Latest news with #OmanRallyTeam
Observer
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Observer
2nd Place for Al Rawahi on day 6 of Jordan Rally
DEAD SEA, Jordan: A puncture on the first special stage of the final morning proved to be mightily expensive for the Oman Rally Team's Abdullah al Rawahi and it ultimately cost him the chance to threaten the 19-time FIA Middle East champion Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah for victory at the Jordan Rally. Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud pushed as hard as they could when conditions permitted but they were always running the risk of collecting a flat tyre on the day's six demanding gravel special stages in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas of the Hashemite Kingdom. Another time delay with a flat tyre on the 10th stage eventually decided the outcome in Al Attiyah's favour and Al Rawahi had no alternative but to bring his Autotek Škoda Fabia R5 to the finish in second overall. Nevertheless, his day's result also netted a second Jordan National Championship event win of the weekend. 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.' Abdullah al Rawahi on day two in Jordan A first pass through the iconic Panorama stage of 17.12km opened proceedings on the final morning. 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. 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. The first pass through Suwayma was next in the itinerary. Al Attiyah stopped the clocks in 5min 47.0sec and was able to extend his advantage over Al Rawahi to 52.5 seconds with another stage win. Wadi Nar was the last stage of the loop. Al Attiyah made it a clean sweep of morning stage wins and headed for the midday service and regroup with an advantage over Al Rawahi of 53.1 seconds. He beat the Omani by just six-tenths of a second in the special. After the opening loop of three stages, Al Rawahi said: 'The first stage this morning we got a puncture and lost over 30 seconds. When you try to keep up and push this can happen sometimes. We were able to continue but the gap is bigger. It's not impossible but it was closer before. Now we are trying to maintain our speed. We have three more stages to go.' A second delay occurred in the afternoon with another puncture but the Omani held on to take second place and maintain his push for a podium finish in this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Abdullah al Rawahi during the race The Oman Rally Team has backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Oman and National Finance. The FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues in Lebanon on September 5th-7th. 2025 Jordan Rally – positions after SS12 (unofficial): 1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 2hr 13min 47.7sec 2. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 2hr 16min 42.5sec 3. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 2hr 19min 01.3sec 4. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 2hr 33min 25.3sec 5. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 2hr 37min 26.0sec 6. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 2hr 38min 58.3sec 7. Shaikh Bader Al Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 2hr 40min 34.9sec 8. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14 2hr 41min 53.0sec 9. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 2hr 42min 10.2sec 10. Rashid Al Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 46min 12.6sec, etc
Observer
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Al Rawahi finishes Rally Saudi Arabia in 5th position
JEDDAH,SAUDI ARABIA: Abdullah al Rawahi overcame a series of flat tyres to finish fifth overall in the inaugural Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The Omani teamed up with British co-driver Ross Whittock and tackled two days of demanding action across new special stages to the east and north of the Red Sea city. The Oman Rally Team driver's progress in his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS was hampered by a series of flat tyres on Friday and more time lost on the penultimate stage on Saturday. But he was regularly third quickest on individual gravel stages behind eventual winner Nasser Saleh al Attiyah and Finnish runner-up Juho Hänninen. The points haul keeps him in contention for the Drivers' Championship as the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship reached its halfway point. Al Rawahi said: 'It has been a disappointing rally for us. A lot of punctures. We are not sure why because we are not hitting rocks sideways. I don't know if it is luck or something to do with the tyres. We have a different compound tyre to Nasser but this is all we have. Today's stages were a bit more open but everyone was cutting.' The second day of Rally Saudi Arabia used three special stages to the north of Jeddah that were repeated twice. Al Rawahi began the day in fifth overall and consolidated that position after the opening Al Ghulah stage. He set the fourth fastest time on the first pass through Asfan and closed in on fourth-placed Abdulaziz al Kuwari, who sustained a puncture. The Omani was third quickest through the Thahban special and headed back to the service point in Jeddah well clear of sixth-placed Hamza Bakhashab and still within striking distance of Al Kuwari in fourth. Oman Rally Team's Abdullah al Rawahi in action at Rally Saudi Arabia. He was third quickest again on the re-run of the Al Ghulah stage but further tyre woes cost him vital time in the penultimate stage. But Al Rawahi finished the event on a high note with the second quickest time on the concluding Power Stage to secure additional points towards his regional championship campaign. The Oman Rally Team has received vital backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) and National Finance. Round four of the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship takes place in Jordan on May 29—31. 2025 Rally Saudi Arabia — positions after SS12: 1. Nasser Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1hr 34min 05.5sec 2. Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Janni Hussi (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1hr 35min 42.9sec* 3. Rakan al Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1hr 39min 08.9sec 4. Abdulaziz al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 1hr 40min 06.4sec 5. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ross Whittock (GBR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1hr 43min 11.8sec 6. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Can-Am Maverick R (SSV) 1hr 47min 11.7sec 7. Nasser Khalifa al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 1hr 49min 56.9sec 8. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 1hr 55min 18.9sec 9. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 2hr 00min 43.5sec 10. Rashid al Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 02min 18.0sec 11. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2hr 02min 43.6sec 12. Ihab al Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 2hr 02min 54.5sec 13. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 2hr 07min 11.5sec 14. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 2hr 11min 38.7sec 15. Mohammed al Marri (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 48min 27.0sec
Times of Oman
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Fifth place for Oman rally team's Al-Rawahi in gruelling Rally Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH (SAUDI ARABIA): Abdullah Al-Rawahi overcame a series of flat tyres to finish fifth overall in the inaugural Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The Omani teamed up with British co-driver Ross Whittock and tackled two days of demanding action across new special stages to the east and north of the Red Sea city. The Oman Rally Team driver's progress in his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS was hampered by a series of flat tyres on Friday and more time lost on the penultimate stage on Saturday. But he was regularly third quickest on individual gravel stages behind eventual winner Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Finnish runner-up Juho Hänninen. The points haul keeps him in contention for the Drivers' Championship as the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship reached its halfway point. Al-Rawahi said: 'It has been a disappointing rally for us. A lot of punctures. We are not sure why because we are not hitting rocks sideways. I don't know if it is luck or something to do with the tyres. We have a different compound tyre to Nasser but this is all we have. Today's stages were a bit more open but everyone was cutting.' The second day of Rally Saudi Arabia used three special stages to the north of Jeddah that were repeated twice. Al-Rawahi began the day in fifth overall and consolidated that position after the opening Al-Ghulah stage. He set the fourth fastest time on the first pass through Asfan and closed in on fourth-placed Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who sustained a puncture. The Omani was third quickest through the Thahban special and headed back to the service point in Jeddah well clear of sixth-placed Hamza Bakhashab and still within striking distance of Al-Kuwari in fourth. He was third quickest again on the re-run of the Al-Ghulah stage but further tyre woes cost him vital time in the penultimate stage. But Al-Rawahi finished the event on a high note with the second quickest time on the concluding Power Stage to secure additional points towards his regional championship campaign. The Oman Rally Team has received vital backing from Al-Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Oman and National Finance. Round four of the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship takes place in Jordan on May 29th-31st. 2025 Rally Saudi Arabia – positions after SS12 1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1hr 34min 05.5sec 2. Juho Hänninen (FIN)/Janni Hussi (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1hr 35min 42.9sec* 3. Rakan Al-Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 1hr 39min 08.9sec 4. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroën C3 Rally 2 1hr 40min 06.4sec 5. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMA)/Ross Whittock (GBR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 1hr 43min 11.8sec 6. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Can-Am Maverick R (SSV) 1hr 47min 11.7sec 7. Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 1hr 49min 56.9sec 8. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 1hr 55min 18.9sec 9. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Škoda Fabia Rally 2 2hr 00min 43.5sec 10. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 02min 18.0sec 11. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2hr 02min 43.6sec 12. Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 2hr 02min 54.5sec 13. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 2hr 07min 11.5sec 14. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 2hr 11min 38.7sec 15. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Giovanni/Bernacchini (ITA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 2hr 48min 27.0sec
Observer
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Oman Rally Team's Al Rawahi resumes Merc challenge
JEDDAH: Oman's Abdullah al Rawahi resumes his quest for honours in the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (Merc) at this weekend's Rally Saudi Arabia (May 1-3), a new round of the regional series that has attracted 29 entries across the various categories. The Kingdom returns to the regional championship for the first time in 15 years and the Oman Rally Team star will team up with Great Britain's Ross Whittock in an Autotek Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 on the Jeddah-based three-day event. Al Rawahi said: 'Saudi Arabia is the third round of the championship and is a new rally for everyone. It's going to be very challenging but I don't really know what to expect so far. I haven't seen the stages. We will try to adapt really fast. Ata (Al Hmoud) is not with me this time. Ross is going to join me. We have worked together in the WRC before so I think we can work around it and give the maximum. Abdullah al Rawahi 