The Peninsula
Overdrive Racing’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah yesterday set the fastest time for fourth successive stage on the final day at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the second round of the new FIA World Rally-Raid Championship.
Al Attiyah, co-driven by Frenchman Mathieu Baumel, arrived in the UAE with a one-point lead over WRC veteran Sébastien Loeb but a heavy landing damaged a lower suspension arm and a front wheel on the Qatari’s Toyota Hilux on the opening stage and the four-time winner had to play catch up over the next four days once time penalties were imposed. Al Attiyah managed to earn 20 points for four stage wins and problems for Loeb meant that he only dropped a few points to the Frenchman in the UAE.
“When I crossed the finish line of the last stage, I immediately remembered what happened on the first stage,” said Al Attiyah.
“That’s a little bit of disappointment. But to come back strong and win the remaining four stages wasn’t easy and we did amazing job. Our car was working very well and this is testament for our teamwork. This was an amazing race and, as usual, we were really happy to compete and be part of the new World Rally-Raid Championship. We showed the speed and we have the confidence to push at the next race.”
Al Attiyah’s challenge for a fourth win in Abu Dhabi suffered a setback from the start, when the Qatari suffered a damaged front right wheel and lower suspension arm close to the stage start and was forced to return to the start area to make emergency repairs. He suffered massive time penalties of 16 hours as a result and slipped to the foot of the rankings.
“Not the rally start we planned for,” said Baumel. “But this is motorsport. After this bad luck landing, our lower arm was bent and we were not able to continue. There are still four stages to get some small championship points.”
Al Attiyah was re-positioned in fifth place on the road for the start of the second 326km loop through the dunes around Hameem and he attacked from the outset to eventually win the stage by 5min 50sec.
Al Attiyah made it four stage wins in a row on the short 209km sprint through the desert on the return to Abu Dhabi.
The FIA World Rally-Raid Championship resumes in Kazakhstan on April 24-30.