We met expert UAE rally driver of Fazza RallyTeam, Rashed Al Ketbi just ahead of his first international rally win in Jordan and had this thrilling conversation….
How do you see the Jordan Rally until now and how do you find yourself in it?
This is the 3rd Jordan rally I do in my life. I started with the 1994 Jordan rally and I did another one. I hope the third one will be a charm for me since this wasn’t the case on the other 2 occasions before. I am learning a lot in the Jordan rally which I consider the most difficult in my life. Every single meter I drive I learn something new, and drivers don’t advance without participating in difficult rallies.
This year I have better luck with Fazza Rally team and his Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad, the prince of Dubai. I hope I can win this rally especially that I didn’t win any international rally in my 19 year career. I can’t explain how joyful I will be if this win is clinched as we are planning. Today’s win will be a dream coming true for us.
This year you have prepared well for the season with a new car. How do you see this season in general and what are you aiming for?
At the first we were hoping to guarantee second place in the championship and then aim to the first place. If things go well today as planned we will be 6 points close to 1st place and we will be able to fight for the championship.
Do you think you can beat Nasser Al-Attiyah in the coming rallies especially that he is considerably faster than his rivals?
In 2011 Nasser Al-Attiyah drove for more than 16000 or 17000 Km. In 2011 Rashed Al Ketbi drove only 250 KM including the Jordan rally. I can’t compete with Nasser in all the rallies but I can compete with him in open rallies. For example last year in the Dubai rally, I was ahead if Nasser and Nasser didn’t win any stage before I retired. The competition was between me and Sheikh Khaled and Nasser was third. It’s true he won a long stage but we directly pulled back the difference.
We can compete with Nasser in open rallies, even if his rhythm is much faster in twisty rallies. Nasser drives 6000 or 7000 Km of twisty rallies each year. Anyway I wish to win in the presence of Nasser, because we are with the spirit of the sport and win compete in its existence. Nasser is a world rally driver and if we can beat him it will be a great accomplishment. Good results come from a lot of practice.
If I can compete in half the Km that Nasser does, he will not be a difficult target.
How do you see you Co-driver Khalid Alkendi and how do you asses his skills?
Khalid is an excellent Co-driver. He has been with me since 2004 when we were faster than both Khalid Al Qassimi and Nasser Al Attiyah.
We can see that you have high self-esteem and high ambitions. Do you have plans or ambitions for driving in desert challenges or long rallies?
I like fun and fun is normal in rallies, desert challenges and long rallies are not fun.
In long rallies, every day you have a stage and the car that doesn’t break wins the rally. The strong car which is backed by a factory always wins. I don’t think I will be heading into long rallies or desert challenges. My career started in desert challenges but now my target is normal rallies.
Long rallies don’t have action and fun, even formula 1 doesn’t anymore. A normal fan would always prefer rallies.
Look at desert challenge champions; they are all world rally drivers, like Carlos Sainz and Nasser.
If I participated in a desert challenge with a factory team my abilities will be similar to Nasser’s. we are both children of the desert and we know how to drive.
I led the 1998 UAE desert challenge in my first participation ahead of the factory team of Mitsubishi. Brother Mohammad Bin Suliem told me that if they let me win people would say that they are cheating and made a local win the rally. I took an intentional 3 hour penalty and withdrew. Anyway, it is from the past and it has been over 12 years now. We talk about the future and the future for us is rallying and we are ready to participate wherever Sheikh Hamdan wants us to do so.
