QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY - 22-24 Jan 09

NASSER AL-ATTIYAH SEALS SEVENTH SUCCESSIVE VICTORY IN NBK QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY

Posted: January 25, 2009 9:56 PM

Sweden's Tina Thörner becomes first woman in history to win MERC event
·Second overall for Al-Rajhi's new Peugeot S2000; UAE's Khalid Al-Qassimi slips to third

Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claimed his seventh successive victory in the NBK Qatar International Rally and the success meant that his Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner entered the history books by becoming the first woman ever to win a round of the prestigious FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

Al-Attiyah won the first seven of the 14 desert special stages in an Austrian-built Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X and finished 2m 28.5s clear of Saudi Arabia's Yazeed Al-Rajhi and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel. The event was centred around a challenging desert route to the north of Doha and finished at the Losail International Circuit on Saturday afternoon.

"I made my lead on the first day and took no risks at all today," admitted Al-Attiyah. "The car was fantastic, easy to drive and very stable. This is a great result for me and, of course, for Tina. She has made her own little bit of history today and I have got the new season off to a great start in the Middle East after the disappointment of losing my lead in the Dakar Rally earlier this month."

Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and co-driver Michael Orr held second place until the start of the final stage, but sustained a costly puncture and Al-Rajhi and Baumel - who set three fastest stage times in a new Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000 - climbed to a fine second overall. Qatar's Misfer Al-Marri finished fourth overall when Lebanon's Nick Georgiou ground to a halt within sight of the finish and lost a possible podium place with two punctures and a broken suspension arm.

"On behalf of the QMMF, I would like to thank all the competitors for making this event such an exciting spectacle this weekend," enthused Nasser Khalifa Al-Attityah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). "I would also like to thank the NBK Group, our other vital sponsors and the various Qatar ministries for their invaluable support."

Twenty-three of the original 29 cars started leg two's eight special stages, which included two runs through the Losail stage and new specials around Al-Khor in the north of Qatar. Qatar's Hamed Al-Suwaidi withdrew before the start, differential problems proved too much for Khalifa Khalifa Al-Attiyah, Britain's David Scialom was sidelined with drive shaft woes, Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani suffered transmission torment and Faisal Al-Attiyah sustained a damaged engine.

Al-Attiyah was in stunning form through the 14.80km of the seventh stage and extended his overall advantage to 3m34s, as Al-Marri moved ahead of Khalid Al-Qassimi and into second overall, when the UAE driver suffered a flat tyre. Khaled Al-Suwaidi lost over a minute, but Al-Rajhi was on form and set the third fastest time in his new Peugeot.

Al-Qassimi set his first fastest time in the NBK-backed eighth stage and reduced Al-Marri's hold on second place to just 11.8 seconds. The 2004 regional champion was again the quickest in the Al-Khor stage and moved to within 2.7 seconds of Al-Marri, as Al-Attiyah eased his pace and retained a comfortable lead. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah damaged his fourth rear suspension arm of the rally and collected two punctures.

Al-Qassimi was in flying form on the first reverse run through the Losail stage and surged into second position. He also reduced Al-Attiyah's overall lead to 1m 46s. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah dropped five minutes with further punctures and this enabled Nick Georgiou to move up the leader board to fifth, the London-based Lebanese driver's case helped still further when the UAE's Rashid Al-Ketbi arrived late at a control and was awarded 90 seconds of road penalties.

Al-Rajhi set the first fastest time for an S2000 car in the Middle East region with a run of 15m 16.8s through Losail to slip ahead of Al-Marri and into third place. Saleh's woes continued: the Lebanese wrecked the rear suspension and continued his fall from grace.

Al-Attiyah bounced back with the fastest time in SS11 to extend his lead to 1m 51.5s, with Al-Rajhi maintaining his superb form to record the second fastest time and climb to within 42.8 seconds of second place. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah rolled his battle-weary Subaru Impreza out of contention on the stage and Kuwait's Meshari Al-Sabti shed a rear tyre and retired.

Al-Rajhi was again the fastest driver in the 12th stage and reduced Al-Qassimi's grip on second place to just 33.5 seconds to set up a thrilling final two stages. Al-Marri slipped behind Al-Ketbi into fifth place and faced a late challenge from Georgiou for his top five position.

