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Nasser al-Attiyah clinched a record-extending 21st Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title after the Qatari ace won the Cyprus Rally for the 10th time in his career, beating Simos Galatariotis by just 4.63 seconds in a thrilling finish on Sunday.The victory margin was the second-smallest in the history of the Cyprus Rally, which has been organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association since 1970. The narrowest margin was recorded in 2018, when Galatariotis beat Magalhaes by just 0.7 seconds.Galatariotis and co-driver Antonios Ioannou, in a Skoda Fabia RS, headed into the final special stage with a 3.6-second lead after winning three consecutive stages to overturn a one-minute deficit to al-Attiyah and his Spanish navigator Candido Carrera. **media[508930]**Al-Attiyah had encountered problems in the first two stages of the afternoon and finished with their Skoda Fabia damaged. However, al-Attiyah mounted a dramatic fightback in the final stage, pushing hard without a spare tyre and finishing 8.7 seconds faster than his Cypriot rival to snatch victory. Galatariotis secured a place on the Cyprus Rally podium for the third time, his first since winning the event in 2018.The 52nd Cyprus Rally was the fifth and final round of the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.“Winning the Middle East title for the 21st time and the Cyprus Rally for the 10th time is a source of great pride and honour,” al-Attiyah said. “Winning the rally was not easy. I faced many difficulties until the final metres, but I never lost confidence in my ability to fight back and secure victory, with the help of my Spanish navigator, Candido Carrera, and all the team members.”Al-Attiyah also expressed his gratitude for the support he receives from Qatar, saying it continued to motivate him to achieve success and raise the country's flag on the international stage. He added that his victories were the result of hard work and determination, and that he hoped to bring further honours to Qatari sport in future events.Al-Attiyah and Carrera won six special stages, while Galatariotis and Ioannou claimed four. The rally covered 657.74km, including 183.92km across 12 gravel special stages. One special stage, the first scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled after spectators failed to comply with instructions from safety marshals. 

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.