Muscat: The cream of the Middle East’s special stage rally drivers will take the start of Oman Rally Sohar International today.
The Oman Automobile Association has made a couple of late changes to the itinerary for the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). Most notably, the pre-event press conference and ceremonial start venue have moved from Al Mouj to Nakhal and will start at the earlier time of 14.15hrs and 15.00hrs, respectively.
Event officials have also introduced a timed 3.90km super special stage at Nakhal, with the first car in action from 16.00hrs.
Qatar’s Dakar sensation and multiple regional champion, Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, tops the entry in his Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTI and is bidding for a seventh win in Oman. His regular French co-driver Mathieu Baumel should have been trying to earn a third win in Oman, but was unable to make the trip for personal reasons.
His place alongside Al Attiyah has been taken by 29-year-old Spanish female co-driver Alba Sánchez González, who is a regular navigator on the Spanish national and international rallying scene.
Last year, she partnered Surhayen Pernia in a Hyundai Motor España-supported i20 R5, with the crew finishing seventh overall in the ERC Rally Islas Canarias and claiming outright victory at the Rallye La Nucía-Mediterráneo and Rallye Valles Pasiegos. Oman will be Alba’s first rally in the GCC region, although she did sit alongside England’s Catie Munnings to take 40th overall in the 2018 Cyprus Rally in a Peugeot 208 R2.
“Mathieu was not able to come to Oman, so Alba has stepped in at the 11th hour,” said Autotek Motorsport’s Ken Skidmore. “We met her in Spain, where she co-drives as part of the official Hyundai team.” Standing in Al Attiyah’s way are the formidable Omani duo of Abdullah Al Rawahi and Hamed Al Wahaibi in a pair of Škoda Fabia Evos, the Qatari’s cousin Nasser Khalifa Al Atya (Ford Fiesta) and the Czech dark horse and MERC debutant Petr Kačirek in a third Škoda Fabia.
“The stages are quite technical,” said Al Rawahi, after Tuesday’s recce session. “We made sure that our notes are quite precise and as detailed as possible. We have done these stages before, so we are quite ready for the first day of the rally. Day two is quite different from the first day. I think we are happy. Hopefully this weekend we will come strong and try and give our best.”
The bulk of the competitive action takes place over 12 timed special stages tomorrow and on Saturday before the ceremonial finish and post-event press conference also moved to Nakhal from 15.25hrs onwards on Saturday afternoon.
2022 Oman Rally Sohar International – leading entries
1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Alba Sánchez González (ESP) Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
2. Abdullah Al Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R5
3. Hamed Al Wahaibi (OMN)/Tony Sircombe (NZL) Škoda Fabia R5
4. Nasser Khalifa Al Atya (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Ford Fiesta R5
5. Petr Kačirek (CZE)/Václav Kopáček (CZE) Škoda Fabia R5
6. Zakariya Al Aamri (OMN)/Mohammed Al Aamri (OMN) Subaru Impreza
7. Faisal Al Rashdi (OMN)/Waleed Al Rashdi (OMN) Subaru Impreza
8. Jarah Al Touqi (OMN)/Issa Al Wardi (OMN) Subaru Impreza
10. Ihab Al Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
