UMEÅ, SWEDEN – Oman Rally Team’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi and Ata Al-Hmoud will contest this year’s five-round FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), starting at this weekend’s world-famous Rally Sweden.
The WRC’s only traditional snow rally moved north to Umeå in 2022, and the crew face 18 stages through a winter wonderland where studded tyres are essential. All JWRC crews use identical M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars on Pirelli tyres, and the series is open to drivers under 29 who have not competed as a Priority 1 driver in a WRC event.
Sweden is a new challenge for us, snow. We actually had a test day in Norway last week. It went really well. Obviously, it is new terrain. Our aim is to do our best in this rally. There is going to be very challenging competition in the JWRC. We are aiming to finish all the rallies to gain experience. If we do an amazing result, then that is a bonus. The first year is about learning the stages and learning the car. I think we will be quite comfortable. I am very excited to be honest to be racing in the World Rally Championship. We will gain so much experience. We are ready…
Abdullah Al-Rawahi
It is fantastic that Abdullah is participating in this category. It is good for him to go outside the Middle East to compete with others and to see new stages. It is an excellent step for him. JWRC is also an excellent opportunity to compete against other young drivers with similar or even more experience.
Ata Al-Hmoud
The most important is that everyone uses the same cars and almost the same set-ups. Everyone can improve their driving skills. The Middle East is an excellent start for him but we repeat the stages sometimes. With defined stages and the same cars will be a good thing. Driving on snow is like a dream for me to be honest. I have been in one day in Norway and it was really fantastic testing there.
Ata Al-Hmoud
The pair recently finished third overall at the Qatar International Rally – a far cry from Scandinavian snow and ice.
Several engineers and technicians in Qatar knew we were going to Sweden and they gave us a lot of advice and comments. That really helps us. Abdullah’s driving skills were excellent. The trainer in Norway was really happy with his driving. We did around 200km on the snow and we improved our times each kilometre. We are really excited to go there. We have limited access to the set-up but we are looking to have some good times…
Ata Al-Hmoud
They made history last year as the first crew to share a title, tying on points with Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
The JWRC season
The JWRC has 19 entries from 21 nations. After Sweden it visits Croatia (April 18–21), Sardinia (May 30–June 2), Finland (August 1–4) and Greece (September 5–8), where double points are available to drivers who have entered at least three rounds. The champion wins an arrive-and-drive package for four European rounds of the 2025 WRC in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Rivals include Bolivians Nataniel Bruun and Bruno Bulacia, Ireland’s Eamonn Kelly, Paraguay’s Diego Dominguez, Chile’s Gerardo Valenzuela, Spain’s Raúl Hernández and Roberto Blach, Belgium’s Tom Rensonnet, Poland’s Jakub Matulka and home driver Mikke Johansson.
The route
Based at the Nolia Exhibition Centre, the rally starts with Thursday morning’s shakedown and an evening sprint stage in Umeå. Friday has two loops of three stages and a second pass of the 5.16km Umeå sprint. Saturday’s seven stages include two passes through Vännäs, Sarsjöliden and Bygdsiljum and a new stage at Umeå, and Sunday morning features two runs through the 25.50km Västervik stage and the 10.08km Umeå Power Stage.