Today saw the conclusion of Kuwait International Rally, Middle East Rally Championship 2nd Round, which was seen as a last gasp for the leading rivalries the Emirati Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, and the Qatari Nasser Al Attiyah. Throughout the stages, the roads were more of a battlefield. Coming in 2nd at Kuwait International Rally, with co-driver Chris Patterson (despite a tyre puncture in their Citroën DS3 RRC), the Emirati Champion ensured his advancement to rank 2nd in the current overall standings of the Middle East Rally Championship 2014, with 33 points to his name.
In the competition that saw the evolution of rookie drivers of “Abu Dhabi Racing-Citroën Middle East Trophy”, Mohammed Al Mutawaa was sure to demonstrate his leading characteristics by winning the 2WD category and holding ninth in the overall standings in Kuwait International Rally this year, his 2nd consecutive win for this season. Teammate Al Sahlawi came in 2nd in the 2WD category ahead of Mansoor Belhelei.
“I would like to start by thanking the team for prepping our cars to perform superbly. Todays’ stages were relatively shorter than yesterday’s, making it hard to recuperate, and the nagging pressure could lead to hasty consequences; the reason why I adapted a cautious approach to closely tail the leader and finish the rally the best I can. With little time to correct unaccounted for mishaps, it was extremely important to stay alert, and yet we failed to avoid a tyre puncture at the beginning of the final stage to last”, Al Qassimi added: “I am pleased with total points of 2nd position, although I was aiming at winning the Rally, which was something I anticipated, but regardless of the current results, I remain focused on pursuing the title of the Middle East Championship, and compiling more and more points leading to it”.
“My upcoming destination with co-driver Chris Patterson few days after Kuwait is Rally Portugal to participate under our Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team in the 4th round of the World Rally Championship. I wish the best of luck for Kris Meeke and Mads Østberg who bring in a heap of experience from their previous participation in Rally Mexico”, concluded the Emirati Champion.
Mohamed Al Mutawaa… A solid gold Emirati talent
On the other hand, the cat/mouse battle between rookie drivers of “Abu Dhabi Racing-Citroën Middle East Trophy” raged with: Saeed Bintouq/Alan Harryman, Juma Al Falasi/John Higgins, Mansoor Yahya Belhelei/Khalid Al Kendi, Mohammed Al Sahlawi/Craig Parry, and Mohamed Al Mutawaa/Stephen McAuley dominating the battle which saw victory of Al Mutawaa and co-driver Stephen McAuley in the 2WD category on board their Citroën DS3 R3.
Al Mutawaa Commented, saying: “It was loads of fun at Kuwait International Rally, and I really enjoyed this win. The stages were fairly smoother than those of Rally Qatar, due to the clarity and smoothness of the terrain here. I enjoyed the stages since they were technically tweaked to my driving preference, and learned a lot from my co-driver Stephen’s observations; I sincerely thank him for his attentiveness. I would also like to thank Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Racing, for his trust and the opportunities he provides for us, and last but not least, I thank all the staff and teammates of Abu Dhabi Racing for their continuous support and encouragement”.
2014 Kuwait International Rally – positions after SS13 (@15.00hrs):
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Ford Fiesta RRC 2hr 09min 38.4sec
2. Khalid Al-Qassimi (ARE)/Chris Patterson (GBR) Citroën DS3 RRC 2hr 10min 05.9sec
3. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Michael Orr (GBR) Ford Fiesta RRC 2hr 11min 50.7sec
4. Abdullah Al-Qassimi (ARE)/Catherine Derousseaux (FRA) Ford Fiesta RRC 2hr 14min 05.9sec
5. Salah Bin Eidan (KWT)//Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Ford Fiesta R5 2hr 14min 26.3sec
6. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Killian Duffy (IRL) Ford Fiesta RRC 2hr 16min 11.1sec
7. Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nicola Arena (ITA) Ford Fiesta R5 2hr 21min 53.8sec
8. Khalifa Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Adel Hussein (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 2hr 24min 03.6sec
9. Mohamed Al-Mutawaa (ARE)/Stephen McAuley (GBR) Citroën DS3 R3 2hr 30min 57.7sec
10. Mohamed Al-Sahlawi (ARE)/Craig Parry (GBR) Citroën DS3 R3 2hr 33min 03.3sec