Latest news with #FIAMiddleEastRallyChampionship
Gulf Today
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Qatari driver Al Attiyah notches up 17th victory at Jordan Rally
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. The success took the iconic Škoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al-Attiyah: 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Abdullah Al-Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al-Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroën C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Rakan Al-Rashed's main target was to finish the event and the Saudi again teamed up with Portugal's Hugo Magalhāes in a Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris. Cruelly, his Yaris sustained substantial damage after an accident on the penultimate stage he was forced out. Lebanese driver Bassel Abu Hamdan and his co-driver Firas Elias benefitted from his demise to round off the top four in a Škoda Fabia. Oman's Abdullah Al-Zubair led the MERC2 field from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha Al-Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya Al-Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al-Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al-Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al-Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run. The Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Shadi Shaban were classified in seventh and ninth overall. Tenth place was sufficient for Rashid Al-Mohannadi to take victory over Saad Al-Harqan and Payyaakkal 'Saneem' Panikkaveettil in the FIA MERC4 category and to seal the championship title in his Peugeot 208 with two rounds to spare. Al-Rawahi earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez. A first pass through the iconic Panorama stage of 17.12km opened proceedings on the final morning. Palestine's Hamada Uda was the only driver not to restart. Outside temperatures were already up to 31°C at the start of the stage with a peak of 37°C in the afternoon. Surface cleaning was evident on the opener but Al-Attiyah laid down the gauntlet with a time of 11min 38.0sec. That smashed the existing stage record by six seconds. Al-Rawahi dropped 32.3 seconds with tyre damage on a front-right wheel and that enabled Al-Attiyah to extend his lead to 45.8 seconds. Al-Kuwari was second quickest but remained a long way behind the leading duo. Al-Zubair continued to dominate MERC2 from sixth overall but Mohammed Al-Shorafa was in trouble and retired with broken steering.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Al Attiyah earns his 17th Jordan Rally triumph
Tribune News Network Dead Sea Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday, The success took the iconic Skoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al Attiyah said, 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Abdullah Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroen C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Rakan Al Rashed's main target was to finish the event and the Saudi again teamed up with Portugal's Hugo Magalhaes in a Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris. Cruelly, his Yaris sustained substantial damage after an accident on the penultimate stage he was forced out. Lebanese driver Bassel Abu Hamdan and his co-driver Firas Elias benefitted from his demise to round off the top four in a Skoda Fabia. Oman's Abdullah Al Zubair led the MERC2 field from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha Al Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya Al Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' Nasser Khalifa Al Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run. The Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez and Shadi Shaban were classified in seventh and ninth overall. Tenth place was sufficient for Rashid Al Mohannadi to take victory over Saad Al Harqan and Payyaakkal 'Saneem' Panikkaveettil in the FIA MERC4 category and to seal the championship title in his Peugeot 208 with two rounds to spare. Al Rawahi earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez. This year's Jordan Rally was supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan. The FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues in Lebanon on September 5th-7th.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Nasser Al Attiyah wins his 17th Jordan Rally title
DOHA: Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah cruised to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. The success took the iconic Škoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al Attiyah said, 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroen C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Abdullah Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud maintained the pressure on Al Attiyah throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Qatar's Nasser Khalifa Al Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run.
