April 15, 2016 – Less than fortnight after getting the defence of his FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup title off to the perfect start, Nasser Al-Attiyah is back in his race overalls once again. The next challenge for the two-time Dakar winner and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel is the Sealine Cross Country Rally in Nasser’s native Qatar.
Nasser and Mathieu drove the local fans wild when they won the Sealine Rally 12 months ago on route to securing the World Cup and they’re aiming to do the same this time around. The desert racing duo proved that their Toyota Hilux is capable of steering them to winning results with their triumph at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge earlier this month – now they want to make it a dune double in Qatar.
Once technical scrutineering checks have been passed at the Losail International Circuit over the weekend a full five days of varied desert terrain including soft sand and dunes as well as occasional loose gravel paths await the racers in Qatar. With 1,650km of timed racing on the menu Nasser and Mathieu will have to call on all their offroad skill and abilities if they’re to come out on top against the harsh conditions and world-class calibre competitors.
As well as expertise and experience the reigning champions will also be able to rely on huge support as Qatari sports fan come out to support their idol. Nasser has not only brought home two Dakar Rally titles to Qatar but has also represented his nation with distinction at five editions of the Olympic Games.
Nasser will be appearing in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro later this year and that is another factor driving him on during this Cross Country Rally World Cup season. The defending champion will be forced to miss a couple of races so is in a rush to put as many points on the board as he can early in the year. So expect to see Nasser and Mathieu going flat out for victory in Qatar next week, cheered on every step of the way by a fanatical fanbase.