Hamed Al-Wahaibi makes a dramatic return to international motorsport, joining young Abdullah Al-Rawahi in a two-car Oman Rally Team at this weekend’s Jordan Rally.
Round two of the 2021 FIA Middle East Rally Championship has drawn 13 crews from eight nations, who will tackle two days of tough gravel stages around the Dead Sea and Mount Nebo on Friday and Saturday.
Al-Wahaibi’s comeback
Al-Wahaibi was among the fastest drivers in the Middle East in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning many stages during ambitious programmes that also took in the FIA World Rally Championship.
He has not contested the regional series since finishing fourth at the 2011 Dubai International Rally in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, though the following year he did two events in Oman in a WMS-built Toyota Yaris as part of a youth development programme with Ulster navigator Allan Harryman, and won all three national rallies he entered in Oman in a Mitsubishi.
He has been testing on Omani gravel to regain his pace and rhythm, and has recruited Austrian navigator Ilka Minor for Jordan. The 46-year-old is one of the world’s most experienced female co-drivers, having guided Henning Solberg, Manfred Stohl and Evgeny Novikov, and this year finished 26th and 21st on the Monte-Carlo and Croatian rallies with Johannes Keferböck.
The 53-year-old drives a Motortune-run Škoda Fabia 1.6 with logistical support from Omani delivery and logistics company Asyad Express, WMS, Sandan (a new industrial area near Muscat) and Pirelli.
At this stage, I am not here to win against Nasser (Saleh Al-Attiyah). He’s in a car every week and has been there for so long. He knows the stages so well. I am here aiming to gain as much experience as possible. My year is next year. That’s the plan.
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
I’ve come out of retirement with a different mind-set. Now I am really enjoying the time in the car. It feels great to be back behind the wheel. I realise I have been out of touch for the last nine years and it will take some time for me to get back in the groove. I am proud to be representing Oman for my return.
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
Al-Wahaibi first contested a WRC event in the United Kingdom in 1997 and was runner-up in the 1999 Production WRC behind Uruguay’s Gustavo Trelles. His last WRC outing was in Japan in 2005.
He has yet to win a MERC round but was within a few hundred metres of winning the 2004 Jordan Rally before engine failure handed victory to local driver Amjad Farrah on the final super special. His best MERC results are second in Oman in 1998 and third in Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Dubai in 1997.
Al-Rawahi
Team-mate Al-Rawahi, 24, is one of the most improved drivers in regional rallying and is partnered in Jordan by local navigator Ata Al-Hmoud, himself winner of the first Jordan Baja on a motorcycle.
Al-Rawahi moved from a Subaru Impreza in MERC2 to an M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 prepared by Motortune. Last season he was second and 10th on regional rounds in Oman and Cyprus, and returned to the Subaru to win the opening round of the Jordan National Championship.
A broken steering arm and exhaust sensor problems ended his challenge at the 2021 opener in Qatar in late January, but he did more than 150km of testing in Oman before his home event was postponed to December because of Covid-19.
I want to continue learning and getting ready for 2022. I also want to compete in some European rallies to further my experience. I am optimistic for a good Jordan Rally and have increased my physical training in preparation for the longer stages. Having Hamed around me is a plus point and I feel more confident. His support has definitely helped.
Abdullah Al-Rawahi
Al-Rawahi’s programme is also supported by Sohar International, Khimji Ramdas Group, WMS and Motul.
This year’s rally has 10 gravel stages around the Dead Sea and Mount Nebo, which hosted the WRC in 2008, 2010 and 2011. Friday (May 28th) features two runs through Syagha, the new Adasiyah and Baptism Site, and Saturday (May 29th) the longer, daunting Jordan River and Joufeh stages.