Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg delivered a stunning performance on his first appearance at the Qatar International Rally to open up a 12.2-second lead after six gravel special stages on Friday. Competing in the southern Gulf region and Qatar for the first time, the Skoda Fabia R2 evo driver belied his lack of experience and teamed up effortlessly with Austrian co-driver Ilka Minor for the first time to win four of the day’s six stages.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Ostberg. “This is a brand new experience for me. I felt more and more comfortable through the day. I guess the approach we have had has been quite correct. It’s not been easy and, for me, the more difficult part starts tomorrow when we open the road. We discussed if we should play some tactics and we decided not to. We are here to learn and we might as well learn by opening the desert. I have been lucky enough not to have any issues today but I am not saying anything until I am at the end.”
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah is bidding for a 16th win on home gravel but faces his stiffest ever test today. He and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel delivered a solid performance without problems to hold second overall.
“This will be good for us for tomorrow with Mads opening the road,” said al-Attiyah. “We can push. It’s important that we finished today without any problems. We are quite happy. Kris (Meeke) will have a good line tomorrow. He has nothing to lose and will push. For me, it is important to win and score maximum points for the championship.”
Andorra-based Ulsterman Kris Meeke showed a formidable turn of speed to win the first two stages and lead after the opening loop. But an unfortunate roll at the start of SS4 dented his chances. Meeke and co-driver Chris Patterson recovered well to finish the leg in fifth overall.
The former WRC star said: “First hairpin right of the stage. It was a junction and I came in, hand braked it in and I just caught the rut. I thought I had it, balanced it on two wheels but, unfortunately, it went over. We had to wait for spectators to push us back and I had to get out of the car. The car is fine. We’ll hang in there. You never know. Punctures on this rally can happen. Two fastest times today. It’s been enjoyable. It’s just a pity….a silly hairpin right. It’s nice out there. We will continue.”
Qatar’s Abdulaziz al-Kuwari and Australian co-driver Dale Moscatt benefited from Meeke’s problems and rounded off the podium places in their Skoda. The 2012 event winner said: “Good, second loop was better. We are trying our best but it is not easy and we are far away from not driving for a long time. But we are happy.”
Khaled al-Suwaidi and Hugo Magalhaes were classified in fourth place and Oman’s Abdullah al-Rawahi delivered a measured performance to hold sixth in his Skoda. Al-Rawahi said: “Quite happy, We are not quite used to stages which are fast. It was quite tricky in the first run. But we are getting used to it and we are getting used to the car as well. It is a new car for me. Tomorrow is another day. I think it will be even more tough than today. It is more rough, so we see how it goes.”
Kuwait’s Meshari al-Thefiri was the class of the MERC2 field in his seventh-placed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The multiple winner of the showroom category won all six stages to take a lead of 4min 53.2sec over Oman’s Zakariya al-Aamri into the night halt.
MERC2 series leader Ihab al-Shorafa and fellow Jordanian Issa Abu Jamous rounded off the top 10 and held third and fourth in MERC2. Qatar’s Mohamed al-Attiyah held 11th and Edith Weiss celebrated 30 years of participating in the event in 12th.
Hamed al-Wahaibi’s rally ended prematurely after he left the track at speed, clouted the front of the Fabia and sustained radiator and engine damage. The Omani said: “I lost the road about four times. The first time I lost it over a jump, I went straight. I couldn’t see it. I hit a bump and we damaged the radiator and we continued and lost the road again. We didn’t have a warning to the end of the stage. We were leaking, leaking, leaking. That’s what happened. I guess it’s not meant to be. Maybe I need more cautious recce and notes.”
All three entrants in the Qatar National Rally suffered their own varied issues on the first loop of stages, but Ahmed Allouh and Henry Kahy were permitted to tackle the afternoon’s action. Today, teams tackle a further two loops of three graded gravel stages in the north of Qatar. Action gets underway with the 14.50km Al Waab stage between Al Mashrab and Umm Al Qahab from 08.53hrs. The longer Umm Birka (24.54km) stage follows at 09.28hrs and precedes a 21.33km at Ras Laffan from 10.20hrs.
Competitors then return to the Losail Circuit for a regroup and service before the three specials are repeated at 13.03hrs, 13.38hrs and 14.30hrs. The post-event press conference and podium ceremony will then take place from 18.20hrs onwards.

Qatar International Rally positions after SS6
1. Mads Ostberg (HUN)/Ilka Minor (AUT) Skoda Fabia R2 evo 46min 08.5sec; 2. Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (AND) Volkswagen Polo GTI 46min 20.7sec; 3. Abdulaziz al-Kuwari (QAT)/Dale Moscatt (AUS) Skoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 14.6sec; 4. Khaled al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Hugo Magalhaes (PRT) Skoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 25.8sec; 5. Kris Meeke (AND)/Chris Patterson (IRL) Skoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 31.4sec; 6. Abdullah al-Rawahi (OMN)/Ata al-Hmoud (JOR) Skoda Fabia R2 evo 48min 19.4sec; 7. Meshari al-Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser al-Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 54min 05.1sec; 8. Zakariya al-Aamri (OMN)/Mohamed al-Aamri (OMN) Subaru Impreza 58min 58.3sec; 9. Ihab al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 03min 27sec; 10. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 05min 56.1sec; 11. Mohamed al-Attiyah (QAT)/Savvas Laos (CYP) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 08min 31.8sec; 12. Edith Weiss (QAT)/Serena Mattivi (ITA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 08min 44.2sec