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DEAD SEA (JORDAN): Nineteen-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera will be aiming to extend their perfect winning start to the season with victory in this weekend’s Jordan Rally.

The fourth round of the regional rally series gets underway from the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (RACJ) in Amman on Thursday evening. Spectators are welcome to attend from 18.00hrs with a display of drift and competition cars also on site before the ceremonial start gets underway at 19.15hrs.

Al-Attiyah and Carrera are chasing a fourth successive win this season after victories in Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. While Carrera chases a maiden regional rally title, Al-Attiyah will be hoping that a staggering 90^th MERC event win would also net him a record-breaking 17^th success in the Hashemite Kingdom and yet another win with an Autotek-run Škoda Fabia RS.

The Qatari arrived in Amman from South Africa, via a brief pit stop in Doha, and has been mentally preparing himself in Amman away from the punishing heat at the Dead Sea. The team carried out a brief shakedown test on Tuesday afternoon, although the Qatari is aware that he has strong competition over a dozen challenging gravel stages in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas this weekend.

Al-Attiyah: “Jordan is like a second home for me. My first race was in Jordan in 1989, and we are still coming to race here. We have seen from the recce that the organisers have done an amazing job. I will try my best to win the race again.

“We started the season well with the new Fabia. We tested on Tuesday, and it was a useful test. We changed a few things on the setup, but we had a good base to build on from last year. This is my favourite rally, but we need to be clever. It’s going to be hot, and maybe some people will struggle.

Candido is a professional co-driver, and I have known him for a long time. He doesn’t just co-drive; he does all the planning for every race. I have been surprised by his performance.”

Fresh from a strong result at the recent WRC Rally of Portugal, Rakan Al-Rashed will be hoping to build upon that experience to continue his push for a first ever MERC event win in a Toyota GR Yaris. The Saudi and his Portuguese co-driver Hugo Magalhāes picked up points for second place in Oman and Saudi Arabia and fourth in Qatar to hold second in the title race, albeit 31 points behind Al-Attiyah and Carrera.

Oman’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi won the event outright on his way to the regional title in 2023 and will also benefit from the experience of local co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud this weekend. Al-Rawahi is third in the Drivers’ Championship, with points for second place in Qatar being his best result of the season so far.

Al-Hmoud said, “We have one target and that is to win the rally. It will not be easy, especially with Nasser in the Škoda RS and Rakan with his Toyota Yaris and Abdulaziz with the Citroën.

We have experience in Jordan. Hopefully, we can be at the top level of the game. The Dead Sea at this time of year is very hot. Weather conditions could be tough. I missed Jeddah (Rally Saudi Arabia) because my wife delivered two babies, two young angels, a baby girl, and a baby boy. Now I have a bigger family. We will do our best to win this event.”

Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari is the defending regional champion and also won last year’s Jordan National Championship. The Qatari has enjoyed more seat time this season in rallies and cross-country events and showed with a pair of third-place finishes in Qatar and Saudi Arabia that his Citroën C3 is more than capable of challenging for the win.

Consistent finishes have lifted Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya into fourth in the points standings in his Ford Fiesta, although the Qatari veteran is also chasing glory in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship for Drivers. Three maximum points scores have given Al-Atya a 42-point cushion in that new championship.

Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez, Ihab Al-Shorafa, and Bassel Abu Hamdan complete the line-up of drivers in the Rally2 category in three Škoda Fabias.

The Omani duo of Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Zubair are separated by 15 points in their current duel for FIA MERC2 honours. Both Subaru drivers are hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s champion Shaker Jweihan and lift the region’s secondary championship title, although Jweihan is one of several regional drivers aiming to stop the two Omanis running away with the title.

Jweihan said: “A new stage and it’s the first of the rally. This is a long and important one. I think whoever succeeds there will carry that on throughout the rally. The car feels good, and the preparations have gone well. We will see how this rally goes and how the other guys (Zakariya and Abdullah) fit in. We will look at the results and carry on with the experience.”

Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi, Lebanon’s Shadi Al-Fakih, and Palestine’s Hamada Uda are also chasing MERC2 honours.

The QMMF confirmed the late withdrawal of young Qatari Mohammed Al-Marri because of business commitments. But 21 cars are expected to attend pre-event scrutineering at the Dead Sea on Thursday morning, in addition to nine more solely eligible for the opening two rounds of the Jordan National Championship.

Rashid Al-Mohannadi has a commanding 45-point lead in the FIA MERC4 category. With Al-Marri’s absence this weekend, the Peugeot 208 driver faces resistance from Qatari academy rookie Saad Al-Harqan and Indian driver Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil in his two-wheel drive Ford Fiesta.

