Seventh event victory in succession for reigning FIA Middle East Rally Champion Nasser Al-Attiyah on the 35th Dubai International Rally in the Ford Fiesta RRC.
[Not a valid template]Nasser Al-Attiyah completed a stellar year in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship by taking his seventh consecutive Dubai International Rally victory.
The Qatari, who earlier this year secured his ninth FIA Middle East Rally crown, took the fight to nearest rival Khalid Al Qassimi, a dominant performance on the opening day establishing a near 30-second lead across the opening five stages. Although Al Qassimi had reduced the deficit to 15.4 seconds to Al-Attiyah’s eponymously Ford Fiesta RRC, a double puncture brought the Emirati’s run in the Abu Dhabi Citroen Total WRT DS3 RRC to an abrupt end. With his main rival out of the running, nothing could stop current World rally Championship runner Al-Attiyah from storming to a 5m 33.6s victory.
With Al Qassimi out, second place was inherited by Misfer Almarri after a strong run in the privately run Ford Fiesta RRC by the 2010 Middle East Rally champion. The final step on the podium went to Abdulla Al Qassimi, a multi-time runner on the Dubai International Rally. The Emirati’s successful run in the Fiesta RRC completed a top-three whitewash for Ford. Jordan’s Alaa Rasheed fourth place in the Ford Fiesta RRC cemented Ford’s dominance of the event.
Majed Al Shamsi, Skydive Dubai Rally Team’s Rashid Al Ketbi, Bader Al Jabri, Mohammed Al Sahlawi and Mohammed Al Mutawaa secured a successful event for the emirati clan, the countrymen taking fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth respectively. Abdulla Al Kuwari’s run to eighth in the Qafac Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo X completed the top ten on the 2013 Dubai International Rally.
– FULL GALLERY OF SHOTS AVAILABLE HERE – CLICK – Shots courtesy of David Benson
| 35th Dubai International Rally | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – | Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) | Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) | #1 | Ford Fiesta RRC | 2:01:11.9 | |
| 2 – | Misfer Almarri (QAT) | Nicola Arena (ITA) | #3 | Ford Fiesta RRC | 2:06:45.5 | |
| 3 – | Abdulla Al Qassimi (UAE) | Steve Lancaster (UK) | #4 | Ford Fiesta RRC | 2:07.40.3 | |
| 4 – | Alaa Rasheed (JOR) | Joseph Matar (LBN) | #7 | Ford Fiesta RRC | 2:15:57.9 | |
| 5 – | Majed Al Shamsi (UAE) | John Higgins (IRL) | #12 | Suburu Impreza N15 | 2:16:09.5 | |
| 6 – | Rashid Al Ketbi (UAE) | Khalid Al Kendi (UAE) | #5 | Ford Fiesta RRC | 2:16:29.6 | |
| 7 – | Bader Al Jabri (UAE) | Nicolas Klinger (FRA) | #10 | Suburu Impreza N15 | 2:18:04.7 | |
| 8 – | Abdulla Al Kuwari (QAT) | Khalid Al Kendi (UAE) | #9 | Mitsubishi Evo 9 | 2:25:44.2 | |
| 9 – | Mohammed Al Sahlawi (UAE) | Allan Harryman (UK) | #23 | Citroen DS3 R3 | 2:26:29.2 | |
| 10 – | Mohammed Al Mutawaa (UAE) | Stephen McAuley (UK) | #22 | Citroen DS3 R3 | 2:29:14.7 |
