DOHA: New stages and a revised route will be used for the 2013 Qatar International Rally when the new FIA Middle East Rally Championship starts on January 24.
Clerk of the course Elie Semaan issued the first details of the changes, after officials at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) had been piecing together a new format and route for the event under the presidency of Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah (pictured).
A brand new service park will be used as part of the plans.
The rally headquarters and operations will continue to be based at the QMMF, but the event will now use the brand new service area in Qatar’s Aqua Park at Abu Nakhla on the Salwa Road.
The water theme park was opened in September 2010. Semaan has also confirmed that the three stages will be completely new and other sections of the desert route have been modified.
“This year we have three completely new stages with undulating, twisty and challenging terrain,” said Semaan.
“The other three stages feature changes. Two have been modified up to 70 per cent of their total distance and the approximate total length of the stages is 260km. The whole rally is concentrated off the Salwa Road to the north of Doha,” she added.
Last year, the QMMF used the Al Wakra sports complex for the headquarters and service park and ran special stages to the south of the capital.
The FIA Middle East Rally Championship concludes on January 26. THE PENINSULA
