LUSAIL, QATAR – Meshari Al-Thefiri‘s decision to miss this weekend’s Qatar International Rally has thrown the 2024 MERC2 title race wide open.
Of the 23 crews entered for the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), 11 are chasing glory in the production class for Group NR4 cars such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and X and Subaru WRX STI.
Al-Thefiri and Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari have won the MERC2 drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles together in five of the last six seasons. In 2022, Jordan’s Issa Abu Jamous and Emad Juma narrowly beat Ihab Al-Shurafa and Yousef Juma, and before that Lebanon’s Rodolphe Asmar in 2016 was the last champion when Al-Thefiri was not dominant.
Five Jordanian drivers, plus drivers from Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon and India, will contest MERC2, with co-drivers from Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Cyprus and India.
The contenders
Shadi Shaban, third in last year’s MERC2 standings behind Al-Thefiri and Youssef Al-Dhafiri, teams up with Samer Issa in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX; his best 2023 result was third at his home event in May. Lebanon’s Ahmad Khaled, fourth in 2023 after three consistent finishes with Samer Sfeir, returns.
2022 champion Abu Jamous partners Saqer Abu Jamous and again faces Al-Shurafa and Yousef Juma. Shaker Jweihan, fifth last year, arrives with Lebanese co-driver Carlos Hanna, and Husam Salim and Nancy Al-Majali complete the Jordanian entries.
Kuwait is represented by Jassim Al-Muqahwi and Thamer Al-Mutairi, Oman by Zakariya Al-Aamri and Mohammed Al-Mazroui, and India by Fabid Ahmer and Milen Cherian in a Subaru. Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Atteya partners Cypriot Savvas Laos, and Rashid Al-Muhannadi teams up with Oman’s Taha Al-Zadjali. Competitors must register for the championship before the event to score points.
Last year Al-Thefiri took a second straight MERC2 win in Qatar, seventh overall behind six Rally2 and R5 cars, with Al-Shurafa and Shaban third and fourth among registered contenders.
Schedule
Administrative checks and recce registration take place on Tuesday at the QMMF offices at Lusail Sports Arena, with reconnaissance of the revised desert route on Wednesday. The rally starts from Lusail Boulevard, followed by the opening super special at the LCSC Karting Academy, where two cars at a time complete two passes and two laps of the 1.09km asphalt course for a total of 4.36km.