'In terms of the car, we have been working hard to get the best out of it. Recently, we have been happy with it. I am hoping we can perform well with the right set-up. We can't make any changes until we see the stages. Then we will make up our mind and test a few things on the car in Saudi. Our plan is to push and try and secure the win. It won't be easy with the challenge from Nasser (Al Attiyah) and other good drivers in the line-up. We will do our best and hopefully come out with a good result.' In addition to running as a round of the regional series for the first time since 2010, the new-look rally will also act as the Kingdom's official candidate event before it joins the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time at the end of November. Al Rawahi, the joint 2023 regional champion, will be aiming to close the gap on Nasser al Attiyah in the points' standings after the opening two rounds in Oman and Qatar. Al Attiyah is bidding for a 20th regional title and leads the series with 70 points. Local driver Rakan al Rashed and Al Rawahi are his closest challengers with four rounds remaining. The Oman Rally Team has received further backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Oman and National Finance. Abdullah al Rawahi in Merc action. 29-CAR ENTRY The 29-car entry includes nine Rally2 cars, six SSVs and 21 crews registered for points in the Merc. They will tackle six brand new gravel stages that will be repeated twice over the weekend, parts of which are sure to be used in the inaugural WRC event later in the year. Additional Rally2 competition comes from the likes of the defending regional champion Abdulaziz al Kuwari (Citroen C3), new FIA Master Merc Driver series leader Nasser al Atya (Ford), Jordan's Bader al Fayez (Skoda) and Toyota Gazzo Racing WRT's Juho Hanninen, who is not chasing points in the Merc. Rally Saudi Arabia is based at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with the Rally HQ running out of the Race Tower. On Tuesday, competitors carry out their first full day of reconnaissance of the second day's special stages and the shakedown stage, before completing the process with a look at Friday's stages on Wednesday. They will then tackle 192.24 competitive kilometres in an expansive route of 824.35 km over the weekend. Friday's action is centred around terrain to the east of Jeddah and features two passes through the Buraiman, Wadi al Matwi and Um al Jerem. Saturday's stages head north and centre on two runs through the Al Ghulal, Asfan and Thahban stages. The second pass through Thahban also acts as the event's Power Stage of 9.34 km. 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship – positions after round 2: 1. Nasser Saleh al Attiyah (QAT) 70 pts 2. Rakan al Rashed (KSA) 48 pts 3. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMN) 43 pts 4. Nasser Khalifa al Atya (QAT) 38 pts 5. Rashid al Muhannadi (QAT) 32 pts 6. Shadi Shaban (JOR) 28 pts 7. Abdulaziz al Kuwari (QAT) 24 pts 8. Denis Krotov (KGZ) 18 pts 9. Abdullah al Zubair (OMN) 16 pts 10. Zakariya al Aamri (OMN) 14pts
Muscat Daily
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Al Rawahi resumes MERC challenge at New Rally in Saudi Arabia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – Oman's Abdullah al Rawahi resumes his quest for honours in the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) at this weekend's Rally Saudi Arabia (May 1st-3rd), a new round of the regional series that has attracted 29 entries across the various categories. The Kingdom returns to the regional championship for the first time in 15 years and the Oman Rally Team star will team up with Great Britain's Ross Whittock in an Autotek Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 on the Jeddah-based three-day event. Al Rawahi said: 'Saudi Arabia is the third round of the championship and is a new rally for everyone. It's going to be very challenging but I don't really know what to expect so far. I haven't seen the stages. We will try to adapt really fast. Ata (Al-Hmoud) is not with me this time. Ross is going to join me. We have worked together in the WRC before so I think we can work around it and give the maximum. 'In terms of the car, we have been working hard to get the best out of it. Recently, we have been happy with it. I am hoping we can perform well with the right set-up. We can't make any changes until we see the stages. Then we will make up our mind and test a few things on the car in Saudi. Our plan is to push and try and secure the win. It won't be easy with the challenge from Nasser (Al-Attiyah) and other good drivers in the line-up. We will do our best and hopefully come out with a good result.' In addition to running as a round of the regional series for the first time since 2010, the new-look rally will also act as the Kingdom's official candidate event before it joins the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time at the end of November. Al Rawahi, the joint 2023 regional champion, will be aiming to close the gap on Nasser Saleh al Attiyah in the points' standings after the opening two rounds in Oman and Qatar. Al Attiyah is bidding for a 20th regional title and leads the series with 70 points. Local driver Rakan Al-Rashed and Al-Rawahi are his closest challengers with four rounds remaining. The Oman Rally Team has received further backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture of Oman and National Finance. The 29-car entry includes nine Rally2 cars, six SSVs and 21 crews registered for points in the MERC. They will tackle six brand new gravel stages that will be repeated twice over the weekend, parts of which are sure to be used in the inaugural WRC event later in the year. Additional Rally2 competition comes from the likes of the defending regional champion Abdulaziz al Kuwari (Citroën C3), new FIA Master MERC Driver series leader Nasser Khalifa al Atya (Ford), Jordan's Sheikh Bader al Fayez (Škoda) and Toyota Gazzo Racing WRT's Juho Hänninen, who is not chasing points in the MERC. Rally Saudi Arabia is based at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with the Rally HQ running out of the Race Tower.