The Jordanian duo of Shadi Shaban and Mohammed Al-Shorafa, and Lebanese Joanna Hassoun are also eligible to score MERC points in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs.

This year’s Jordan Rally is supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan.

2025 Jordan Rally – updated entry list:

*denotes not registered for the MERC

2025 Jordan National Rally – updated entry list:

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AMMAN (JORDAN): Jordan Motorsport has announced that this weekend’s fourth round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) will start from the Royal Automobile Club of Jordan (RACJ) for the first time since the early 1990s.

The long-term headquarters for one of the most iconic off-road rallies in Asia will host the pre-event press conference (18.45hrs) and ceremonial start (19.15hrs) on Thursday evening at the club on the Seventh Circle in Amman.

Spectators and motor sport fans will also be treated to a display of drift cars and other machines at a car show organised at the RACJ to continue last Sunday’s Jordan Independence Day celebrations. This will officially get underway for the general public from 18.00hrs on Thursday.

The RACJ was rally headquarters for many years in the days when current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem competed against the likes of the Victory Team’s Sheikh Suhail Al-Maktoum and Khalifa Al-Mutawei, Qatar’s Abbas Al-Mosawi, and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Bakhashab.

The decision to return to the event’s former headquarters comes at a time when the popularity of motor sport is on the rise in the Hashemite Kingdom and the region as a whole. Just over a month after a record entry took part in the Aqaba-based Jordan Baja, 22 crews are currently carrying out their recce for this weekend’s FIA event and will be joined by a further nine entered in the weekend’s two national rallies.

They will compete over 197.60 competitive kilometres in a route of 546.06km, which includes a new 32km opening stage at Tal Hilali on Friday morning (09.44hrs).

That features a small section of the former Bahath special in the Jordan Valley and precedes morning runs through a high-speed 11.08km stage at Karameh and a special at the Baptism Site (11.34km) close to the Dead Sea – the lowest place on earth.

The three stages will then be repeated in the afternoon after a return to the Dead Sea for a midday regroup and service.

Saturday’s remaining three stages are repeated twice with action getting underway with a run though the Panorama stage (17.12km) from 09.09hrs. The first passes through the Suwayma (11.19km) and Wadi Nar (16.07km) complete the morning’s loop and the three timed tests are repeated in the afternoon before the post-event press conference and traditional ceremonial finish at the Dead Sea.

This year’s Jordan Rally is supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan.

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Crews will tackle a dozen special stages and 196.30 competitive kilometres in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas. The event will also count towards the new Junior and Master Championships for Drivers.

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Candido Carrera head the field after winning the opening three rounds of the season in Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. They will be aiming to defend a 31-point lead over Rakan Al-Rashed and Hugo Magalhães in their respective MERC Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ Championships. The record 16-time winner of the event lays trust in his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

A total of eight Rally2 machines grace the entry list: defending regional champion Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, the 2023 MERC champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi, Qatari Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya, Bassal Abu Hamdan, and the Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Ihab Al-Shorafa complete the list. Both local drivers have entered Škoda Fabias.

Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Zubair are currently locked in their battle for supremacy in the FIA MERC2 category in a pair of Subarus, and they head a list of seven crews aiming for showroom class honours.

Local knowledge may favour the defending regional champion Shaker Jweihan, while Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Salem Al-Dhafeeri, Lebanon’s Shadi Al-Fakih, and Palestine’s Hamada Uda round off the MERC2 field. All five challengers to the front-running Omani duo wheel out Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Xs.

Qatari Rashid Al-Mohannadi has a commanding lead in the two-wheel drive FIA MERC4 category after three rounds. He faces competition from young Qatar Academy drivers, Mohammed Al-Marri and Saad Al-Harqan, and Indian driver Payyakkal Panikkaveettil (Ford Fiesta). All three Qataris drive French-built Peugeot 208s.

The local duo of Shadi Shaban and Mohammed Al-Shorafa and Lebanon’s Joanna Hasoun round off the entry in a trio of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs. All but two of the 22 entrants are registered for the MERC.

This year’s event is supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia, and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan.