Observer
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Rawahi holds second place at the Jordan Rally
JORDAN: Oman Rally Team star Abdullah al Rawahi delivered one of the best performances of his career on the first day of the Jordan Rally. After six demanding gravel stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas, the Autotek Škoda Fabia driver trailed the 19-time FIA Middle East champion Nasser Saleh al Attiyah by just 13.5 seconds. This was despite a slow puncture towards the end of the last stage. Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata al Hmoud are bidding to win the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title for a second time, as well as trying to win the event in Jordan once again. The performance today also netted them the win in the opening round of the Jordan National Championship. At the end of a dramatic day, where Al Attiyah and Al Rawahi were the class of the entire field. Al Rawahi said: 'I think this rally overall is very tough and it is not easy to challenge Nasser over these stages. He has won it 16 times. Being just behind him and able to take some time, I am very happy. Tomorrow, is another day. We must also remember that I have an older car. I think we should be happy with the result today. I think we are on the limit. I don't think we can push any harder and we don't want mistakes.' Al Rawahi was in scintillating form on the opening loop of three stages where he was more than a match for the road-sweeping Al Attiyah. The duo was separated by just 0.6 seconds on the 32 km opening speed test at Tal Hilali and then by a mere one-tenth of a second on stage two. But Al Rawahi was faster than his Qatari rival on the third stage of the loop at the historic Baptism Site and edged into a slender 0.8-second lead at the midday point. Ata al Hmoud and Abdullah al Rawahi (R) Al Rawahi said: 'It was a good day for us so far. The stages are quite tough and very tricky. We had a few moments but the times are good overall and we are leading after the first loop. I think we just need to keep focused and try to do our best. We need to be very consistent with our performance. You have no other choice but to go flat out. This afternoon, the same.' Saturday's remaining three stages are repeated twice with action getting underway with a run though the Panorama stage of 17.12 km. The first passes through the Suwayma and Wadi Nar specials complete the morning's loop. The three timed tests are repeated in the afternoon before the post-event press conference and traditional ceremonial finish at the Dead Sea. 2025 Jordan Rally — positions after SS6 (unofficial): 1. Nasser Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1 hr 16 min 10.7 sec 2. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ata al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 1 hr 16 min 24.2 sec 3. Abdulaziz al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 1 hr 18 min 29.6 sec 4. Rakan al Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1 hr 23 min 46.9 sec 5. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 1 hr 27 min 24.3 sec 6. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 1 hr 27 min 43.4 sec 7. Nasser Khalifa al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 1 hr 28 min 01.5 sec 8. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 1 hr 28 min 47,6 sec 9. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 1 hr 31 min 25.9 sec 10. Ihab al Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) Škoda Fabia Evo Rally 2 1 hr 32 min 51.6 sec 11. Rashid al Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 1 hr 32 min 57.0 sec 12. Sheikh Bader al Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 1 hr 33 min 42.4 sec 13. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1 hr 45 min 00.1 sec 14. Jassim al Muqahwi (KUW)/Suleiman al Helal (KUW) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1 hr 46 min 32.3 sec
Qatar Tribune
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Al Attiyah leads impressive entry list for Jordan Rally
Tribune News Network Amman The upcoming Jordan Rally will be the fourth round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) and Jordan Motorsport has announced that 22 cars grace the official entry list for the event taking place on May 29 th -31 st . Crews will tackle a dozen special stages and 196.30 competitive kilometres in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas. The event will also count towards the new Junior and Master Championships for Drivers. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Candido Carrera head the field after winning the opening three rounds of the season in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. They will be aiming to defend a 31-point lead over Rakan Al-Rashed and Hugo Magalhaes in their respective MERC Drivers' and Co-drivers' Championships. The record 16-time winner of the event lays trust in his Autotek Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. A total of eight Rally2 machines grace the entry list: defending regional champion Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, the 2023 MERC champion Abdullah Al Rawahi, Qatari Nasser Khalifa Al Atya, Bassal Abu Hamdan and the Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez and Ihab Al Shorafa complete the list. Both local drivers have entered Skoda Fabias. Oman's Zakariya Al Aamri and Abdullah Al Zubair are currently locked in their own battle for supremacy in the FIA MERC2 category in a pair of Subarus and they head a list of seven crews aiming for showroom class honours. Local knowledge may favour the defending regional champion Shaker Jweihan, while Kuwait's Jassim Al Muqahwi and Salem Al Dhafeeri, Lebanon's Shadi Al Fakih and Palestine's Hamada Uda round off the MERC2 field. All five challengers to the front- running Omani duo wheel out Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs. Qatari Rashid Al Mohannadi has a commanding lead in the two-wheel drive FIA MERC4 category after three rounds. He faces competition from young Qatar Academy drivers, Mohammed Al Marri and Saad Al Harqan, and Indian driver Payyakkal Panikkaveettil (Ford Fiesta). All three Qataris drive French-built Peugeot 208s.
