Al-Attiyah, al-Kuwari set for Abu Dhabi Rally

Qatar’s AbdulAziz al-Kuwari is among the front-runners for the Abu Dhabi Rally title along with Sheikh Khalid bin-Faisal al Qassimi (left).

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Qatari drivers Khalifah al-Attiyah, AbdulAziz al-Kuwari and Abdulla al-Kuwari will be among the star attractions in the Abu Dhabi Rally, which is set to be begin today with a spectator stage on the Yas Marina Circuit.

The rally will be a highly competitive event featuring some of the top drivers from the UAE, Qatar and Lebanon.

Sheikh Khalid bin Faisal al-Qassimi and his co-­driver Chris Patterson in their DS3 RRC were  one of the first to register for the event and are one of the hot favorites to clinch the title.

Al-Qassimi came into the spotlight in 2002 when he won the Group N title in the Middle East Rally Championship. Ever since then, Sheikh Khalid has gone from strength to strength.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Faisal al-Qassimi, Sheikh Khalid’s elder brother, along with his co-driver Steve Lancaster has also confirmed his participation in the Ford Fiesta RRC.

Sheikh Abdullah will be a serious contender for the AD Rally title having won the UAE title in 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2008, and 2010. He also won the MERC Group N title in 1998, 2000, and 2003.

Abu Dhabi rally is expected to see hot competition from Qatari champ AbdulAziz al-Kuwari, who had a two-year winning streak in the Qatar National Rally between 2010 and 2012. Al-Kuwari had a successful last year in the World Rally Competition (WRC2), winning in Argentina, Mexico, and Australia.

The Abu Dhabi Rally consists of nine stages, kicking off with an asphalt stage (3.51km) at the Yas Marina Circuit today, the most advanced and sophisticated Formula One circuit in the world, where each driver will have two attempts at recording his fastest time.

On the second day (Friday), the first stage is Ghantoot (18.7 km), the second is Al Jarf (20.55 km), and the third stage is Al Maha (12.7km) and then Al Taweelah stage (21.1 km).