2025 Jordan Rally – entry list:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP)                                     Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

2. Rakan Al-Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhães (POR)                                                Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2

3. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMA)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR)                                              Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2

4. Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN)                                          Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2

5. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL)                                                 Citroën C3 Rally 2

6. Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO)                                                     Škoda Fabia Rally 2

7. Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR)                                                   Škoda Fabia Evo Rally 2

8. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN)                                                      Škoda Fabia R5 Rally 2

9. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA)                                            Subaru Impreza N14

10. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU)                                            Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

11. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KUW)/Suleiman Al-Helal (KUW)                                     Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

12. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN)                                                        Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

13. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed Al-Mazroui (OMA)                             Subaru Impreza N14

14. Salem Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)/Waleed Al-Dhafeeri (KUW)                                   Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X*       

15. Hamada Uda (PAL)/Mustafa Juma (JOR)                                                         Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X         

16. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL)                                       Peugeot 208 Rally 4

17. Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND)                        Ford Fiesta Rally 4

18. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA)                                Peugeot 208 Rally 4

19. Saad Al-Harqan (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA)                                                  Peugeot 208 Rally 4

20. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR)                                                              Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)

21. Mohammed Al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR)                                            Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)*

21. Joanna Hassoun (LBN)/Sami Fleifel (JOR)                                                       Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT)

*denotes not registered for the MERC

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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA: Jeddah Rally Toyota will draw the curtain on a highly competitive and increasingly popular Saudi Toyota Rally Championship this weekend.

The three-day round of the all-terrain series is based at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit (JCC) and has attracted a field of 38 cars, 16 motorcycles, and six quads. The action gets underway with a Prologue stage of 11km from 15.00hrs on Thursday afternoon.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi leads his Overdrive Racing team-mate Dania Akeel by 21 points in the Ultimate P category and has a 28-point cushion over the recent winner of the FIA Middle East Baja Cup in the overall championship standings. The duo will go head-to-head to decide both titles in their Toyota Hiluxes. Their respective navigators, Timo Gottschalk and Stéphane Duplé, are also separated by 28 points in the Co-drivers’ Championship.

The battle for third place in the points standings is still wide open: Saleh Al-Saif heads into the weekend with a 24-point lead over Hamad Al-Harbi with Moaaz Hariri, Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh and Miroslav Zapletal within striking distance of finishing fourth.

Al-Yaeesh will also be aiming to seal victory in the Ultimate category at the wheel of his Nissan Patrol. He leads fellow Nissan driver Fares Al-Moshna by seven points with Khalid Al-Shammeri starting as the favourite to finish the season in third in class.

Al-Harbi (Can-Am) and Al-Saif (OT3) are great rivals in other FIA championships and they head into the weekend’s Jeddah showdown separated by just two points in the quest to win the prestigious Challenger category.

Maha Al-Hameli and German rival Annett Quandt are closely matched in the battle for the final place on the Challenger podium, with Hamza Bakhashab knowing that if he delivers a top performance through the deserts to the north of Jeddah he will also move into podium contention.

Four Nissan Patrol drivers are still within a shout of securing the Stock title for series-production cross-country machines. Majed Al-Thunayyan is the new FIA Middle East Baja Cup’s Stock champion and will take the start with a two-point cushion over Sufian Al-Omar and a three-point advantage over Saudi Border Guard driver Jafar Al-Qahtani. Fourth-placed Muneef Al-Shammeri is 14 points off the outright class lead.

Moaaz Hariri has already won the Can-Am-dominated SSV category in his Maverick XRS Turbo RR. The Saudi starts the event with a 42-point lead over Abdullah Al-Shegawi, who will go up against R-X Sport’s Orjwan Ammar and Abdullah Al-Haydan in the battle for second and third place.

Three-time FIM Bajas World Cup winner Mohammed Al-Balooshi has won the motorcycle category in all three rounds of this year’s Saudi Toyota Championship and starts as the clear favorite to continue his remarkable recent run of form.

The main competition for the Emirati comes from the host nation’s Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera, Ahmed Al-Jaber, and Mishal Al-Ghuneim, Lebanon’s Rafic Eid, Doha-based Australian Martin Chalmers and UAE-based Briton Alex McInnes.

Haitham Al-Tuwaijri won the quad category in Jeddah Rally Toyota for the last two seasons and will be aiming for a hat-trick when he takes on title rivals Hani Al-Noumesi, Abdulaziz Al-Shayban and Abdulaziz Al-Atawi. Al-Shayban emerged victorious at the last round in Qassim, while Al-Tuwaijri was triumphant in Tabuk back in May and in Ha’il at the start of the season.

Jeddah Rally Toyota 2024 is being organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport, with official partner Jameel Motorsport and strategic partner Saudi Investment Bank. It is running under the supervision of SAMF Chairman H.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal.

