“Managing expectations” was the predominant theme of the 36th Rally of Lebanon seeing that the expected “great battle” between Roger Feghali and Nasser Al-Attiyah never materialized and the former took a comfortable victory.
In 2014, Rally of Lebanon has been all about managing situations so far, since the country’s political and economic states were not in favor of hosting the most important Motorsport event of the year. Despite the obstacles, 37th Rally of Lebanon is still going ahead and things are looking excellent so far.
The 37th running of Rally of Lebanon will kick off on Thursday, August 28 with the Total Special Stage in Beirut Waterfront at 7:00 PM. 13 special stages, spanning across 4 days, will account to 245.66 kilometers of the total 796.21-kilometer distance. Compared to the 2013 event, this year’s rally is 57 kilometers shorter in total.
31 drivers will contest the rally compared to 38 in 2013. Drivers are headed by Roger Feghali who holds the record for most victories, with 11 in total and 10 in a row since 2003. Roger aims to secure a 12th victory while younger Abdo targets his first ever. Roger will drive a Mitsubishi Evo X R4 due to Nasser Al Attiyah’s – his usually main rival – absence, he also opted for the Evo X R4 to cut unnecessary costs. Abdo has rejoined the Group N class with an Evo X after two years in a MINI RRC. However, this is will not hamper him in any way and the 2013 Lebanese Rally Champion will always be there to snatch the opportunity in case it presented itself.
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Alkuwari will try to better his position in the Middle East Rally Championship but it is improbable he’ll be able to defeat Roger or Abdo, despite sitting behind the wheel of a Fiesta RRC. Alkuwari will most likely fight it out with Group N drivers Nicolas Amiouni and Eddy Abou Karam for the final podium spot, in addition to Rodrigue Rahi who can never be ruled out. Abdullah Alkuwari, who’s driving one of the fastest cars, a Fiesta R5, should also provide more excitement in the battle for third place, while Tamer Ghandour is expected to miss the rally our sources have told us.
Front-wheel drive competition, on the other hand, will be split in two: the battle for R3 glory and the battle for R2 glory. Robert Aaraj appears to have the edge in the R3 class and has been clever in his strategic decisions so far; he has picked a car that suits his driving style very well, and he has gotten used to the Citroen DS3 R3 and his 3 victories this season are a testament. Aaraj’s main rivals will be Bassel Abu Hamdan in a similar car and Henry Massaad in the Renault Clio R3. Meanwhile, the R2 class victory is expected to boil between returnee Naji Stephan who’s driving a Motortune-prepped Peugeot 208 R2 and Majed Khoury in the Skoda Fiesta R2. Stephan returns after an 8-year hiatus and has vowed to fight for the win against the active Khoury.
Although his name is not shown on the official entry list, Hicham Al Abiad will drive a Renault Clio RS under Carl Chalhoub’s entry.
In terms of teams, Motortune plans to win in every category, whether it is Group N with Abdo Feghali or the 1600cc class with Naji Stephan, without mentioning Roger Feghali who’s likely to take the overall win. Tony Germany Rally Skills will pin its hopes on two drivers in the Group N class, Eddy Abou Karam and Rodrigue Rahi. Abou Karam has shown great speed and consistency this season, especially during the Cedars Rally where he finished on the podium.
Our Lebanese tarmac will bring on the drama, so expect a lot to happen, and having the right strategy ahead of the rally will prove to be a key factor for the win. Moreover, the Total Super Stage will prove to be a determining factor in the Rally this year, laying some early marks especially that mistakes are not allowed and a long stage of 4 kilometers is not something to be taken lightly. It is no secret that the Special Stages are very well known to drivers who have been blatantly practicing all summer long, therefore any excuses will be frowned upon.
Overall, the main concern this year was the country’s situation, but the ATCL has been relentless in its efforts to keep the event alive. Fortunately, the organizers have succeeded and we’re seeing plenty of sponsors and backers stand behind the drivers and the rally as a whole.