Sensing a possible threat for his second place, Al-Qassimi pushed a little harder in the 13th stage and was pipped by Al-Attiyah by a mere 0.7seconds, as the Qatari took a 1m 51.1s lead into the final Losail test. Al-Rajhi was again fastest in the Peugeot to confirm the final podium place, but Al-Marri's grip on fourth was failed and he headed into the rocky final 28.3km of Losail, 3.7 seconds behind Georgiou.

A good run through the final 28.3km of Losail was crucial for the leading crews and Al-Attiyah set the fastest time and crossed the line without problems to record his seventh successive home rally win and get the defence of his fifth title in the last six years off to the best possible start. Al-Qassimi punctured and lost second place to Al-Rajhi and there was misery for Georgiou.

Results

Posted: January 25, 2009 9:54 PM

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QA)/Tina Thörner (S) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X 2h 26m 30.5s
2. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (KSA)/Matthieu Baumel (F) Peugeot 207 S2000 2h 28m 59.0s
3. Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Michael Orr (GB) Subaru Impreza N14 2h 30m 51.7s
4. Misfer Al-Marri (QA)/Chris Patterson (GB) Subaru Impreza N14 2h 31m 07.5s
5. Rashid Al-Ketbi (UAE)/Khalid Al-Kendi (UAE) Subaru Impreza 2h 31m 12.1s
6. Salah Bin Eidan (KT)/Dermot O'Gorman (IRL) Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2h 34m 02.3s
7. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi (UAE)/Steve Lancaster (GB) Subaru Impreza N14 2h 34m 21.0s
8. Mubarak Al-Hajri (QA)/Adel Hussein (QA) Subaru Impreza 2h 40m 23.0s
9. Nasser Al-Suwaidi (QA)/Ramzi Al-Mansoor (QA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 2h 41m 21.6s
10. Meshal Al-Nejadi (KT)/Ahmad Al-Khrass (KT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 2h 49m 49.8s

Full Results

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation

REGION'S LEADING RALLY DRIVERS ARRIVE IN DOHA FOR THIS WEEKEND'S QATAR RALLY

Posted: January 20, 2009 5:27 PM

Drivers, co-drivers, event officials and team representatives have arrived in Doha to make their final preparations for this weekend's NBK Qatar International Rally, the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, which takes place in the deserts around Losail, north of Doha, on Friday and Saturday.

Ahead of 34 teams lie 14 challenging special stages in the Qatar deserts, which competitors were permitted to check at low speeds for the first time on Tuesday and tomorrow (Wednesday) under FIA guidelines. The route has been devised by staff at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMS), which is run under the presidency of former competitor Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah.

Several rally team mechanics, French co-driver Matthieu Baumel and one member of the media arrived in Doha directly from the finish of the 31st Dakar Rally in Buenos Aires. Baumel had co-driven Guerlain Chicherit to ninth place overall in the South American classic, which finished in Argentina's capital on Sunday afternoon. He will team up this weekend with Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi in a new Peugeot 2007 S2000, the entry marking the first time that an S2000 Peugeot has taken part in a rally in the Middle East.

"I feel remarkably fresh and ready to go," admitted Baumel, before heading out into the desert to check some of the morning's special stages for the first time. "I managed to get a flight which arrived about one an a half hours before the recce started, so it is all systems go!"

Irish co-driver Michael Morrissey arrived in Doha directly from taking part in the Galway International Rally in Ireland at the weekend with top Irish driver Eamonn Boland. "The weather is a bit different, for sure, and that is a welcome relief," said Morrissey. "I hope I have better luck this week than I did on Sunday with Eamonn. We were leading the rally quite handsomely, despite rain and ice, and then the engine let go. It's a sickening feeling when you hear the noise of a sick engine."

Clerk of the course Elie Semaan, from Bahrain, is pleased with the route and the condition of the special stages for this weekend's traditional seasonal opener. Recent weather has been kind to the northern Qatar deserts and feedback so far has been positive from competitors. "The stages are well defined and graded," insists Semaan. "There is little chance of losing your way and the road book isn't really needed once you have reached the stage starts. We got some good reviews for the stages last year and that gave us the incentive to make things even better in 2009."

