DOHA: Qatar’s rally star Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah sealed another win on home soil and entered his name in record books yesterday when he topped the field at the Qatar International Rally.
With co-driver Baumel Matthieu providing reliable support, Al Attiyah raced away to win in their Skoda Fabia R5 across what many considered a tough terrain over the course of two days.
Al Attiyah and Matthieu clocked a time of 2:03:20.
It was Al Attiyah’s first win of the season after the 2012 Qatar Olympic Games hero finished second at last month’s gruelling Dakar Rally.
Yesterday’s win was the 61st of Al Attiyah’s amazing career that has seen him bag 11 Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) titles in 13 seasons.
The Qatari has entered the history books by eclipsing Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s long-standing 60 FIA Middle East Rally Championship victories with his win yesterday.
Al Attiyah has created the record in his 14th season whereas Ben Sulayem took 18 years.
This week’s Qatar International Rally was the first stop on the 2016 MERC calendar.
“This was a good win. We are very happy to have won on our home soil,” Al Attiyah said.
“Both of us done really well and this was another race win that will enjoy together,” Al Attiyah added.
“I would like to thank all the people and fans who have supported me over the years. I could not have done this alone.
“I take this opportunity to thank QMMF President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah for his support. It is a victory for everyone,” Al Attiyah said.
“Obviously this win feels different for a special reason,” Al Attiyah said.
“First of all the race was brilliantly organised by QMMF. The stages were very carefully planned which ensured a great challenge for all us,” Al Attiyah said.
“I guess experience counts a lot and the experienced drivers emerged on top,” he said.
“I was a bit apprehensive of our new car Skoda Fabia - it is not a new car but we were using here for the first time,” he said. “But my apprehensions quickly faded away once we kicked off the rally.
“It was a strong rally. I think once we got the lead, we continued with confidence,” he said.
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari crashed out of the rally on Friday and Al Attiyah paid tribute to his compatriot.
“I hope he remains strong and comes back on the circuit,” Al Attiyah said. Qatar’s Khalid Mohammed Al Suwaidi and his Italian co-driver Bernacchini Giovanni grabbed the second spot in their Ford Fiesta R5.
Al Suwaidi and Giovanni clocked a time of 2:09:34.
Qatar’s Rashid Al Nuami and co-driver Nicola Arena finish in third spot in their Subaru WRX Sti, clocking a time of 2:20:42.
Al Nuaimi said: “This is a great achievement in my career. I had never gotten this kind of a result. I have benefited immensely by competing this week.
He added: “Hopefully I will compete in more races and get even better.”
Al Nuaimi said: “It was a great experience to see so many Europeans drivers at the rallt. Their presence makes for exciting racing. Some of the Qatar drivers are obviously so good at this level.”
The next four slots all went to Mitsubishi Evo drivers. Qatar’s Abdulla Al Kuwari and compatriot Adel Hussein finished in fourth spot in a time of 2:21:26.
Jordanian duo Husam Salem and Nancy Al Majali grabbed the fifth spot in a time of 2:34:31.
Lebanese pair Rodolphe Asmar and Joseph Matar ( 2:40:09) finished in sixth spot whereas Italians Stefano Marrini and Roberto Mometti (3:01:01) were placed seventh.
QMMF President Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah said: “This is a big achievement by Qatar’s finest athlete. To create a new record of this nature is not easy.”
He added: “I am sure the entire country will be proud of this record. We wish this pair all the success for many years to come. We see three Qatar drivers on the top and we hope to see similar performances in the future also.”
The Peninsula
