QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY SET TO KICK-START

QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY SET TO KICK-START

The two-day Qatar International Rally gets underway at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) in Doha on Friday morning and kick-starts a new season of FIA Middle East Rally Championship action. The seven round series takes in events in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and Dubai and annually attracts the cream of off-road drivers from around the Levant and Gulf regions. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah will be bidding for a 10th successive victory on his home event at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta S2000. The Qatari has won 42 regional championship rallies in his illustrious career and starts as a clear favourite to make it 43 victories when the event draws to a conclusion at the QMMF on Saturday afternoon from 15.35hrs. His Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini will be aiming to claim his 14th MERC win. Misfer Al-Marri was the 2010 regional rally champion and is relishing his return to the hot seat after a one-year absence. "To be honest I settled back into the car really well at the test session before the rally," admitted the Qatari, who will be partnered by Italy's Nicola Arena. "The Lancer R4 feels powerful, stable and I am sure it will be competitive. Obviously Nasser will be the man to beat and the new Mini (S2000) looked particularly impressive over jumps on fast terrain when I saw it out testing." The new Prodrive-built Mini will be in the hands of Qatar's Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who starts at number three alongside navigator Nasser Al-Kuwari. Qatar's ...
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