FINTAS, Kuwait // Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini eased to victory at the 22nd Kuwait International Rally, Round 2 of the 2014 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (Merc), despite the best efforts of Abu Dhabi Racing’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and Chris Patterson.
Al Attiyah began the final day with a lead of 12.5 seconds and took out four of the second leg’s six stages to win by 27.5 seconds.
It was the Qatari’s 52nd Merc win and his co-driver’s 23rd. The Ford Fiesta crew lead their respective championship categories by 17 points after two rounds. “I was looking forward to the stages on the second day,” said Al Attiyah, who equalled the record of four wins in Kuwait set by the UAE’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“They were not as fast and straight, more technical and more twisty and more enjoyable to drive.
“Like last year, I felt that they would suit my car better. I was confident that I could extend my lead and win today.”
Driving a Citroen DS3 RRC, Sheikh Khalid was the class of the rest of the field but did not have the pace to match Al Attiyah.
The Abu Dhabi driver finished 1 minute, 44.8 seconds in front of the third-placed Saudi Yazeed Al Rajhi.
Fourth-placed Abdullah Al Qassimi came under severe pressure from the charging Kuwaiti Salah bin Eidan over the final day. A gap of 0:47.3 was reduced to 0:29.5 after SS10, 0:24.5 after SS11 and 0:16.0 with one stage to go, but the Sharjah driver held on to confirm his fourth position in his first Merc event with French female co-driver Catherine Derousseaux.
Eighth-placed Khalifa Al Attiyah – the brother of event winner Nasser – comfortably won the Group N category in his QMMF-backed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.
Emirati Mohammed Al Mutawee dominated the young drivers’ Abu Dhabi Racing-Citroen Middle East Trophy and finished 2:05.6 in front of Mohamed Al Sahlawi to claim his second successive 2WD Junior class win.
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