Latest news with #W2RC
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.
Muscat Daily
4 days ago
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Al Rawahi finishes second in Jordan Rally, compatriot Al Zubair wins MERC2
Dead Sea, Jordan – 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. 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.' Al Rawahi also earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader al Fayez. Oman had plenty more to celebrate as Abdullah al Zubair led the MERC2 field at Jordan Rally 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.' For Al Attiyah, the Jordan win took him 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. 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me,' said al Attiyah. '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 Citroën C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places.
IOL News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Toyota Gazoo Racing SA's GR Hilux EVOs shine at the 2025 South African Safari Rally
Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet learnt valuable lessons at the 2025 South African Safari Rally. Image: Supplied It was lessons well learnt as the two Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) GR Hilux EVOs wrapped up the 2025 South African Safari Rally held around the Sun City Resort in the North West Province at the weekend. The event, sponsored by Toyota Gazoo Racing, was the third round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). Wrapping up six days (including the Prologue) of demanding competition, Guy Botterill and Dennis Murphy and Saood Variawa and Francois Cazalet concluded the race with determined performances on the final 111-kilometre special stage around Sun City, bringing home valuable World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) points in the process. Pushing hard The stage covered 222 kilometres, featuring two liaison sections split by a high-speed special run through a mix of black sand, soft gravel, rocky outcrops, and dry savannah. Variawa and Cazalet were first out of the gates, following their Stage four win. Opening the route proved to be a challenge, as expected, and they struggled to maintain their winning pace. 'I gave it everything,' said Variawa. 'I pushed at yesterday's winning pace, but opening the road makes it incredibly difficult. There's just no line to follow, and by the time a few cars are through, the route changes completely. We saw corners become straights just a few cars back.' The young duo finished 18th on Stage five, 7min 31sec behind the leader. Despite the time loss, their pace across the week, including a stage win, underscored their progress and potential at the world level. 'All in all, it was an amazing event,' Variawa added. 'The scenery, the fans, the stages, everything was fantastic. We were fighting with the world's best, and it's clear we're moving in the right direction.' The Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa teams now focus on the upcoming rally in Portugal. Image: Supplied Clean run Teammates Botterill and Murphy were also going hell for leather. After rebounding strongly earlier in the week, they produced another clean run to finish 12th on the final stage, despite facing the complexities of a less-than-ideal road position. 'We had a really successful weekend overall,' said Botterill. 'We managed two 1-2 stage finishes as a team, which was fantastic. The pace is definitely there, we just need to cut out the small mistakes and learn how to better manage the road order strategy in these world-level events. 'Nobody won a stage starting in the top 10 this week. You really want to be starting fifth or sixth every day, but it's hard to get that balance right. The guys who've been doing this for a while know how to play the game. We're learning fast, and we'll come back stronger.' Both TGRSA GR Hilux EVOs completed the event without major mechanical issues. Good showing The team's consistency saw Variawa finish 12th overall, with Botterill just behind in 13th, both gaining valuable experience and contributing to Toyota's Manufacturers' Championship lead. From a W2RC standpoint, Toyota leads the Manufacturers' standings on 311 points, ahead of The Dacia Sandriders (219) and Ford M-Sport (190). In the Drivers' classification, Variawa currently lying 12th edges closer to the top ten, while Botterill in 21st place, adds valuable points to his international campaign. The South African pair of Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (Toyota GR Hilux EVO) racing for Toyota Gazoo Europe, won the race overall. With the South African round of the W2RC now complete, the focus shifts to the next round in Portugal, where both TGRSA crews will look to build on the experience and pace shown on home soil.
