The 2014 FIA Middle East Rally Championship is set for a dramatic climax, with Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah and the UAE’s Sheikh Khalid al-Qassimi locked in a tense fight to the finish in the 36th Dubai International Rally.

 At the end of the first leg yesterday after six special stages, al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini in a Ford Fiesta RRC led by 6.8 seconds over al-Qassimi and Chris Patterson in their Citroen DS3 following a fascinating day-long duel between the two great rivals.

 The Emirati driver must now produce one of the best drives of his career on the second leg if he is to beat defending champion al-Attiyah into second place in Dubai and snatch away his Middle East title by a single championship point.

 Lying third in the championship, Qatari Abdulaziz al-Kuwari had also started the day with his sights still on the Middle East crown, but his hopes faded as he fell another 1:45.7 seconds adrift of in third place on the day. At the end of the leg Qatar’s Khalid al-Suwaidi, the UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah al-Qassimi and another Qatari, Abdulla al-Kuwari, completed the top six.

 It was a classic Dubai International Rally day as the top two seeds fought out a great battle. Al-Qassimi made his intentions clear from the start by winning the first two stages, before sharing the fastest time on the next with al-Attiyah who went on to win the last three.

 In the end al-Qassimi, who is hoping to start UAE National Day celebrations early with a double title success, was left regretting the ten seconds penalty he collected for a jump start on the day’s opening stage.

 He reached the service halt after the first loop of three stages leading al-Attiyah by 5.5 seconds. “I was sure that I didn’t jump start because I was penalised last year and when you have been bitten before you will always be careful,” he said. “Apart from that everything is going fine for me.”

 Looking calm and relaxed, al-Attiyah said: “I cleared the road on the first three stages and didn’t take any risks. We’re ok, and in the second loop we will know all the lines and it will be easier for us.”

 And so it proved as the Qatari, chasing an eighth Dubai Rally victory in a row and a tenth Middle East title forced his way into the lead.  It is unheard of for the championship to reach the final round in Dubai with three drivers still in the title race, although it would take major problems for the top two on the final leg to now let in Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, His prospects had already dwindled over the first three stages. “The first stage was a shock for me because Khaled and Nasser were very fast,” he said. “I don’t where I left anything out on this stage. The second stage I overshot one corner and lost at least ten seconds. Then the last stage I was driving with front wheel (drive) when we broke the rear drive shaft after four or five kilometres.”

 Positions

1. Nasser al-Attiyah / Giovanni Bernacchini (QAT / POL) / Ford Fiesta RRC  59:10.3

2. Khalid al-Qassimi / Chris Patterson (UAE / GBR) / Citroen DS3 / RC2  59:17.1

3. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari / Killian Duffy (QAT / IRL) Ford Fiesta RRC / RC2 1:01:02.8

4. Khalid al-Suwaidi / John Higgins (QTR / IRL) / Ford Fiesta RRC / RC2  1:02:21.6

5. Abdullah al-Qassimi / Gaby Khoury (UAE / LEB) / Ford Fiesta RRC / GP2 1:02:42.9

 

 

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