Latest news with #RallySaudiArabia
Times of Oman
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Al Zubair steers Oman to glory with Group N win in Rally Saudi Arabia
MUSCAT: Omani rally driver Abdullah Al Zubair delivered a stellar performance at the inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Saturday, clinching first place in the Group N (MERC2) category and strengthening his position in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) standings. Fellow Omani driver Zakaria Al Amri also impressed, finishing third in the same category despite facing multiple challenges. Driving his trusted Subaru Impreza alongside co-driver Taha Soomar, Al Zubair dominated the Group N field from the outset of the demanding two-day rally, which marked the third round of the MERC. The event returned to the Middle East calendar after a long hiatus and was widely regarded as one of the most grueling legs of the championship due to rocky terrain, high temperatures, and multiple stage cancellations. 'First of all, thank God we succeeded in this rally,' Al Zubair said after the finish. 'My thanks to my co-driver Taha Soomar, the technical team and everyone who supported us. This race was really tiring – seven competitors were forced to retire. We set a clear strategy from the start, and our goal was to lead the category. Thankfully, we achieved it,' he added. Despite tyre issues on several stages, Al Zubair not only maintained his lead throughout the rally but also recorded times that challenged cars from the faster Rally2 category. The win marked his second major Group N victory of the season after topping the MERC2 class at the 28th Oman International Rally in Sohar, where he also secured a sixth-place overall finish. 'This rally was very nice, very fast,' Al Zubair added. 'It's been challenging – you really have to trust your pace notes here. I'm happy with the performance and we'll build on this momentum.' Meanwhile, Zakaria Al Amri, also representing Oman in the same category, showed resilience after battling car issues and tyre blowouts that slowed his pace. Driving with co-driver Mohammed Al Marzui, Al Amri secured a valuable third place in Group N, which allowed him to retain his lead in the championship points table. 'The stages were difficult and resulted in many tyre punctures,' said Al Amri. 'I had hoped for a better pace, but I'm happy with the additional points and the third-place finish. I appreciate the team's support and look forward to improving in the next round in Jordan.' Qatar's legendary driver Nasser Al Attiyah won the overall rally and extended his own dominant run in the MERC, having previously triumphed in Oman and Qatar.
Qatar Tribune
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Al-Attiyah wins inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH: Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera secured a comfortable victory at the inaugural Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia powered by Jameel Motorsports on Saturday. The Qatari won five of the day's six gravel stages to the north of the Red Sea city to earn a record-breaking 89th career MERC rally win, as he bids for a 20th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title. His Autotek Škoda Fabia RS suffered one time-consuming puncture on the second stage of the final day, but Al-Attiyah hit back to win his third successive MERC event with Carrera by 1min 37.4sec. Al-Attiyah said: 'It was nice to win the rally. But the good thing was that we had the rally back here in Saudi Arabia. I cannot wait for the next one in November. I want to do it in a Rally1 car!'
ILoveQatar.net
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- ILoveQatar.net
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah wins Rally Saudi Arabia championship
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah was crowned champion of Rally Saudi Arabia, which wrapped up Saturday, being the 3rd round of the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). Driving their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera won the title with a total time of 1hr 34 min 05.5 sec, outpacing Finnish driver Juho Hanninen, who came 2nd with a time of 1hr 35 min 42.9 sec, followed by Saudi Rakan Al Rashed in 3rd place with a time of 1 hr 39 min 08.9 sec. Moreover, Qatari Abdulaziz Al Kuwari claimed 4th place with a time of 1 hr 40 min 06.4 sec, while Omani Abdullah Al Rawahi finished in 5th place with a time of 1 hr 43 min 11.8 sec. Competing since 2003, the 19-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion extended his record further with this victory, marking his 89th win. Rally Saudi Arabia featured strong Qatari performances, with Al Attiyah winning the title, Abdulaziz Al Kuwari finishing 4th, Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah in 7th place, Rashed Al Muhannadi in 10th, and Mohammed Al Marri finishing in 15th place.
