Competitors in the forthcoming Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally (MQCCR) will face some of the most challenging desert terrain in the State of Qatar.
Drivers and co-drivers from 17 nations tackle six varied selective sections between February 23rd and 27th before the ceremonial finish at Souq Waqif next Thursday afternoon.
An experienced team of Qatari and Portuguese officials spent many painstaking hours crossing and re-crossing sandy and gravel trails, small dunes and gatch roads to find stages to test the world’s best cross-country drivers.
Day by day
The action starts at 10.55hrs on Sunday (February 23rd) with a relatively short 171.25km selective section starting in the centre of the country, passing two passage controls on the Umm Bab highway and across the Al-Khararra road to finish near the east coast. A 63.60km road liaison then takes crews back to the bivouac at the Lusail Sports Arena.
Monday’s second leg is much tougher, with a 334.25km competitive section starting off the Al-Shamal highway, running along the north-eastern coast and across the northern deserts to finish off the Al-Kharsaah road. It includes three passage controls on the Al-Zubara and Al-Jumailah roads and the Dukhan highway and finishes 92.44km from Lusail.
Tuesday’s third section, Al-Kharsaah, is the longest at 340.28km. It starts at 08.40hrs on the Salwa highway, 61km south of Lusail, heads towards the Inland Sea, then turns north-west back through the central deserts to finish in the north-west of the country, 68.55km from Lusail. It has four passage controls, two on the Al-Kharrara road and two where the stage crosses the Al-Aamriya and Umm Bab roads.
Wednesday’s fourth day is split in two. The 219.79km Al-Shahaniyah section starts at 08.35hrs from the Dukhan road, heading north and then south along the west coast to finish near the Umm Bab highway. A 56.37km liaison along the Al-Aamriya road leads to the 124.84km Sealine stage, which crosses the southern deserts to the Inland Sea before turning north along the east coast to finish near the Al-Kharrara road, 92.25km from Lusail.
The sixth and final selective section of 254.58km starts on the Zekret road, 81.75km south-west of Lusail, runs up the western shoreline and turns south at a passage control near Al-Zubara after 150.17km, then crosses the central deserts to finish at Ash Shafallahiyah, 40.89km south of Lusail.
In total, crews tackle 1,444.99 competitive kilometres in a compact 2,215.04km route.
Preparations
Teams and equipment have started arriving at the bivouac next to the Lusail Sports Arena, north of Doha, where mechanics will prepare the cars for technical scrutineering on Saturday morning.
Before that, drivers and co-drivers complete mandatory administration checks at Rally HQ, where licences, insurance, homologation documents and personal details are checked, ahead of the official pre-event press conference and ceremonial start at Souq Waqif in downtown Doha on Saturday evening.
Manateq – Economic Zones Company is title sponsor for the third successive season. Established in 2011, it plays a key role in the economic development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 by providing premium infrastructure in strategic economic zones to promote the logistics and industrial sectors.