Qatari rally legend Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah added another golden chapter to his illustrious career by securing a record-breaking 20th FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title, following a gripping second-place finish at the Rally of Lebanon.
Despite missing out on a potential victory in one of the most thrilling finales the Lebanese rally has seen in recent years, the veteran’s runner-up finish behind local hero Roger Feghali was enough to mathematically seal the championship with one round remaining in Cyprus.
It was Feghali, the undisputed king of Lebanese tarmac, who ultimately claimed his record 18th Rally of Lebanon win after a titanic two-day battle with al-Attiyah. Driving his Toyota Yaris GR, Feghali trailed al-Attiyah by 6.7 seconds overnight but clawed his way back to within 1.4 seconds heading into the final stage.
Al-Attiyah, competing in his Skoda Fabia RS run by Autotek Motorsport, looked set to edge out his rival until a slow right-rear puncture on the final stage dashed his hopes of a maiden Lebanon win. Feghali capitalised, clocking the fastest time on the final test to clinch victory by 9.2 seconds.
“This is always a fantastic rally and it was a tremendous battle between myself and Roger,” said al-Attiyah. “We pushed hard all the way. I was obviously disappointed to have the puncture on the last stage, but it’s a great feeling to have won the championship now for the 20th time.”
Crucially, Feghali was not registered for MERC points, allowing Al-Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera to collect maximum regional points for a fifth consecutive rally. Carrera had already sealed the Co-drivers' Championship before the start of the event.
This landmark title also marks a personal triumph for Autotek Motorsport’s Ken Skidmore, who has engineered all 20 of Al-Attiyah’s MERC titles. Skidmore's record also includes championship wins with the late Misfer al-Marri and the shared 2023 crown between al-Attiyah and Oman’s Abdullah al-Rawahi.
Elsewhere, Qatar’s presence was felt across multiple categories in Lebanon. Mohammed Al-Marri, a graduate of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) Academy, continued his impressive MERC4 campaign, finishing ahead of India’s Payyakkal Panikkaveettil. With teammate Rashid al-Mohannadi having already secured the MERC4 title in absentia, al-Marri is now poised to complete a Qatari 1-2 in the championship.
Veteran Nasser Khalifa al-Atya sealed the FIA Master MERC Driver title, finishing 15th overall alongside Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab in a Ford Fiesta. The pair also scored valuable points toward al-Atya’s push for a top-three finish in the overall standings. Chehab remains in contention for second in the Co-drivers’ Championship, behind Carrera.