Tomorrow, (Thursday), the ceremonial start will take place in the JCC F1 Circuit Parking area from 13.00hrs, before competitors tackle a nearby Prologue from 15.00hrs. This will determine the starting order for the following day’s opening desert stage.

Jeddah Rally Toyota 2024 – leading entries:

Ultimate P

200. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU)                                              Toyota Hilux           

201. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA)                                                     Toyota Hilux

202. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Michal Goleniewski (POL)                                       Ford F-150

Ultimate

203. Abdulaziz Al-Yaeesh (SAU)/Omar Al-Lahim (SAU)                                         Nissan Patrol

204. Faris Al-Moshna (SAU)/Saud Al-Tamimi (SAU)                                              Nissan Patrol

205. Khaled Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Majed Al-Shammeri (SAU)                                Nissan Patrol

206. Owaid Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Ayidh Al-Harbi (SAU)                                         Toyota Land Cruiser

207. Fahad Al-Marmass (SAU)/Fayed Al-Samry (SAU)                                          Nissan Patrol, etc

Challenger

300. Hamad Al-Harbi (SAU)/Aleksei Kuzmich (ARE)                                              Can-Am Maverick X3

301. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU)/Albert Veliamovič (LTU)                                                 G Rally Team OT3                  

302. Maha Al-Hameli (SAU)/TBA                                                                           Can-Am Maverick X3

303. Annett Quandt (DEU)/Annie Seel (SWE)                                                       X-Raid Yamaha YXZ 1000R

304. Hamza Bakhashab (SAU)/Marcin Pasek (POL)                                               Can-Am Maverick X3

305. Waleed Al-Dhakeel (SAU)/Egor Alexandrovich (ANA)                                   MC5

306. Yasir Seaidan (SAU)/Michael Metge (FRA)                                                    Taurus T3 Max

307. Rui Carneiro (PRT)/Ole Floene (NOR)                                                            Can-Am Maverick X3

308. Maria Gameiro (PRT)/José Marques (PRT)                                                    X-Raid Yamaha YXZ 1000R

SSV

400. Moaaz Hariri (SAU)/TBA                                                                                Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

401. Abdullah Al-Shegawi (SAU)/Raid Al-Assaf (SAU)                                           Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

402. Orjwan Ammar (SAU)/Khalid Al-Kendi (ARE)                                                 Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

403. Abdullah Al-Haydan (SAU)/Bader Al-Ajmi (SAU)                                           Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

404. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna (SAU)/Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU)                                     Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

405. Mona Kurdi (SAU)/Ali Hassan Abdullah (ARE)                                               Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

406. Ahmed Al-Sabban (SAU)/Ali Mirza (ARE)                                                      Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR

Stock

500. Majed Al-Thunayyan (SAU)/Fahad Al-Sufyani (SAU)                                    Nissan Patrol

501. Sufian Al-Omar (SAU)/Yasir Al-Khuraif (SAU)                                                Nissan Patrol

502. Jafar Al-Qahtani (SAU)/Hussam Al-Zahrani (SAU)                                         Nissan Patrol

503. Muneef Al-Shammeri (SAU)/Joaan Al-Shammeri (SAU)                                Nissan Patrol, etc

Bikes

1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE)                                                                          KTM Rally Bike

2. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (SAU)                                                                         KTM Rally Bike

3. Ahmed Al-Jaber (SAU)                                                                                        KTM Rally Bike

4. Hanno Geyser (ZAF)                                                                                           Beta 430 RR

5. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU)                                                                                  Husqvarna 450 Rally Replica

6. Rafic Eid (LBN)                                                                                                    GasGas 450 Rally Replica

7. Ehab Al-Hakeem (SAU)                                                                                      Yamaha WR 450F

8. Martin Chalmers (QAT)                                                                                      GasGas 450 RFR

9. Abdulrahman Al-Sheeb (QAT)                                                                            Fantic Enduro

10. Sarah Khuraibet (KWT)                                                                                     Husqvarna FE 450

11. Salman Humood (BHR)                                                                                    KTM 450 Rally Replica

12. Philip Horlemann (ARE)                                                                                    KTM 450 Rally Replica

13. Abdullah Lanjawi (ARE)                                                                                    Kove 450 Rally

14. Luca Passone (SAU)                                                                                          Husqvarna 450 Rally Replica

15. Alex McInnes (ARE)                                                                                          Husqvarna FE 450

16. Mohammed Meerza (ARE)                                                                               Husqvarna FE 501

Quads

100. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU)                                                                             Yamaha Raptor 700

101. Abdulaziz Al-Shayban (SAU)                                                                           Yamaha Raptor 700

102. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU)                                                                                  Yamaha Raptor 700

103. Abdulaziz Al-Atawi (SAU)                                                                               Yamaha Raptor 700

104. Abdulrahman Alabdullatif (SAU)                                                                    CF Moto C Force 1000

105. Osama Al-Sehaibani (SAU)                                                                             Suzuki Raptor

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HA’IL SAUDI ARABIA: The third edition of Rally Jameel, the thrilling world-class navigational rally for women in the region, officially kicked off today in Ha’il, Saudi Arabia.

