The QMMF Qatar International Rally has moved to the new date of February 20-22, 2014, and will get a new season of FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) competition underway across the Qatar deserts.
Organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) under the presidency of Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah – the new FIA vice-president for sport in the Middle East – the event has been the traditional season opener for many years and will be followed by further regional events in Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Dubai.
Officials at the QMMF are still finalising the exact timetable for the event, but the ceremonial start will take place on Thursday, February 20th, with two days of demanding loose surface special stages taking place on February 21st and 22nd.
The QMMF is offering a generous assistance package to international entrants. Teams will be offered five nights’ free accommodation for driver and co-driver (room and breakfast only) at the Century Hotel in Doha.
The Qatar International Rally is one of the most demanding gravel surface events in the world and always attracts a strong entry from across the GCC and the Levant. Local hero Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won the event for the 10th time in 11 years last January at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta RRC on his way to a ninth regional title in 11 seasons.