Once again Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah has showed winning form as international rallying returned to Cyprus today with the inaugural Pafos International Rally – round 4 of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).
With just a single point separating Championship leader Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi of the UAE and Al-Attiyah, this was always going to be a thrilling event and Al-Attiyah, looking for his 9th Cyprus MERC win, was quick to make good on his promise to make a fast start to the event… going on to take five of the day’s six special stages.
Steering a Ford Fiesta S2000 alongside co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, Al-Attiyah stormed through the event’s opening asphalt special stage at Monashilakas a full 2m 8.6s ahead of Al Qassimi, who is also fielding a Fiesta S2000 with his British co-driver Steve Lancaster.
In an impressive display of local talent, Cypriot driver Constantinos Tingirides blasted through the stage 2nd fastest, looking to build on the event’s coefficient 1.5 status in the local championship to boost his current 4th place position on the leaderboard. His championship ambitions were helped by Marinos Patroclou (who entered the event 2nd in the local championship) exiting the event in the stage. Patroclou wasn’t the only early casualty. Essam Al Nejadi – one of four Kuwaiti crews competing the event – also exited in SS1 with a brake problem. Rashid Al Ketbi of the UAE, who currently sits third on the leaderboard in his Skoda Fabia S2000, could only manage 9th fastest through SS1.
Tingirides took the 18.41km second stage at Foinokli 0.9 seconds faster than 2nd fastest Al-Attiyah. Cypriot Panayiotos Yiangou finished 3rd in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. SS2 claimed current Cyprus championship leader Michalis Posidias and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Pechenyk, who both intend to restart tomorrow morning under SupeRally.
Al-Attiyah bounced back for SS3, taking the 16.64km stage just 0.1 seconds ahead of Tingirides. Al Qassimi’s 11th place was only enough to give him 12th position overall going into lunchtime service.
Acknowledging that everything was “going to plan”, Al-Attiyah continued to show winning form in the afternoon’s repeat loop of stages, taking SS4 (Monashilakas) almost a minute faster than Cypriot Doros Loucaides, and going on to take SS5 (Foinokli) 38.5 seconds ahead of Galatariotis. Al Qassimi picked up the pace in the stage to finish 6th fastest, but Tingirides slowed to 12th.
Al-Attiyah rounded off a perfect day by taking the sixth and final stage of the day – a repeat of the morning’s Argaka stage – with a 23s lead over Simos Galatariotis. His outstanding drive gives Al-Attiyah an impressive overall overnight lead over Galatariotis of 4m 18.6s. Tingirides’ promising run was brought to an end when he stopped early in SS6. He reportedly plans to SupeRally tomorrow.
Other drivers planning to SupeRally tomorrow include Lebanon’s Nicolas Amiouni and Kuwaiti brothers Essam and Meshal Al Nejadi, who all suffered problems on Day 1.
The Pafos International Rally succeeds the acclaimed Troodos Rally and kicked off last night with a lively Ceremonial Start at the heart of Pafos’ tourist area. The rally proper got underway this morning from the Service Park, which sits next to the coastal resort’s popular harbour. Cyprus rallies are always good natured events and this year is no different, with smiles all round… though many observed that the rising temperatures would add another level to the challenge.
Crews will cover a further 346.88km tomorrow, including 132.26km of Special Stages. Parc Ferme out is at 09:10.
2011 will see Cyprus host two major international rallying events. The Cyprus Rally is one of the best known rallies on the international stage and the 2011 event will take place between the 3rd and 5th November. It will serve as the 12th – and final – round of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) calendar.
Sponsored by CYTA and OPAP, the 2011 Pafos International Rally is organized by the Cyprus Automobile Association (CAA). For more about the event, visit the organizers’ official website www.caa.com.cy