This year’s event boasts a record number of participants and international representation, with 110 drivers and co-drivers from 36 countries competing for the championship title, building upon the success of the previous editions.

The third edition of Rally Jameel, themed “She Shifts the World,” reflects the rally’s commitment to showcasing women’s empowerment in motorsports. The event culminates on International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2024, adding another layer of significance to this to this unique race. Throughout the rally, competitors will navigate a challenging yet scenic 1,600-kilometer route spanning five diverse landscapes, from the hills of Ha’il to the coastal splendor of Umluj, and including iconic historical sites like AlUla and Yanbu before ending at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Rabigh. 

Ewelina Chlebowska of Poland, the returning champion of the previous edition from the team Sandstorm Express, said “I’m thrilled to embark on this amazing journey once more with women from around the globe. This rally shows that women have the bravery and determination to tackle new challenges. Best of luck to all participants, let’s embrace this wonderful journey together“. 

The event not only offers a platform for women racers but also attracts international participation, with the presence of auto federations and companies, such as The Swedish Automobile Sports Federation, Motorsport Ireland, China Hanwei Motorsport team, and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan.

This year’s edition boasts a mix of returning champions and exciting newcomers. Last year’s winner, Hanna Riehle of Germany is joined by a strong Saudi Arabian rally drivers. Among them is the highly decorated Dania Akeel, who returns for her second shot at the title. Veteran driver Maha Al Hamali, who impressed with a third-place finish in the inaugural edition, also makes a welcome return. Completing the Saudi trio is Reem Al Aboud, a recent graduate of the GR Saudi Driving School, eager to make her mark in her first-ever rally. Catie Munnings, the British rally driver, and Carina Munte, the Chief Championship Officer and co-founder of the FIM E-Xplorer Championship, will also compete in the rally. Finally, Yara Bou Monsef of Lebanon and Raghda Kouyoumdjian of Jordan add an international touch to the diverse lineup.

Reem Al Aboud, from the GR Saudi team, said “Stepping onto the starting line of this year’s rally is an incredible feeling. As a recent graduate of the GR Saudi Driving School, I’m brimming with newfound skills and a thirst to put them to the test. While this might be my first official participation, I’m not here to simply observe. I’m here to soak up every ounce of experience, learn from the legends on the track, and push myself to the absolute limit. “

Text Credits: Rally Jameel 
Photo Credits: Rally Jameel 
Video Credits: ICARUS Sports

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LUSAIL, QATRAR: The diminutive Italian Giovanni Bernacchini was officially confirmed as Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah’s co-driver during Tuesday’s administration checks for this weekend’s Qatar International Rally at the Lusail Sports Arena.

Twenty-three crews and competitors from 17 nations will take part in the opening round of the 2024 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.

Bernacchini replaces Andorra-based Mathieu Baumel, who has been a regular fixture alongside Al-Attiyah since the start of the 2015 season. Baumel cut his teeth in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship with Khalifa Al-Attiyah, Yazeed Al-Rajhi, and Abdullah Al-Kuwari. Together, he and Al-Attiyah won four Dakars, two W2RC titles, 30 MERC rallies, and nine regional FIA championships.

Fifty-year-old Bernacchini last competed with Al-Attiyah in 2014 and secured the fourth of his Qatar International Rally victories to add to wins in 2010, 2011, and 2013. In total, he has won 25 rallies in the MERC, a number equaled by Chris Patterson but still adrift of the record-holding Ronan Morgan (41) and Baumel (32). He will now co-drive for the Qatari on all five rounds of the regional rally series.

Al-Attiyah said: “It’s not a new challenge with Giovanni. He was with me for a long time and we won the championship together several times. This year I decided to have him again. For me, it was not working like what I wanted with Mathieu. Still, we have a good relationship and now he is free. I also have my decision for the next co-driver for the Dakar and cross-country (Edouard Boulanger).

At the moment I don’t know if we will do some more rallies. We will do the Middle East and, in the event of the sponsor Visit Qatar, I think they want to have three or four races in WRC, maybe WRC2. Maybe Portugal, Sardinia, Greece, basically the ones that I like. We will also be very busy with the new program of Dacia.

