The 42nd Rally of Lebanon, held from August 30 to September 1 under the patronage of President Michel Aoun, is a regular highlight for speed fans, with slippery asphalt stages that are the ultimate challenge for Lebanese and international drivers alike. After Qatar and Jordan, the Automobile et Touring Club du Liban (ATCL) hosts round three of the 2019 Middle East Rally Championship, coinciding with the club’s centenary celebrations. Many hope that local hero Roger Feghali, a 14-time winner of the event, can stop the dominance of 14-time Middle East champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah.
Qatar and Jordan
The season opened with the Qatar International Rally on March 14–16, won by Al-Attiyah and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) by 3m29.6s from compatriot Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Skoda Fabia R5). It was Al-Attiyah’s 14th home win and raised his MERC tally to 70 victories from 211 rounds since the championship officially began in 1984, while Baumel took his third win in Qatar and 18th in the championship.
It was also the first win for the Polo GTI R5 on its first appearance in the regional championship. The model had debuted at Rally Spain in the WRC the previous October before Norway’s Ole Christian Veiby took its first world-level win at Rally Sweden in February, and customer drivers have won national championship rounds with it in Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Latvia.
Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Eid Al Thani, the 1993 Middle East champion, finished third for his first podium since 2010, completing a Qatari top three for the first time since Al-Attiyah’s last win in 2016. Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah was fourth ahead of Khalid Al-Suwaidi (Ford Fiesta R5), while Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) was sixth and won MERC 2 as he began the defence of the title he has won for the past two years. Lebanon’s Henri Kaai started his MERC 3 title defence with the class win and 11th overall.
Al-Attiyah then won the Jordan Rally on April 25–27 for the eighth consecutive time and the 13th in his career, despite a suspension problem on stage 15 (Qamar 1) that forced him and Baumel to complete two stages with a damaged car before it was repaired. It was his 71st career MERC win and Baumel’s 19th. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari was again second, ahead of Jordan’s Maarouf Abu Samra, while Al-Thefiri won MERC 2 and Kaai MERC 3.
Al-Attiyah arrives in Lebanon leading the standings on 77 points, ahead of Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (61) and Al-Thefiri (33). After Lebanon, the championship continues in Cyprus on September 27–29 and concludes at the Kuwait International Rally from October 31 to November 2.