Inside Rally

Last weekend saw Nasser Al-Attiyah secure his ninth FIA Middle East Rally Championship with a dominant victory at the 2013 Cyprus Rally. Winning all but one of the 17 stages, the Qatari put in a flawless performance behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta RRC.

”

As the fifth and penultimate round of the series, the action kick-started on Friday evening with Al-Attiyah and co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini winning the opening speed test. Following that first stage win, the pairing did not look back – maintaining the lead and winning the championship in style with almost a three minute advantage over their nearest rival. The victory marked the Olympian’s fourth this season and 49th to date.
Seashore Qatar Rally Team’s Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Killian Duffy claimed third place to seal a double podium for M-Sport’s Fiesta RRC. Having been running in a strong second place for much of the event, Al-Kuwari came tantalisingly close to securing a one-two for the Cumbrian outfit – finishing just 4.7 seconds adrift of the runner-up spoils.

As a true mixed-surface event with a combination of gravel, asphalt and dual-surface stages, the rally will also hold both Al-Attiyah and Al-Kuwari in good stead ahead of the FIA World Rally Championship’s only mixed-surface round of the season at Rally de España – an event in which both Qataris will take to the wheel of the Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

Nasser Al-Attiyah said:

“We have all worked very hard to secure the win here [in Cyprus] so I am very happy to have taken my ninth [MERC] title with such a victory. The championship is very important to me – it’s good for the team, for Qatar, for our sponsors and for everyone who has supported us over the years. I hope we can continue like this.

“Next we head to Dubai where it will be important for us to battle for first place again. I am sure that a lot of people will want to win there, but we will do all that we can to secure another victory.”

M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“A big congratulations to Nasser [Al-Attiyah] and Giovanni [Bernacchini] on securing such a dominant victory in Cyprus last weekend. To win any championship nine times is an incredible feat.

“Congratulations must also be paid to Abdulaziz [Al-Kuwari] and Killian [Duffy] for another impressive performance. They have shown huge progress this year and I am looking forward to seeing how they develop behind the wheel of the Fiesta RS WRC in Spain.

“This result just goes to show how competitive the [Ford] Fiesta RRC is. The fact that the Fiesta RRC has won every Middle Eastern event so far this season, just goes to prove that we have a great car.

Next month’s refreshed Wales Rally GB (14-17 November) has attracted a full capacity line-up of amateur crews all eager to pit their skills against the world’s best on the legendary Welsh forest stages.

As previously confirmed a pair of National Rallies is being run alongside Britain’s concluding round of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Both two-day and three-day formats have proved incredibly popular with potential competitors – in total a maximum of 100 places were available – both are now completely sold out.

Spectators on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be treated to a dazzling selection of rally cars which make up the National entry list. These include proven rally favourites like the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo as well some great classics from past eras such as a Porsche 911, Lotus Cortina and Austin Healey 3000. Further interesting entries come from Race2Recovery, which is fielding no fewer than three competition prepared Land Rover Freelanders. Formed in 2011 by a team of predominantly injured servicemen, Race2Recovery aims to inspire those who are disabled and simultaneously raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

Sébastien Ogier, the newly crowned 2013 FIA World Rally Champion, is hoping to end his title winning season in grand style with victory on Wales Rally GB.

Photo:D.Darrall

However, it will be a tall order for the 29-year-old Frenchman who acknowledges that he’s yet to fully master the notoriously challenging Welsh forest stages. “It’s not my favourite event – I have had a lot of accidents there!” admitted the man who has tackled Wales Rally GB on five occasions and is yet to post a top ten finish, let alone come close to winning. “The stages are really nice but very difficult to judge with varying grip levels, and then there’s the weather. But now with more experience, I’m hoping to secure a good result this year.”

One of the Frenchman’s most spectacular disappointments came when he removed a wheel from his Citroen on the Great Orme in 2010. “It’s an impressive place but I don’t have so many good memories,” he continued. “I have only done the Orme once and then only completed about one kilometre before crashing. This time I’m hoping to complete it… and all the other stages.”

Former Formula One star and this year’s driver of a Citroën DS3 RRC, Robert Kubica will step up to the DS3 WRC for the final round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), competing with co-driver Maciek Baran at the highest level, on Wales Rally GB.

Photo: D.Darrall

With four category wins from the six rallies in which he has competed, Robert Kubica can rightfully feel pleased with his debut season in the WRC. Currently leading the WRC2 championship standings, he will be trying to seal overall victory later this month at Rally RACC Catalunya, where second place would be enough for him to win his first world title. Wales Rally GB, which until now was not part of his programme for this year, will provide him with the perfect opportunity to put his skills to the test in rally’s top-flight category.

“This one-off outing for the works team is a great opportunity for me, but it’s also a huge challenge,” revealed Kubica. “Wales Rally GB wasn’t part of my original programme, so I’m very happy to be able to have this precious experience. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my partners, and especially the Lotos Group and Citroën Racing for having made this possible.”