After several months with the cross-country car, this morning the car felt very slow. I did 30km of testing this morning and I adjusted myself and we changed a lot of things, just to be sure and to make a good start for the Qatar Rally.”

Bernacchini added: “It is a pleasure for me to come back after 10 years with Nasser. We won four times here together and I hope that this new adventure after 10 years can be as successful. It’s something that surprised me in a very good way but I hope our agreement can bring back the same victories. When I left Nasser, I still tried to win some races in the Middle East. Now I have the chance again. I hope to increase my number of victories.”

Bernacchini competed alongside Al-Attiyah’s cousin Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya last year in both the Oman and Qatar rallies and finished fifth and sixth overall. He has also co-driven in the region for Khalid Al-Suwaidi, Rashed Al-Ketbi, and Roger Feghali.

Several drivers, including Al-Attiyah and the trio of Mads Østberg, Pierre-Louis Loubet, and Mārtiņš Sesks (who are competing in Sports Racing Technology-run Skoda Fabia RS Rally2s) tested their cars in the desert to the north of Doha on Tuesday morning.

Loubet will be co-driven by Loris Pascaud this season in the WRC2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship. He and Pascaud, who has worked as an integral member of the Frenchman’s gravel crew for the last two seasons, will use the event in Qatar as an invaluable acclimatization exercise. After taking part in the Africa Eco Race at the start of January and claiming five stage wins in an Apache SSV, Loubet spent last weekend in the commentary box for Canal+ Sport at the Monte-Carlo Rally.

Sesks was testing at the helm of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in central Finland recently and Østberg was involved in testing for the recent Sigdalsrally in Norway. Both events were a far cry from the deserts of northern Qatar.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), competitors carry out a detailed reconnaissance of the dozen gravel stages that have been laid on by the QMMF through Qatar’s northern deserts.

The Waab Al-Mashrab stage is similar to 2023 but there have been minor changes to sections of both the Al-Waab and Umm Birka specials, with new tracks added into the middle part of both specials.

The Al-Khor stage features a new start section and will be run in the opposite direction to 2023, while the majority of the Ras Laffan and Al-Thakhira stages remain unchanged except for a new start and finish section for the Ras Laffan special and a short change near the end of Al-Thakira.

The 2024 Qatar International Rally gets underway from Lusail Boulevard at 19.00hrs on Thursday evening, before competitors tackle an exciting opening super special stage at the LCSC Karting Academy from 20.00hrs.

There is a chance of light rain on Thursday and blustery and less settled weather conditions on Friday and Saturday.

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Starting just behind his main rival on stage eight, Brabec pulled out the stops to lead most of the day, increasing the gap at one point to over three minutes over Branch. However, after 400 km of the special, he had dropped behind his teammate Adrien Van Beveren, losing time in the final 50 km to end the day in seventh place. Despite this setback, Brabec still managed to open up his overall standings lead to 42 seconds.

Van Beveren made the most of his tenth-place starting position, moving himself up the order after his favored sand section to third place. Still chipping away for a podium position, he gained another three minutes on the leading trio of Brabec, Branch, and Cornejo.

The job of starting the stage was left to Cornejo, who clung on for some much-needed bonuses to finish just 14 seconds behind Van Beveren as he continued to occupy that final podium position overall. Pablo Quintanilla was looking for a more positive day on the Dakar, but a lack of confidence in the dunes saw him fall the order to eleventh place.

With riders spending the night next to Ha’il airport, they will take off for stage nine towards AlUla, which makes a return to the route on this year’s Dakar. The fascinating ancient city will welcome the riders after a total 639 km distance, 417 km of which will test them to their limits with complicated navigation and rocky expanses keeping them on their toes.

Ruben Faria (General Manager) “It was a very good day for us, we’re still leading with Ricky and he increased the gap to Ross Branch. Nacho did a really good job taking the bonuses on the stage and it allowed him to recover time to Ricky and Ross as he gets ever closer to them in the overall standings.

Adrien is a little bit further behind in fourth but he’s still very close to a podium position, we’ll see what he can do in the next few days to make up the difference.

Even with the problems Pablo has had in the last days, we’re happy that he’s still in the race. Now he can help his teammates should they have any issues that arise over the coming stages.

Tomorrow is stage nine and although it looks really difficult our riders are in good shape to tackle it, so we’ll see what happens.”