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be the second day of 'recce' for competitors, while race officials finalise the set-up for the rally headquarters within the Losail International Circuit. Several of the leading drivers will then attend the official FIA pre-event press conference at 2pm on Thursday afternoon at Losail, prior to the official start on Friday morning.

Documentation will take place on Wednesday evening and the final line-up of cars will pass through official scrutineering checks on Thursday to ensure FIA legality and eligibility.

MISFER AL-MARRI LEADS QATAR RALLY TEAM BID INTO SEASON OPENER

Posted: January 20, 2009 5:26 PM

Thirty-four of the leading rally teams in the Middle East have entered the NBK Qatar International Rally, the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, taking place in the deserts around Losail on January 22nd-24th.

Not surprisingly, Qatari drivers dominate the entry for the two-day, all-gravel rally, which gained praise across the board last year for its slick organisation, excellent special stages and innovative rally headquarters within the confines of Qatar's premier race circuit. The Qatar Rally Team, which runs under the umbrella of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has an excellent chance of taking outright victory in the event this year and fields two cars.

Misfer Al-Marri has replaced Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah as the figure-head driver in the team and has attracted the services of Ulsterman Chris Patterson, the defending champion co-driver. Al-Marri's Subaru Impreza N14 will be prepared and run on the event by Ken Skidmore's Autotek Motorsport operation and Al-Marri is confident that he can match and beat his great local rival, Al-Attiyah, this time.

Al-Marri joins forces in the Qatar Rally Team on this occasion with Khalid Al-Suwaidi and Nasser Al-Kuwari, in a second Subaru Impreza N14. Al-Suwaidi showed his potential on the event in January 2008 and was inside the top five for long periods.

Khalifa Khalifa Al-Attiyah and Rashid Al-Sulaiti will also be hoping for success on their home round of the regional championship. Al-Attiyah has been a regular face on rounds of the series and has a useful turn of speed. He will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX in Qatar.

Former co-driver Mubarak Al-Hajri switched to driving several years ago and then took a rest from motor sport to concentrate on business commitments. But the Qatari - the cousin of former regional champion, Saeed Al-Hajri - has returned with a vengeance recently and feels that he has the pace to make the top five on this occasion. Adel Hussein partners Mubarak in a Subaru Impreza.

Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah is the fifth Qatari driver on the entry list with Lebanese co-driver Ramy Menhem, while the 1993 FIA Middle East Rally Champion, Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani, comes out of special stage rallying retirement to tackle the event with Hamad Taleb Al-Marri in another Subaru. Al-Thani is more often seen on Baja events and Cross-Country rallies nowadays, but retains his enthusiasm for the title he won by pipping QMMF president Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah 16 years ago.

Other Qatar drivers on the entry list include Nasser Al-Suwaid, Hamed Al-Marri, Jaralla Jahman, Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Faisal Al-Attiyah, providing superb home support for the opening round of the regional series. A total of 14 Qatar drivers will line-up at Losail later this week.

"Motor sport has a huge following in Qatar," enthused Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). "We have a successful international rally, our round of the Moto GP series and numerous races at the Losail circuit. The Qatar Rally has been the traditional season opener in the regional rally championship and we are confident that we have strength in depth among the Qatari drivers this time."

BUMPER ENTRY SET FOR NBK QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY SHOWDOWN
Al-Attiyah set to debut new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Chris Patterson to codrive for Misfer Al-Marri this season

Posted: January 12, 2009 9:18 AM

All the top names in Middle East rallying have entered the NBK Qatar International Rally, the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, taking place in the deserts around Losail on January 22nd-24th.

Entries have just closed for the traditional championship starting round and it looks set to be a fascinating opening showdown in the Qatar deserts, with several drivers running in new teams and new cars and a couple of new faces entering the fray to boost the excitement for the organising Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF).

Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah was won the regional series five times in the last six years and he lines up on his home event with a new car and a new co-driver. His regular co-driver Chris Patterson has a contract with the QMMF to co-drive for Misfer Al-Marri this season, so Al-Attiyah will be partnered by his usual cross-country rally partner Tina Thörner in the Middle East series, in addition to rounds of the FIA World Cup and Baja series.

