The competitive action at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games finished in thrilling fashion as Türkiye edged Team Spain by just 0.3s to triumph in the Rally2 Medals Stage finale.
Spain’s Alejandro Cachón / Borja Rozada entered the three-lap showdown at Circuit Ricardo Tormo as the favourites in Rally2 – for four-wheel-drive cars with 1600cc turbocharged engines. The Toyota GR Yaris duo won all 14 stages across Friday and Saturday to claim golds in the separate Gravel and Tarmac classes.
They lined up alongside Türkiye’s Ali Türkkan / Oytun Albayrak, who earned a pair of silvers in the two categories – and Mexico representatives Alejandro Mauro Sanchez / Adrian Perez for the 12.4-kilometre shootout.
In wet conditions, the Mexicans were quickest off the line in their Škoda Fabia to carry a slender lead into the first turn before the three crews undertook different length opening laps.
Cachón / Rozada had the shortest route to travel initially, duly emerging with an advantage of 25s. But they were left with the longest lap to complete before the finish, while Türkiye had the least distance to cover.
Türkkan threaded his Ford Fiesta through the tight penultimate chicane to re-join the main circuit just ahead of host nation Spain as their laps converged for the dash to the line. He held on by just 0.3s to claim gold.
Mexico’s chances suffered when Sanchez nerfed a tyre wall, however crossing the line in third still earned the country its first Games medal.