#Latest news with #MitsubishiLancerEvolutionIXQatar Tribune4 days agoAutomotiveQatar TribuneDaunting new stage to kickstart Jordan Rally actionTribune News Network Dead Sea (Jordan) A first pass through the daunting new 32km Tal Hilali special stage will kickstart the action at the 2025 Jordan Rally on Friday morning. Competitors led by 16-time event winner Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera will then tackle a further 11 gravel stages over two days before the ceremonial finish at the lowest place on earth on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-one FIA cars and an additional seven crews competing only in two separate national rallies will compete this weekend. The event was officially flagged away from a new start venue at the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (RACJ) after the pre-event press conference on Thursday evening. Teams had put their cars through customary technical scrutineering at the Dead Sea where a couple of potential front-runners were upbeat about their chances for the weekend. Oman's Abdullah Al Rawahi won the event outright in 2023 on his way to the MERC title. He said: 'This year has been very tough for us. We haven't had the results I was expecting. We have been trying really hard to push and close the gap to Nasser in terms of pace. Every year we try to learn more and more. The first three rallies didn't go as expected, especially in Oman. The first day we had to retire, in Qatar we got faster and faster and then we had punctures in Saudi Arabia. 'Jordan is where I started. It is different to other years but I love the terrain and the stages. They are tough. It is very slippery and the notes have to be precise. We are coming here to try and take the win. I am prepared better than last year where we were leading and had to retire.' Defending regional champion Abdulaziz Al Kuwari praised the condition of the rally tracks. The Citroën C3 driver said: 'I would like to thank the people who prepared the stages. They are amazing.' Thirty-five-year-old Rakan Al Rashed is taking part in the event for the third time after retiring a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in 2016 and 2017 alongside Finnish co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo. He is aiming for a podium finish on Saturday evening to continue his quest to become the regional champion. Rashid Al Muhannadi could mathematically confirm the FIA MERC4 title this weekend with two rounds to spare in the absence of rookie rival Mohammed Al Marri. The Qatari said: 'This is my first time in Jordan. The stages are nice but quite demanding and technical. I like the rally. I am looking to forward to it and I hope to win the championship.' On Friday, the opening Tal Hilali special starts at 09.44hrs and features a small section of the former Bahath special in the Jordan Valley and precedes runs through a high-speed Karameh (11.08km) stage and a special at the Baptism Site (11.34km) close to the Dead Sea. The three stages will then be then repeated in the afternoon after a return to the Dead Sea for a midday regroup and service. Follow the race live:
Qatar Tribune4 days agoAutomotiveQatar TribuneDaunting new stage to kickstart Jordan Rally actionTribune News Network Dead Sea (Jordan) A first pass through the daunting new 32km Tal Hilali special stage will kickstart the action at the 2025 Jordan Rally on Friday morning. Competitors led by 16-time event winner Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera will then tackle a further 11 gravel stages over two days before the ceremonial finish at the lowest place on earth on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-one FIA cars and an additional seven crews competing only in two separate national rallies will compete this weekend. The event was officially flagged away from a new start venue at the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (RACJ) after the pre-event press conference on Thursday evening. Teams had put their cars through customary technical scrutineering at the Dead Sea where a couple of potential front-runners were upbeat about their chances for the weekend. Oman's Abdullah Al Rawahi won the event outright in 2023 on his way to the MERC title. He said: 'This year has been very tough for us. We haven't had the results I was expecting. We have been trying really hard to push and close the gap to Nasser in terms of pace. Every year we try to learn more and more. The first three rallies didn't go as expected, especially in Oman. The first day we had to retire, in Qatar we got faster and faster and then we had punctures in Saudi Arabia. 'Jordan is where I started. It is different to other years but I love the terrain and the stages. They are tough. It is very slippery and the notes have to be precise. We are coming here to try and take the win. I am prepared better than last year where we were leading and had to retire.' Defending regional champion Abdulaziz Al Kuwari praised the condition of the rally tracks. The Citroën C3 driver said: 'I would like to thank the people who prepared the stages. They are amazing.' Thirty-five-year-old Rakan Al Rashed is taking part in the event for the third time after retiring a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in 2016 and 2017 alongside Finnish co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo. He is aiming for a podium finish on Saturday evening to continue his quest to become the regional champion. Rashid Al Muhannadi could mathematically confirm the FIA MERC4 title this weekend with two rounds to spare in the absence of rookie rival Mohammed Al Marri. The Qatari said: 'This is my first time in Jordan. The stages are nice but quite demanding and technical. I like the rally. I am looking to forward to it and I hope to win the championship.' On Friday, the opening Tal Hilali special starts at 09.44hrs and features a small section of the former Bahath special in the Jordan Valley and precedes runs through a high-speed Karameh (11.08km) stage and a special at the Baptism Site (11.34km) close to the Dead Sea. The three stages will then be then repeated in the afternoon after a return to the Dead Sea for a midday regroup and service. Follow the race live:
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