Al-Attiyah and Carrera Dominate After Seven Stages at Oman Rally
SOHAR (OMAN): Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, with co-driver Candido Carrera, extended their lead to 3 minutes and 32 seconds after seven stages of the 28th Oman International Rally on Friday afternoon.
The Qatari driver claimed victory in all six of the day’s challenging gravel stages, held in the rugged terrain to the northwest and west of Sohar. Al-Attiyah, driving a Škoda Fabia RS, is now on track to achieve a record eighth win in Oman.
“I’m happy with the result today. The car is performing well, and Candido has done a fantastic job,” Al-Attiyah commented. “It was a good day overall, though I feel for Abdulaziz after his accident on SS7. We saw him off the stage; it was a tricky spot. We’ll see tomorrow if we need to slow down, but there’s the Power Stage as well.”
Despite enduring two punctures during the opening stage, Saudi Arabia’s Rakan Al-Rashed and co-driver Hugo Magalhães kept up a solid pace in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2, maintaining second place. “It’s been a while since we’ve been part of this championship, and today showed just how rough the terrain can be,” Al-Rashed remarked. “We managed our pace wisely, especially after the morning’s issues.”
Meanwhile, Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah and Ziad Chehab recovered from a minor setback the previous evening, securing third place in their Ford Fiesta Mk II.
Defending champion Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, making his debut with a Citroën C3 this season, was on course for a strong finish until a misjudged corner caused him to crash during the last stage of the day. “I’m still getting used to the car, but it’s been a challenge on these stages,” Al-Kuwari shared before the accident. “I’m trying to be more confident in the Citroën, and Lorcan is doing a great job with the pace notes.”
A mechanical failure hindered Abdullah Al-Rawahi and Ata Al-Hmoud’s efforts, causing them to retire early after a damaged rear hub on their Škoda Fabia RS.
Jordan’s Shadi Shaban and Samer Issa were in fourth overall, while Qatar’s Rashid Al-Muhannadi, paired with Gary McElhinney, held fifth place in their Peugeot 208 Rally 4.
Oman’s Abdullah Al-Zubair and Taha Al-Zadjali were sixth, leading the MERC2 category in their Subaru Impreza despite losing time on the penultimate stage.
Other competitors in the top ten included Jordan’s Ihab Al-Shorafa, Saudi Arabia’s Ibrahim Al-Muhanna, and India’s Saneem Payyakkal.
By the end of Friday’s action, Zakariya Al-Ofi led the Oman National Rally in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
Friday Highlights:
Al-Attiyah began the rally strong, setting a 31.7-second lead on the opening Ar-Rusays stage, northwest of Sohar. He then continued his dominant run with stage wins, further extending his lead as the day progressed.
The opening loop saw Al-Attiyah add another 49 seconds over Al-Kuwari, who struggled on the rough terrain, while Al-Rashed fought back from his morning punctures to stay in second.
Al-Rawahi’s hopes for a home victory were dashed when a mechanical issue took him out of contention. “The car felt fine initially, but we had a problem just before the end of the stage,” Al-Rawahi said. “We didn’t hit anything, so we’re unsure of the cause.”
The afternoon saw Al-Attiyah sweep the stages, increasing his lead by over a minute. Al-Kuwari’s crash in the final stage allowed Al-Rashed to claim second place, while Al-Zubair led the MERC2 category.
Saturday’s action resumes with two loops of three more stages, culminating in the ceremonial finish at the Sohar Entertainment Centre.
2025 Oman International Rally – Positions After SS7 (Unofficial):
- Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2 – 1hr 08min 37.1sec
- Rakan Al-Rashed (SAU)/Hugo Magalhães (PRT) Toyota Yaris Rally 2 – 1hr 12min 09.1sec
- Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LEB) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 – 1hr 21min 23.1sec
- Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X – 1hr 26min 18.4sec
- Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McElhinney (IRL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 – 1hr 26min 34.3sec
- Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMN) Subaru Impreza – 1hr 32min 57.0sec
- Ihab Al-Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankout (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X – 1hr 33min 57.8sec
- Ibrahim Al-Muhanna (SAU)/Ali Hassan Obaid (ARE) Can-Am Maverick X3 – 1hr 37min 18.8sec
- Saneem Payyakkal (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND) Ford Fiesta Rally 4 – 1hr 47min 03.4sec
- Yosra Jazzar (SAU)/Faisal Al-Suwayh (SAU) Can-Am Maverick X3 – 1hr 51min 26.3sec
Retirements include Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Shadi El Fakih, Zakariya Al-Aamri, Mohamed Mansoor Parol, Ahmad Khaled, and Abdullah Al-Rawahi.
