Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his co-driver Alba Sánchez González celebrate after winning the Oman Rally.
Muscat: Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and Spanish co-driver Alba Sánchez González managed their pace to perfection to seal an emphatic victory in Oman Rally Sohar International yesterday.
With the hard work done on Friday’s gravel stages, Al Attiyah avoided risks over the closing half dozen speed tests to secure a seventh victory in Oman by the margin of 15min 13.8secs in his Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTI. It was the Qatari’s 79th career MERC win and gave him the perfect foundations on which to build a challenge for an 18th regional title.
Sánchez González, who was standing-in for Mathieu Baumel as Al Attiyah’s co-driver, became the first female to win a round of the MERC since Veronika Havelková partnered Vojtech Štajf to a one-off victory in Qatar in 2018. Sweden’s Tina Thörner had been the first female ever to win a round of the MERC alongside Al Attiyah in Qatar in 2009.
“It was important that we got off to a winning start here in Oman and I am very happy with this result,” said Al Attiyah.
“I was able to manage my pace today, avoid punctures and take no risks. Today was about preserving the car and protecting the lead.
The man in form over the final day was a resurgent Hamed Al Wahaibi, the Omani veteran bouncing back from turbo issues at the start of day one to win five stages yesterday. That enabled Al Wahaibi and Kiwi co-driver Tony Sircombe to finish in sixth place in their Motortune Škoda Fabia.
Czech Petr Kačirek and co-driver Václav Kopáček were Al Attiyah’s closest rivals in their Duck Racing Škoda Fabia. Competing in his first MERC rally, the Czech reached the finish in Nakhal 2min 58.3sec ahead of the third-placed crew of Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al Atya and Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini.
Oman’s Zakariya and Mohammed Al Aamri led the MERC2 category in a Subaru Impreza until mechanical issues forced them out of fourth overall on the penultimate stage. Jordan’s Issa Abu Jamous and Emad Juma duly moved up to fourth to win MERC2 and Ihab Al Shorafa and Yousef Juma secured fifth place and second in the category.
Al Attiyah noticeably eased his pace to conserve the car and preserve his substantial overnight lead at the start of the final day. But both Al Wahaibi and Abdullah Al Rawahi were on a mission to make amends for their disappointing retirements on Friday.
The duo were fastest and second quickest through each of the three stages on the morning loop, but were too far behind after time penalties to catch sixth-placed Ihab Al Shorafa.
Al Attiyah duly reached the service point between the two loops of stages with a lead over Kačirek of 11min 15.5sec, although the Czech had strengthened his grip on second place to 2min 33.9sec from Al Atya. Oman’s Jarah Al Touqi did not start the second leg.
Al Wahaibi pressed on to win two of the afternoon’s three stages to secure sixth place, as Al Attiyah coasted to the finish line with a fastest time on the last stage to confirm a seventh victory in the Sultanate and a first for his stand-in co-driver.
Haitham Al Soomar (Mitsubishi) won the Oman Rally Championship category from second-placed Lebanese driver Alain Nawfal (T3 Yamaha). Musab Al Soomar came home in third place in a Kia, despite an accident that cost him over 20 minutes on the final stage.
Oman’s Haitham Al Hadidi retired his Mitsubishi at the start of the day.
The 2022 FIA Middle East Rally Championship now heads to Qatar on February 10-12.
2022 Oman Rally Sohar International: FINAL STANDINGS
1. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Alba Sánchez González (ESP) Volkswagen Polo GTI
2hr 25min17.2sec
2. Petr Kacirek (CZE)/Václav Kopácek (CZE)Škoda Fabia 2hr 40min 31.0sec
3. Nasser Khalifa Al Atya (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Ford Fiesta 2hr 43min 29.3sec
4. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 3hr 05min 39.1sec
5. Ihab Al Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 3hr 09min 21.8sec
6. Hamed Al Wahaibi (OMN)/Tony Sircombe (NZL) Škoda Fabia 3hr 13min 49.6sec
7. Abdullah Al Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia 3hr 14min 50.3sec