Qatar Tribune
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Al Attiyah and Carrera coast to record 89th career MERC rally win at Rally Saudi Arabia
Tribune News Network Jeddah Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera secured a comfortable victory at the inaugural Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia powered by Jameel Motorsports on Saturday. The Qatari won five of the day's six gravel stages to the north of the Red Sea city to earn a record-breaking 89th career MERC rally win, as he bids for a 20th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title. His Autotek Skoda Fabia RS suffered one time-consuming puncture on the second stage of the final day but Al-Attiyah hit back to win his third successive MERC event with Carrera by 1min 37.4sec. Al Attiyah said: 'It was nice to win the rally. But the good thing was that we had the rally back here in Saudi Arabia. I cannot wait for the next one in November. I want to do it in a Rally1 car!' Finn Juho Hanninen and his co-driver Janni Hussi entered the event in a Toyota Yaris for test and research purposes on behalf of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT. But the duo won two stages and finished in a comfortable second position, although they were not registered for MERC points. Hanninen added: 'It was okay. We saw all the stages and we learned a lot. From that side it was a good journey. Nasser is the king of the Middle East. I knew that before coming here. The result was not that important. We learned so many things. It's nice to be second after Nasser. 'It was nice to see him again because we competed together many years ago.' Saudi driver Rakan Al Rashed teamed up with Hugo Magalhaes to finish on the final step of the podium with his Toyota and pick up valuable points in his quest to hunt down Al Attiyah with three rounds of the regional series still to run. Qatar's Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and his Irish team-mate Lorcan Moore moved briefly into third overall during the final morning before stopping to change a flat tyre mid-stage. That time loss pushed them back to fourth, a position they held to the finish to stay ahead of Oman's Abdullah Al Rawahi and his British co-driver Ross Whittock. Three punctures had cost Al Rawahi dearly on day one. Hamza Bakhashab switched from the cross-country discipline to tackle his first special stage rally in a Can-Am Maverick R and the Saudi finished sixth with Poland's Macin Pasek reading his pace notes. Nasser Khalifa Al Atya is chasing glory in this year's new FIA MERC Master Driver category and the Qatari guided his Ford Fiesta to seventh and a useful haul of championship points. Oman's Abdullah Al Zubair dominated the MERC2 category from the start in his Subaru Impreza and moved firmly into title contention against fellow countryman Zakariya Al-Aamri. Bassel Abu Hamdan returned to action after a lengthy lay-off to take ninth overall and Qatar's Rashed Al Mohannadi rounded off the top 10 in his Peugeot 208 and won the MERC4 category. Al Attiyah said: 'We enjoy a lot these three stages. We had a flat tyre from the beginning of stage eight. But we decided to push and not stop. If you change (the tyre) you lose the rally. There was damage to the rear right but we didn't lose too much time.' Third-placed Al Rashed said: 'It was a very challenging morning. The first stage was okay and we had a good time but we had a puncture in the second one. 'This was one of the most interesting stages of the rally. Then we had another puncture on the third one.' Al Kuwari said: 'A good start. We were second fastest on the first one and then fastest at the first split on the second one and then we had a puncture and had to stop and change the tyre.' Bakhashab moved up to sixth, Al Zubair continued to lead the MERC2 category and Al Muhannadi headed the MERC4 rankings. Jordan's Shaker Jweihan went off the track and got stuck in a ditch before retiring his Mitsubishi and Payyaakkal 'Saneem' Panikkaveettil also retired his Ford Fiesta. 'Very nice, very fast,' said Al Zubair. 'Overall, I am happy. It has been very challenging. You have to trust your notes on this rally.' Al Attiyah claimed the bonus points for winning the final Power Stage and secured a comfortable win to extend his lead in the Drivers' Championship. Al Rawahi picked up Power Stage points for the second quickest time but still finished fifth behind Hanninen, Al Rashed and Al Kuwari. Rally Saudi Arabia was hosted by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) in collaboration with the Saudi Motorsport Company. It ran under the supervision of the FIA as an official candidate rally for the WRC under the Ministry of Sport. Round four of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship takes place in Jordan on May 29-31.
Qatar Tribune
03-05-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Attiyah wins inaugural Rally Saudi Arabia
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera secured a comfortable victory at the inaugural Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia powered by Jameel Motorsports on Saturday. The Qatari won five of the day's six gravel stages to the north of the Red Sea city to earn a record-breaking 89th career MERC rally win, as he bids for a 20th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title.(TNN)page 12
