Qatar’s Khaled Al-Suwaidi and Portuguese co-driver Hugo Magalhães resisted a late push from Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah to take a superb win at the 26th Kuwait International Rally on Saturday.
Al-Suwaidi took over the lead on the day’s opening stage and then backed off over the final two stages to protect his SRT Škoda, securing his second MERC win. It was also a second MERC success for his co-driver: Al-Suwaidi won in Kuwait in 2012, and Magalhães guided Rashid Al-Naimi to victory in Qatar in 2017.
I thank god for the win. My target even before I came to Kuwait was to win the rally. This is my third podium here. I finished third in 2010 and I won in 2012. I am so pleased to achieve this, especially after four years’ absence from the scene.
Khaled Al-Suwaidi
Punctures had ended Al-Attiyah’s and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel’s hopes of victory on day one, and Saturday’s short route did not leave the Qatari enough distance to mount a real comeback in his Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTI. As expected, he won all four desert stages on the final day to secure second overall and extend his FIA Middle East Rally Championship lead after three rounds.
Heartbreak for Al-Thefiri
Overnight leaders Meshari Al-Thefiri and Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari suffered engine failure on their Škoda Fabia R2 evo three kilometres into the morning’s first stage. Al-Thefiri had been in line to become the first Kuwaiti to win a MERC round and the first to win the Kuwait Rally since his father Ahmed won in 1981.
I am not upset. I’m very happy because I’ve retired with my head very high. This is rallying and my time leading the rally will give me a huge push and motivation for the future.
Meshari Al-Thefiri
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Irish co-driver James Fulton seemed on course for the podium until the Qatari rolled his Škoda Fabia out of contention halfway through the penultimate stage.
Kuwait’s Mohammed Al-Thefiri and Mubarak Al-Dhafiri led the MERC2 field throughout in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X and also completed the overall podium in third. Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Thamer Al-Mutairi were fourth overall and second in MERC2. Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya and Italy’s Giovanni Bernacchini went off route in stage nine and finished fifth in a Motortune-run Ford Fiesta.
Jordanians Shadi Shaban and Issa Abu Jamous completed the small group of finishers in sixth and seventh. Jordan’s Ihab Al-Shorafa and Khaled Juma and Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Rawahi did not restart on Saturday, while Kuwait’s Yousef Al-Dhafeeri restarted but did not take on the seventh stage.
Saturday as it happened
Al-Attiyah was fastest through the opening 18.60km Al-Zour stage, 10.4 seconds quicker than Al-Suwaidi, while Al-Thefiri’s engine failed three kilometres in.
That handed Al-Suwaidi a 1min 18.9sec lead over Al-Kuwari going into the 12.66km eighth stage. Al-Attiyah beat his compatriot by 21.2 seconds there to cut the gap to 1min 26.1sec and closed to within 12.3 seconds of Al-Kuwari’s second place. Mohammed Al-Thefiri led MERC2 by 6min 10.1sec from Al-Muqahwi.
Al-Attiyah was fastest again on the penultimate stage, where Al-Kuwari rolled near the finish and lost his podium chance. Al-Atya strayed off the designated route on the same special and lost a lot of time. Al-Suwaidi eased off to save his Škoda and gave away 28.2 seconds to Al-Attiyah, leaving the defending champion only 12.66km to overturn a 57.9-second gap.
The final stage was named in memory of the late 1993 regional rally champion Sheikh Hamed bin Eid Al-Thani. Al-Suwaidi kept his nerve and controlled his pace to win by 38.1 seconds. Al-Attiyah won the stage to confirm second, and Mohammed Al-Thefiri completed the podium and took the MERC2 win.
The FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues in Jordan in May.
Positions after SS10 (unofficial)
- 1. Khaled Al-Suwaidi (QAT)/Hugo Magalhães (PRT) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 1hr 31min 11.3sec
- 2. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (FRA) Volkswagen Polo GTI 1hr 31min 49.4sec
- 3. Mohammed Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Mubarak Al-Dhafiri (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 42min 15.5sec
- 4. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KWT)/Thamer Al-Mutairi (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 49min 43.3sec
- 5. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Ford Fiesta 1hr 55min 13.2sec
- 6. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Suleiman Al-Helal (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 56min 11.6sec
- 7. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 2hr 05min 43.8sec
Fourteen crews started and seven finished.