still need to get used to it.
“We thank the “DEFENDER Rally” team for giving us the opportunity to briefly return to the T1+ class and gain experience,” said R. Baciuška.
“Baja Aragón” is considered one of the fastest and most challenging off-road races in Europe. This year’s competition in the T1+ “Ultimate” class will feature as many as 31 crews, including several Dakar Rally legends. Another Lithuanian representative, B. Vanagas, will also be among the participants.
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This will be R. Baciuška’s fourth start in the “Baja Aragón” competition. The Lithuanian achieved his best result in 2024, finishing second in the T1+ “Ultimate” class.
Although the competition will be extremely high this year, the athlete’s main goal is to maximize the opportunity to gain additional experience with T1+ equipment, enjoy the race, and simultaneously fight for the top positions.
“Of course, the main goal is to gain as much experience as possible with this car, but if there is an opportunity to fight for victory, we will definitely take it,” said R. Baciuška.
2026 is an extremely intense year for the athlete. In addition to participating in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship with the “DEFENDER” team in the “Stock” class, this year he has already managed to start in the FIA European Rallycross Championship RX1 class in Latvia. Now another serious challenge awaits him – one of Europe’s most prestigious off-road rallies – “Baja Aragón”.
