-- The 21-year-old Dubai-born driver crossed the finishing line as the fastest non-Chinese competitor and fastest woman, completing all 13 stages and more than 4,500 kilometers across the deserts, mountains and canyons of western China alongside Polish co-driver Marcin Pasek. Of the over 150 cars that lined up at the start in Urumqi, only 85 made it to the finish.
The rally also marked a landmark step for the team. Buggyra ZM Racing competed as part of the factory-supported JJ Sport setup for the first time, running with 14 support trucks, dedicated technical infrastructure, and the full resources of a Chinese works program. It was a partnership that proved decisive when the going got tough.
A factory debut that changed everything
Team principal Martin Koloc was unequivocal about the difference the JJ Sport collaboration made. "The support we got from JJ Sport throughout the rally was a completely different experience for us. We have been part of the factory team, with massive support everywhere, and it has been a great experience. We would like to continue this way."
The car itself, a JJ3 developed under the JJ Sport program, impressed the team from the start. "It's really fast," Martin Koloc said. "The major difference to our car at home is that this car works on the aerodynamics a lot and it's very effective and stable."
That stability would be tested to its limits across 13 stages of some of the most demanding terrain on the rally calendar.
Demanding conditions and mechanical setbacks
The Taklimakan Rally opened in the mountains above Urumqi in northwestern China, where overnight temperatures dropped below freezing and daytime highs barely reached seven degrees Celsius, before the crews descended into the desert heat of 42–43 degrees. Temperature swings of up to 35 degrees in a single day created a demanding environment for crews and machinery alike.
Aliyyah and Marcin ran inside the top five through the opening stages before a brake issue in stage three threatened to derail their rally. A ditch early in the stage broke a brake pipe, leaving them to manage a progressively failing brake system for the remainder of what was also the event's longest stage, at 470 kilometers. "The whole day was tricky due to the brakes that were coming on and off, leaking all day," Aliyyah recalled. "By the last 60 kilometers, we had no brakes at all. That was uncomfortable because the stage was really fast. We managed to keep a fast pace, but not being able to stop in time was a little bit stressful." Despite the drama, the crew completed the stage and even towed a stricken JJ Sport teammate 100 kilometers back to the bivouac on the road section home.
Through the rest of the first half of the rally, Aliyyah climbed to fifth overall. A shock absorber failure cost half an hour in mid-rally, but the car was repaired during rest day.
The pivotal setback came in stage seven. Running between third and fourth on the timing splits, the JJ3 car struck a clump of camel grass in soft dunes at kilometer 140, stalling the engine. With the starter motor also damaged in the impact, the crew waited several hours in the desert for the sweep vehicle. Two JJ Sport works cars stopped to help, allowing the team to pull-start the car and reach the finish.
"Being stalled in the desert was a disaster,” Martin said. “Fortunately, the two JJ Sport works cars stopped to help us, and we could start the car again by pulling it." The delay dropped the crew significantly in the overall classification.
From stage eight onwards, Aliyyah drove with consistency to recover ground. Navigation remained a constant challenge, with the Chinese desert offering few landmarks and the roadbook demanding absolute precision across stages ranging from 22 to over 470 kilometers, through narrow rocky canyons and vast soft-sand dune fields.
Competing at the top level
Running in the top five during the stages when the car was trouble-free and setting competitive splits even under difficult conditions, Aliyyah demonstrated that she belongs at the top level of international rally raids. "I think overall it was mostly positive, but we did have a couple of ups and downs and the result is maybe not exactly what I wanted,” Aliyyah said at the finish. “We finished 10th overall, that is positive. But we made some navigation and driving mistakes, and I think we still have a lot to learn. Hopefully next year we can get an even better result."
For Martin Koloc, watching Aliyyah over 13 stages left no doubt that something significant is developing. "This Taklimakan Rally has definitely been Aliyyah's best performance in any rally so far. She has delivered consistent results, day by day, showing incredible pace. She is really growing as a driver. I'm so happy for that."
Aliyyah and the crew return to action on June 22-25 at the Baja Italia, part of the FIA European Baja Cup.
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