Thörner, from Sweden, is currently in South America where she was competing with Nasser on the Dakar Rally and the pair will drive a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X for the first time in Qatar, the car being prepared by an Austrian team under the management of Raimund Baumschlager. Al-Attiyah was the revelation of the opening four legs of the Dakar, winning two of the four stages with his BMW X-raid team.

The UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi is likely to be Al-Attiyah's main rival in the absence of Roger Feghali and Al-Qassimi returns to the Qatar Rally for the first time for two years with regular Ulster co-driver Michael Orr in a Subaru Impreza N14.

His brother Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi has also entered the event with Steve Lancaster and bolsters a strong UAE contingent that also includes Michel Saleh and a pair of junior Emirati drivers in Ford Fiestas.

Amjad Farrah failed to score a single point in last year's regional campaign, but the Jordanian leads the Amman-based contingent, with Ammar Hizaji also taking part. Yazeed Al-Rajhi flies the Saudi Arabian flag on the much-vaunted Middle East debut of his new Kronos Racing Peugeot 207 S2000.

Nizar Al-Shanfari completed every round of the series last season and returns to represent the Sultanate of Oman, while Saleh bin Eidan heads a five-strong Kuwaiti team. There are no less than 10 Qatari teams on the entry list and there is also representation from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

"We are delighted to see all the top drivers from the region taking part in our opening round of the championship," enthused Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). "Several drivers will use new cars, there are several team changes, but the championship has retained his strength in depth and continues to improve as the seasons progress."

More Details:

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation

SAUDI'S AL-RAJHI SET TO DEBUT PEUGEOT S2000 IN NBK QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY

Posted: December 29, 2008 4:52 PM

Leading Saudi Arabian rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi is set to debut a brand new Peugeot 207 S2000 in the Qatar International Rally, round one of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship, on January 22nd-24th.

The ever-improving Saudi driver won both the Sharqia and Kuwait candidate rounds of the regional series in 2008 in a Subaru Impreza, but the switch to an exciting new S2000 is another indicator that Al-Rajhi is going all out to challenge for the title in 2009. The powerful Peugeot S2000 has been built and will be run on events by the Belgian Kronos Racing team, under the management of Marc van Dalen, and Al-Rajhi will be co-driven by Matthieu Baumel.

Frenchman Baumel is planning to reach Doha directly from taking part in the 2009 Dakar Rally in South America alongside Guerlain Chicherit in an official BMW X3 CC, as a team mate to Qatar's defending regional rally champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah. The Dakar event finishes in Buenos Aires on Sunday, January 18th.

Kronos Racing ran the semi-official Peugeot team in the 2006 FIA World Rally Championship and guided Frenchman Sébastien Loeb to victory, before switching to several major European rallies in the International Rally Challenge (IRC). The team also won the 2003 European title with Belgian driver Bruno Thiry, the 2005 JWRC with Spaniard Dani Sordo and the 2008 International Rally Challenge with Nicholas Vouilloz.

"Yazeed will have a brand new car for Qatar," enthused Van Dalen. "It will have the chassis number 38 and has been fully-prepared for desert-type rallying and the diverse terrain we will experience in this expanding and exciting championship."

The event is being run by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and is based at the Losail International Circuit, north of Doha.

"Ahmed Al-Sabban has been running a Toyota S2000 in the Middle East Championship in 2008 and it is pleasing to see another manufacturers' model coming to the deserts of Qatar," said Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). "The new car's appearance will be a great spectacle for our spectators and will continue to improve the following for the sport of rallying in the region."

Generous concessions and an assistance package are still being offered to GCC and Middle Eastern entrants. International teams will receive free accommodation (room and breakfast) for six nights in a twin-bedded room for driver and co-driver. Competitors will be permitted to check in the designated rally hotel at noon on Monday, January 19th and must check out by noon on Sunday, January 25th.

GCC competitors will also receive cash assistance to the value of $500 USD for starting the rally and finishing the first three special stages. Other Middle East entrants will also receive a similar cash incentive.

