ALGHERO, SARDINIA – Oman Rally Team’s Abdullah Al-Rawahi got his first taste of gravel in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) at Rally Italia Sardegna, but brake problems, overheating and an engine sensor issue hampered his progress over the opening six stages.
Across four tests on Friday afternoon and two on Saturday morning, the Omani was repeatedly frustrated in his M-Sport Poland-prepared Ford Fiesta Rally3, though he kept building experience of the demanding Sardinian stages and the pace needed to compete in this year’s JWRC.
With British co-driver Ross Whittock, he began on Friday with two passes through the Osilo–Tergu and Sedini–Castelsardo stages north of Alghero. He completed the opener in 19min 42.1sec, 11th fastest, as Estonia’s Romet Jürgenson set the pace and took the lead. Al-Rawahi was ninth on the second stage despite brake trouble and overheating.
An engine sensor fault then cost the Fiesta power before the repeat runs, and Al-Rawahi reached the Alghero overnight halt 14th among the registered JWRC crews.
We finished the opening four stages but I had issues with the brakes on the first one and the car was overheating. Then we lost the power in the second stage and we had to cruise through the third and fourth stages. The team managed to sort the issue at the service so that we were able to continue.
Abdullah Al-Rawahi
With the sensor fixed for Saturday, he tackled the first pass of Tempio Pausania, where Jürgenson again led the way. Brake issues just two kilometres in, and a minor accident as a result, cost more time, but he held 14th in JWRC heading to the Tula-Erula stage. There, as Bolivia’s Bruno Bulacia overhauled Jürgenson, a 90-second penalty for checking in nine minutes late at the stage start dropped the Omani to 15th in the category.
Saturday afternoon features the Tempio Pausania, Tula-Erula, Monte Lerno–Monti Di Ala and Coiluna–Loelle stages, before two passes through Cala Flumini and Sassari–Argentiera close the rally on Sunday morning.