DEAD SEA, JORDAN – Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini cruised to victory at the Jordan Rally on Saturday, kick-starting the Qatari’s defence of his FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title.
At the 233rd event in MERC history, Al-Attiyah took his 85th career win and a record-breaking 16th in Jordan since 2003. On his first outing in the Autotek Motorsport-prepared Škoda Fabia RS, the car never missed a beat and he tried different suspension settings over the closing stages on his way to a 5min 31.6sec winning margin, including a clean sweep of Saturday’s eight stages.
It was Bernacchini’s fifth Jordan win with Al-Attiyah and his first since 2014. A 26th MERC victory moved the Italian past Chris Patterson into outright third in the co-drivers’ all-time list, behind Ronan Morgan (41) and Mathieu Baumel (32).
I am really so happy to win here in Jordan. It is my favourite race. It is the most difficult race in the Middle East. To come back strong with the new car, we learn a lot. Thanks to the team and the organisation. They always make this rally strong. To win 16 times here is amazing. Lebanon is a different race and we need to be clever there as well.
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah
Al-Kuwari takes the championship lead
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, now on a full MERC programme in a QMMF-backed Škoda Fabia with Briton Marshall Clarke, added second place to his fourth on home soil to become the new championship leader. A puncture and wheel change were his only real issue.
Shaker Jweihan and Lebanese co-driver Carlos Hanna delighted the home fans in third. They led MERC2 from start to finish for a second maximum score in the category, moved to second in the Drivers’ Championship and claimed a first MERC podium for both.
This is the first time I get a third place. Last year I got a fourth. It was such a great rally and one for the books – a great memory. The stages were hard and the temperatures were high. This car is like driving a boat. I drive smoothly and we had no issues with the car. The team did a great job. Lebanon will be my first rally on tarmac but we have local events first.
Shaker Jweihan
Cross-country regular Denis Krotov finished fourth on his MERC debut with Yury Kulikov. Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar recovered from an off – and a spectacular moment by a reservoir – on the opening Shuna stage to finish fifth. Shadi Shaban and Samer Issa were sixth and second in MERC2, ahead of Husam Salem. Ihab Al-Shorafa and Yousef Juma were ninth, and Lebanon’s Shadi Al-Fakih and Samer Sfeir completed the 10 FIA finishers in a two-wheel-drive Renault Clio.
With defending champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi unable to restart his damaged Škoda Fabia, the title race is wide open heading into the summer break, with action resuming in Lebanon in early September.
Saturday as it happened
The Stewards gave one-minute penalties to Krotov and Ameer Nassif for having balaclavas outside their race suits at the end of stage three, and to Issa Abu Jamous for starting stage three late. Neither Al-Rawahi nor Khalid Al-Suwaidi could restart.
Al-Attiyah won the opening Shuna stage (20.93km) to lead by 1min 27.0sec. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya’s Ford Fiesta broke down, Al-Fayez lost more than five minutes and Nassif rolled out near the dam. Al-Attiyah also won Rawda (12.68km) in 9min 48.4sec, Turki and Suwayma, reaching midday service 4min 31.7sec ahead after Al-Kuwari lost over two minutes changing a wheel after clipping a rock.
We had a puncture, hit a rock and had to change the wheel. We lost some time but we have some time on our hands still so we want to get through to the finish.
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari
It is a good feeling. We learnt a lot with the car and we changed a few things with the set-up. We are in the right way, quite happy and will change a little bit now to have more information and to get to know the car well. Now, we just need to survive.
Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah
In the afternoon Al-Attiyah was 8.5 seconds quicker on the Shuna re-run, 2.8 seconds quicker through Rawda and 8.9 seconds faster on Turki, before confirming victory on the final Suwayma stage. Al-Fayez climbed past Salem, Abu Jamous and finally Shaban to claim fifth.