Entries for the event have now opened and will close for reduced fees on Thursday, January 1st. The final deadline for entrants will be Thursday, January 8th.

NBK QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY OFFICIALS MAKE MINOR CHANGES TO MERC OPENER

Posted: December 19, 2008 9:02 AM

Officials at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) in Doha have now finalised the route format for the 2009 NBK Qatar International Rally, which will be the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). The event will be based at the Losail International Circuit, north of Doha, and takes place on January 22nd-24th, 2009.

Clerk of the course Elie Semaan has been forced to make minor changes to the route that was highly-acclaimed by competitors and FIA officials in January 2008, but the competitive action will again be centred around the deserts to the north of Doha over two days. In a total route of 618.90km, 259.60km will be competitive.

Special stages in the Losail and Timbak areas will be used for the opening leg on Friday, January 23rd, with three stages running twice, starting between 09.14hrs and 14.35hrs. There will be a further eight timed stages on Saturday, January 24th, with the route running around the Losail, Al-Khor and Ras Laffan areas of the Qatar desert.

Action on leg two is scheduled to get underway from 08.07hrs, with the final Losail special starting at 14.25hrs. The ceremonial finish is scheduled for 15.30hrs and post-event formalities will follow at the Losail International Circuit, while the official rally hotel will be the Movenpick Suites and Tower in Doha.

"We were given excellent feedback by teams and FIA officials last year when it came to our special stages," said Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). "They were well defined, in excellent condition and all safety aspects were adhered to. Safety is an important factor on any event and we pride ourselves with our ability to run top class motor sport events in Qatar, even though we are always looking for ways to improve and progress."

Generous concessions and an assistance package are being offered to GCC and Middle Eastern entrants. International teams will receive free accommodation (room and breakfast) for six nights in a twin-bedded room for driver and co-driver. Competitors will be permitted to check in the designated rally hotel at noon on Monday, January 19th and must check out by noon on Sunday, January 25th.

GCC competitors will also receive cash assistance to the value of $500 USD for starting the rally and finishing the first three special stages. Other Middle East entrants will also receive a similar cash incentive. Entries for the event have now opened and will close for reduced fees on Thursday, January 1st. The final deadline for entrants will be Thursday, January 8th.

NBK QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY SET TO GET 2009 MIDDLE EAST RALLY SERIES UNDERWAY
Generous incentives available to overseas rally teams

Posted: December 1, 2008 10:43 AM

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has confirmed that the 2009 NBK Qatar International Rally will be the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. The event will be based at the Losail International Circuit, north of Doha, and will take place on January 22nd-24th, 2009.

Qatar has traditionally hosted the first round of the popular regional rally series, which will feature eight rounds in 2009 and new events in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, combined with other regular rounds of the series in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus and Dubai.

The Qatar event will be run by the QMMF, under the presidency of Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, with Bahrain's Elie Semaan retaining his place as clerk of the course for a fourth consecutive season.

"We are delighted to be hosting the opening round of the 2009 FIA Middle East Championship," said Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah. "Our event was well received by competitors, FIA officials and members of the media in 2008 and we look forward to maintaining our high standard and organising a safe and challenging rally to get the new season of Middle East motor sport underway."

Qatar organisers will offer generous concessions and an assistance package to GCC and other Middle Eastern entrants. International teams will receive free accommodation (room and breakfast) for six nights in a twin-bedded room for driver and co-driver. Competitors will be permitted to check in the designated rally hotel at noon on Monday, January 19th and must check out by noon on Sunday, January 25th.

GCC competitors will also receive cash assistance to the value of $500 USD for starting the rally and finishing the first three special stages. Other Middle East entrants will also receive a similar cash incentive. Entries for the event have now opened and will close in early January 2009.

Competitors will be permitted to carry out a reconnaissance of the special stages on Tuesday, January 20th and Wednesday, January 21st, before leg one of the all-desert special stage event gets underway in the Qatar deserts on Friday, January 23rd. Competitive action is expected to finish on Saturday afternoon (January 24th) and will be followed by the official podium finishing ceremony at the Losail circuit.

More Details:

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation