Al-Kuwari brothers Abdulaziz and Nasser (wearing garlands) celebrate their win in the Qatar International rally with QMMF President Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah (extreme right) and other officials yesterday
Agencies/Doha
Qatar’s Abdulaziz al-Kuwari held his nerve and drove in a cool and measured way to secure a stunning victory in the Qatar International Rally, the opening round of the 2012 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), in Doha yesterday.
 Despite fierce pressure from Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah over the second day’s six gravel stages in the Qatar desert, al-Kuwari and his co-driving brother Nasser al-Kuwari emerged victorious by the margin of 2m 24.9s and duly confirmed their first career MERC win and a debut success for the Prodrive-built and Tok Sport-run Mini S2000 in the Middle East.
 “It is a fantastic feeling to win this rally,” said a delighted al-Kuwari, who became the 32nd driver in history to win at least one round of the MERC. “I have achieved success in national rallies in Qatar, but this was the big one. This was the rally I wanted to win. It was a great battle with Nasser. The new car was fantastic. This is the biggest win of my career.”
 Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini produced a classic second day fight back in their Kronos Peugeot 207 S2000. Trailing by 5m 29.3s at the overnight halt after missing the final stage of day one, al-Attiyah began yesterday’s action with two stunning stage times to move up from fifth overall to second position.
Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini celebrate their second place finish
But overhauling al-Kuwari was one bridge too far for the seven-time regional rally champion and he was unable to achieve a 10th successive Qatar Rally win.
It was the first time since 2002 that another driver had won the Qatar International Rally, but al-Attiyah has produced a stunning challenge nonetheless.
 “It was always going to be a big ask to come back and win, but I gave it my best shot,” said al-Attiyah.
 Lebanon’s Nick Georgiou and Nabil Njeim enjoyed their return to MERC action by confirming the final podium position in a Motortune Mitsubishi. Georgiou will now be hoping to kick-start his challenge for honours in a full programme of regional rallies.
 The Turkish female crew of Burcu Cetinkaya and Cicek Guney stunned many of their male rivals on their Qatar debut. Lying third at the overnight halt, the talented Turkish duo retained a professional and cautious pace over the final day to seal fourth overall, beating the previous best fifth place in the MERC they had earned in Dubai last December.
 Qatar’s Misfer al-Marri, the 2010 regional champion, was forced to tackle day two with a fistful of time penalties under SupeRally. He started 11th but surged through the field to take fifth position.
The Kuwaiti Meshari al-Thafiri finished sixth in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Jordan’s Hani Al-Bast, a Khalifa Saleh al-Attiyah of Qatar, Germany’s Edith Weiss and Jordanan Rasheed Alaa rounded off the top 10.
 Qatar’s Khaled al-Suwaidi and Kuwait’s Fahad Ashknani both retired on the first stage of the day with respective engine and front suspension problems. Mubarak al-Hajri staged his own fight back over day two and managed to move up to sixth position after starting eighth. But the Qatari’s Subaru engine failed in the 10th stage and last year’s day one leader was sidelined.
 There was also bitter disappointment for Kuwait’s Essam al-Nejadi. He held fifth until the final stage before succumbing to mechanical problems.