August 23, 2016 – He has been on the podium twice in Rally of Lebanon; he missed last year’s event and has had a difficult season in the 2016 Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), with retirements in Qatar and Kuwait, but he returned to the podium in Jordan, and he aims for a repeat of that podium in Lebanon. We’re talking about Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, whom we’ve interviewed ahead of September’s big event.
Q: A bad start to your season with a retirement in Qatar and Kuwait, but you compensated in Jordan by finishing 2nd overall. Not an ideal season, talk us through it.
A: It’s been a truly difficult year for us, and it’s my unluckiest season in 6 years. I had a big accident in Qatar, which forced me to retire, and in Kuwait, my car did not arrive on time, so I could not take part in the rally. In Jordan, we retired on the first day, but we returned under Rally 2 regulations and were able to catch up, and ended up 2nd overall. Now, we’re gonna try to improve on those results during the rest of the season and we want to give the fans the sort of results that they’re used to seeing.
Q: You’re no stranger to Rally of Lebanon, collecting two 3rd place finishes in 2012 and 2014. This year, there’s fierce competition with 6 drivers in R5 machinery, including yourself. What are your expectations?
A: Realistically, Rally of Lebanon is going to be very tough due to many factors, including the cars and the abundance of local competitors who are familiar with the roads and special stages. Nevertheless, our aim is to finish the rally on the podium.
Q: You’ve competed in two asphalt events this year, both of which were in Germany (Rallye Deutschland and Rallye Wartburg). Do you think that is going to help you in Rally of Lebanon, which is also an asphalt event?
A: That is true, we competed in the WRC in Rallye Deutschland and in the German Rally Championship in Rallye Wartburg; we gained a bit of experience on that surface as we put decent mileage on the Fabia R5 in those two events. However, the asphalt in Lebanon is very different from the one in Germany, but we have no excuses and we’re hoping that we can compete.
Q: You missed last year’s edition of Rally of Lebanon. Do you think that will affect your performance this year?
A: There’s something weird about Rally of Lebanon: the road surface changes every year, and that has a big effect on the tyres, and ultimately the performance. Maybe it’s because of the weather or rain, but we hope that the surface is good this year.
Q: What do you think of the drivers in general in Rally of Lebanon compared to other regional events?
A: Rally of Lebanon is the most challenging event in terms of competition with the drivers; the local drivers are very fast and very talented, regardless of their cars and capabilities. I think we’re going to face heavy competition from at least 4 to 5 drivers in the Group N category.
Q: You’re 7th in the Middle East Rally Championship standings with 3 rounds to go. Do you think you can finish in the top 3 in the championship?
A: Despite not scoring any points in the first two rounds in Qatar and Kuwait, my aim and my goal is to finish runner-up in the championship, which is going to be very difficult, but we hope we can pull it off by scoring some good results in Lebanon, Cyprus and Oman.
Q: This has been your first year in the Skoda Fabia R5; how do you find the car and what are the biggest differences compared to the Ford Fiesta RRC?
A: The Fabia R5 is a great car and it is currently one of the best there is, but I’m yet to extract its full potential and I’m struggling to match the performances I used to enjoy in the Ford Fiesta RRC. Our experience in the Skoda does not surpass 4 rallies in the WRC and 1 rally in the MERC. Perhaps we need more time to adapt or perhaps the car simply does not suit my driving style.
Q: What are your plans for the near future? we’re talking both regionally and internationally.
A: The plan is to tackle both WRC 2 and MERC, and my biggest ambition is the World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, which I’m definitely going to be part of, if I get the necessary support.
Q: Abdulaziz, thank you for your time. Is there anyone you would like to thank?
A: Yes, of course. I would like to thank Qatar’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund, Aspire Zone and Aspetar Hospital for their great and continuous support.