Pablo Quintanilla 7 (Stage: 11th; Overall: 12th) “I honestly didn’t feel so good today and felt that I couldn’t ride with much confidence. The first part had some sandy sections with dunes and some of the drops were difficult to see. When you don’t feel so confident then you go slower so I’m glad I got to the end of the stage.”

Ricky Brabec 9 (Stage: 7th; Overall: 1st) “I didn’t want to start too far away from Ross tomorrow so I had to play a little bit of cat and mouse with him. I caught him early on so stuck with him all day, then at the refueling point I saw some times and I was winning. I let Ross take over and open the way to the finish line as we had to play smart today and I didn’t want him starting behind me tomorrow. It was still a good day to finish seventh and I’ll continue to have fun out there.”

José Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo 11 (Stage: 4th; Overall: 3rd) “I had a good stage today even though it was tricky, it was easy to make big mistakes so it was a case of trying to ride safely and smoothly. I lost just a little bit of time today but I have a good starting position for tomorrow which should help for stage nine.”

Adrien Van Beveren 42 (Stage: 3rd; Overall: 4th) “I was riding well and I felt good on my bike but I had to make a choice when I checked the times of my competitors at the refueling point. I had to calculate to slow up as I didn’t want to pay the price by starting up front tomorrow. Even though I did this I still finished third so I don’t think it was the best choice in the end. I’m not happy to throw away a stage victory in this way as it’s not a good feeling, but let’s see if we can make some difference over the next days.”

Honda’s Ricky Brabec has maintained his lead in the overall standings of the Dakar Rally 2024 after stage eight, despite facing tough competition from Ross Branch and Jose Ignacio Cornejo. Adrien Van Beveren moved up to third place, while Pablo Quintanilla struggled with confidence in the dunes and finished in eleventh place. The riders will now face a challenging stage nine towards AlUla, with complicated navigation and rocky expanses keeping them on their toes.

2024 World Rally Raid Championship

RallyGP Results – Stage 8

RallyGP Provisional Standings after Stage 8

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SAUDI ARABIA: The 2024 Dakar Rally has finally begun in Saudi Arabia with the prologue kicking off the action for the Monster Energy Honda Team amidst the breathtaking backdrop of AlUla.

Riding amongst the historical rock formations, the first Honda RallyGP rider out of the starting blocks was Tosha Schareina on today’s 27 km course being on full attack from the get-go. The young Spaniard brilliantly topped the timesheets and therefore saw him take his first ever Dakar stage win.

The organisers had set a very tricky prologue which saw riders being tested on off-piste and sandy sections relying heavily on their navigation skills.  A day after his 33rd birthday, Adrien Van Beveren kept in touching distance of Tosha to be fourth just 24 seconds behind, while Dakar Legend Pablo Quintanilla posted the seventh quickest time of the day.

The vastly experienced pairing of Ricky Brabec and José Ignacio Cornejo were a little further back finishing in thirteenth and fourteenth as they will look to move up the rankings as the rally gets underway proper tomorrow.

A tougher than usual challenge for the opening day, it wasn’t the ideal start for Skyler Howes as an error saw him not only his Honda CRF450 RALLY but also his road book.  Despite losing time there are still two weeks of rallying to go and the American rider is positive he can change things around.

The bonus of finishing in the top ten today means riders will get to choose their place for tomorrow’s stage later on this evening and with Tosha on top it’ll be interesting to see what position he chooses.  Don’t forget he won World Rally-Raid Championship stages in 2023 despite being first on the stage so this could very well be factored into his plan for tomorrow.

Stage one will kick off the first weekend in January with riders heading East from AlUla to Al Henakiyah where they will be thrown into a 414 km special stage.  A 127 km liaison will make up the 541 km total distance in what promises to be a demanding day with rocky terrain and volcanoes on the menu as riders head to the first bivouac.

Ruben Faria (General Manager)

“It didn’t go too badly for the first day of action for the Monster Energy Honda Team at this year’s 2024 Dakar Rally with almost all our riders in the top 20. It was an unlucky situation for Skyler as he had a little crash and broke some parts on the bike, so he couldn’t ride as well as he wanted to. The rest of the riders are all in a good spot for tomorrow which is important for stage one, so today has been a good start for the team.”

Pablo Quintanilla 7 (Prologue: 7th)

“It was not an easy prologue, there were many lines, it was sandy, bumpy, some sections were tricky and I got confused with one note so lost a few seconds. It’s important to start the prologue without crashing or with any big issues so for me it went well. I also have a good start position for tomorrow when we start the real race with longer stages, so I’m happy with the day.”

