The Middle East’s leading rally drivers start Oman Rally Sohar International 2022 on Thursday afternoon.
The Oman Automobile Association has made late changes to the timetable for the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). The pre-event press conference and ceremonial start move from Al-Mouj to Nakhal and take place earlier, at 14.15hrs and 15.00hrs.
Organisers have also added a timed 3.90km super special at Nakhal, with the first car due at 16.00hrs.
New co-driver for Al-Attiyah
Qatar’s Dakar star and multiple regional champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah heads the entry in his Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTI, chasing a seventh Oman win. Regular French co-driver Mathieu Baumel, who would have been seeking a third Oman win, could not travel for personal reasons.
His place goes to 29-year-old Spanish co-driver Alba Sánchez González, a regular on the Spanish national and international scene. Last year she partnered Surhayen Pernia in a Hyundai Motor España-supported i20 R5, finishing seventh at the ERC Rally Islas Canarias and winning the Rallye La Nucía-Mediterráneo and Rallye Valles Pasiegos. Oman is her first GCC rally, though she partnered England’s Catie Munnings to 40th overall at the 2018 Cyprus Rally in a Peugeot 208 R2.
Mathieu was not able to come to Oman, so Alba has stepped in at the 11th hour. We met her in Spain, where she co-drives as part of the official Hyundai team.
Ken Skidmore, Autotek Motorsport
The challengers
Standing in Al-Attiyah’s way are Omani pair Abdullah Al-Rawahi and Hamed Al-Wahaibi in two Škoda Fabia Evos, his cousin Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (Ford Fiesta) and Czech dark horse and MERC debutant Petr Kačirek in a third Fabia.
The stages are quite technical. We made sure that our notes are quite precise and as detailed as possible. We have done these stages before, so we are quite ready for the first day of the rally. Day two is quite different from the first day. I think we are happy. Hopefully this weekend we will come strong and try and give our best.
Abdullah Al-Rawahi, after Tuesday’s recce
Al-Wahaibi did three days of testing before the rally and is eager to start after finishing fourth overall and winning his class at the Oregon Trail Rally in the United States in early November.
The new Evo is brilliant and easier to drive. We’ve spent three days getting the driving style working. We spent some time with the diffs and the suspension and it all went well. We tested in the Hatat region where my ancestors are from. We tested in three different villages and one of them is where I am from. So we had lots of spectators in the mountains and some family and tribes from our region.
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
The first day of recce went very well. The stages are really good. They need a bit more cleaning, a few rocks, but really good. Some roughness, but it is a Middle East rally and has to have that. That’s the character. I’m excited and looking forward to a good rally.
Hamed Al-Wahaibi
MERC2 and national entries
With five R5 cars expected to dominate the fast, flowing gravel stages, a separate battle will be fought in MERC2 for showroom production cars. Four Omani and two Jordanian drivers are entered: Zakariya Al-Aamri, Faisal Al-Rashdi and Jarah Al-Touqi lead the host nation in three Subaru Imprezas, joined by Jordanians Ihab Al-Shorafa and Issa Abu Jamous in Mitsubishi Lancers. Five crews will also contest a national event behind the FIA rally.
Most of the action comes over 12 timed stages on Friday and Saturday, with the ceremonial finish and post-event press conference also moving to Nakhal from 15.25hrs on Saturday.