By Rizwan Rehmat
DOHA: Qatar’s sports icon Nasser bin Saleh Al Attiyah is confident of another victorious run at this week’s Qatar International Rally.
Al Attiyah, who has won 12 rounds of the race on home soil, will partner Frenchman Matthieu Baumel in the two-day event that starts today.
The pair will be driving their Skoda Fabia R5, Al Attiyah said yesterday.
“I have a lot of experience. I have won 12 times. I hope to win again because this will be a new record in the Middle East Championship,” Al Attiyah said.
The 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist said he feels Skoda Fabia R5 will serve him well today and tomorrow.
“It is not a new car but (we will be using it for) first time in the Middle East,” Al Attiyah said.
“I tested in last race in WRC 2 in Spain. We liked the car and we now get a little bit factory support from Volkswagen group.
“I am quite happy to race in Qatar again. I thank the sponsors here in Qatar. We are quite happy to have everything else in place,” he said.
Al Attiyah on Wednesday arrived back home from New Delhi where he featured in the Asian Shooting Championship, an Olympic Games qualifying event. Despite constant travel and events to feature at, Al Attiyah said he has trained himself to be competition-ready when needed.
“(I flew) straight from Dakar to Delhi and I arrived (back in Doha) yesterday,” Al Attiyah said with a broad grin.
“I am still tired. You need one month to recover but I train well. This is important to compete in Qatar. I will try to do my best and I have a lot of experience,” he said.
With aims of competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Al Attiyah said he will cut down on events this year.
“No WRC or Cross Country this year for me,” Al Attiyah said.
“I will be competing in the Sealine Cross-Country (in April) because it is a home event. But this year it will be very quite until the Games.
“After the Olympic Games, I can push again at motor sport events,” Al Attiyah said.
“Yes, a very busy year. We came from Dakar Rally after getting second place (last month). It was a great result. We are here now,” Al Attiyah said.
“I arrived just yesterday from New Delhi. I was there for the Asian Shooting Championship. Thank God we got two quota places. Now we have lined up a massive preparation in the weeks and months ahead.
“It’s the Olympic Games year. I hope to go to the Olympic Games. It is part of my big plans. What we have to see is who goes to the Olympic Games. The selection spots are for the country and not the shooter,” he explained.
When asked about the missing UAE entries at this year’s Qatar International Rally, Al Attiayh said: “We are not bothered who is coming and who isn’t. We thank the drivers who are here. We thank Mr Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah who supports us here.”
He added: “Also, you would have noticed the European entries here. We have around 20 cars. We have quality. We are not thinking about quantity.”
Al Attiyah said this week’s race will offer ‘testing stages’ to negotiate.
“The stages are not new. Some changes are there in the middle of the stage. The QMMF did a good job. They have made the route interesting,” Al Attiyah said.
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and British co-driver Marshall Clarke will represent the Youth and Sports Qatar Rally Team while home entry Khalid Al Suwaidi will team up with Giovanni Bernacchini in their Ford Fiesta.
German driver Edith Weiss will join Anne Katharina in their Mitsubishi Evo IX while Qatar’s Abdullah Al Kuwari and Adhil Hussain will also be driving the same make. Qatar’s Khalifa Saleh Al Attiyah will partner Laos Savaas in their Subaru Impreza.
The event is the first of seven races on the 2016 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
The Peninsula