Ricky Brabec 9 (Prologue: 13th)

“It’s just the prologue but I’m happy to get through that and start the rally. We’ll see how everyone chooses their position for tomorrow and hopefully, we’ll start in a good spot. The prologue wasn’t technical, but it wasn’t easy, the navigation was a little bit tricky, trickier than you would think going through all these canyons. It’s only the prologue so finishing a minute and 20 seconds out is not a big deal.”

Skyler Howes 10 (Prologue: 42nd)

“This prologue was really not a good start for me, the organization likes to play a bit with some things and they had some sticks that we were supposed to go through. There were so many lines going through each way throughout the open desert that it was hard to see these sticks, I cut across to go through them, hit a big camel grass that was obviously off track, and had a really big crash, but luckily I was OK. I damaged the bike, lost quite a bit of time and it was hard to ride afterwards as I’d also damaged the road book so I had to rely on following the tracks.

Then later on in the stage, there was a tricky note, obviously, I had no roadbook to verify so I was more or less going around in circles just trying to figure it out. Finally, I validated the way point and was able to continue on but I lost about five minutes today which is super frustrating and an annoying way to start the race like this.”

José Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo 11 (Prologue: 14th)

“The first day of action was definitely not easy, heavy sands, and some rocky sections in the middle definitely made it interesting, but overall it wasn’t a bad day at all. We’ll have a different starting position for stage one but tomorrow is where the real action starts. With some little changes on the bike, I’ll be ready to go out there and fight.”

Adrien Van Beveren 42 (Prologue: 4th)

“For the first day, it was like a mini stage, not a usual prologue where you have the lines and you follow a track. There was more navigation, a lot of notes in the road book and I realised we had to focus on that and keep pushing at the same time. The lines of the guys in front of us made it a bit confusing at times because they were not always going in a good direction. It was a busy stage but I’m happy, the bike is going really well and we’re going to be ready for the push tomorrow.”

Tosha Schareina 68 (Prologue: 1st)

“I felt really good in the prologue, it was longer than expected with more navigation and it was 100% sand too. Of course, we have to keep our feet on the ground because the main race starts tomorrow, so I will keep focused on that and keep thinking about Dakar.

2024 World Rally Raid Championship Provisional Standings after Prologue

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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA: Yazeed Al-Rajhi, driving his new Overdrive Toyota Hilux, won the opening desert stage of Jeddah Rally Toyota 2023, extending his lead in the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship. The stage started in Rabigh and provided a varied challenge to the drivers and riders, drawing the curtain on another season of international cross-country rallying.

Strong winds and shifting sand delayed the start of the second section of the day’s stage. Competitors started as usual in the morning, but safety and medical helicopters were unable to fly on safety grounds, and the second part was delayed until weather conditions improved.

Al-Rajhi won the day’s competitive stage by 14min 27sec and extended his advantage to 14min 38sec. “All is good,” said Al-Rajhi. “We took a longer time because of safety, but everything was going well. Me and Timo did a good job. The new car has some evolutions, but it is working well for us. This is a good test, but it is also important to win this race.“

Al-Rajhi’s closest title rival Saleh Al-Saif kept up the pressure on the Toyota driver with the second quickest time and moved up to a similar position in the overall standings. He also headed the T3 section for lightweight prototype vehicles in his G Rally Team OT3.

Race World’s Yasir Seaidan guided his Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR to third overall and continued to lead the lightweight production T4 category. Argentina’s 32-year-old Nicolas Cavigliasso won the quad category at the 2019 Dakar Rally before making the switch to racing off-road vehicles. He and co-driver Valentina Pertegarini delivered a superb performance in their Wevers Sport Taurus T3 to finish the stage in fourth and second in T3.

Overnight motorcycle leader Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera won the day’s stage by 1min 55sec to extend his advantage over Mishal Al-Ghuneim to 8min 20sec. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri gained the advantage over championship rival Hani Al-Noumesi in the quad category by winning the stage and building up a lead of 26min 12sec over Abdulaziz Al-Atawi.

The event is being organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport, official partner Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors, and strategic partner Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB). The competitive action concludes on Saturday with a 109km stage, starting at the historic city of Jeddah.

In addition to Al-Rajhi’s win, Abdulhaleem Al-Mogheera and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri won the bike and quad stages, respectively, while T2, T3, T4, and T5 stage wins went to Al-Omer, Al-Saif, Seaidan, and Sugawara. The Jeddah Rally Toyota 2023 is the fourth round of the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship.

Jeddah Rally Toyota 2023 – Positions after SS1 (unofficial):

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