Doha, January 27 (QNA) – Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah tops the list of participants in the 2026 Qatar International Rally, the second round of the Middle East Rally Championship for this year, which kicks off from February 4 to 7.

A large field of 22 cars with participants from 12 countries will compete in the Qatar Rally, which is organized by the FIA ​​(Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The rally follows the opening round held last weekend in Oman.

Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver, Candido Carrera, secured a resounding victory in Sohar just four days prior and headed to Qatar for the second round of the rally.

This round promises fierce competition, featuring five cars in the Rally2 category, six crews vying for the MERC2 title, six cars in MERC4, one in Rally5, and four in the SSV category.

Oman's Abdullah Al Rawahi, the 2023 Middle East champion, driving a Škoda Fabia RS, will be Al Attiyah's main rivals, along with home favorite Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, the 2024 Middle East champion and winner of his home rally in 2012.

Meanwhile, rising star Mohammed Al Marri has decided to move from the Rally 4 category to Rally 2, where he will be driving a Citroën C3 for the first time.

Nasser Khalifa AlAttiyah, the reigning World Masters champion, completes the Rally 2 field in a Ford Fiesta.

In the MERC 2 category, the participation of Jordanian driver Shaker Juhaian, winner of the championship in Oman last week, stands out.

He will be competing with his co-driver Mustafa Juma in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10. He faces competition from his compatriot Sami Fleifel, Kuwaiti driver Jassim Al Maqahwi, Omani driver Zakaria Al Amri, Indian driver Mohammed Mansour Parul, and Lebanese driver Charbel Chibli.

The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation launched the "Qatar Academy Stars" program two years ago and is committed to supporting local talent and young drivers.

Al Marri is considered one of the success stories of this program, as he will be competing in a Rally2 car, while six teams will vie for the MERC4 championship title with four Peugeot 208s and one Ford Fiesta.

Rashid Al Muhannadi, a member of the academy, hopes to defend his MERC4 title, partnering with Irish co-driver Gary McElhenney in a Peugeot 208.

He will face stiff competition from the experienced trio of Ahmed Al Kuwari, Khalifa Saleh Al Attiyah, and Nouf Al Suwaidi. The duo of Ahmed Al Muhannadi and Taha Al Zajali will also be competing in the same category.

Indian driver Payakal Pankavitel and his co-driver Musa Sharif hope to break the French company's dominance in this category, as they will be driving a Ford Fiesta.

The regulations allow small SUVs to score points in the Middle East Rally Championship, where a Qatari driver and three Italian drivers will compete for the title. Mohammed Al Attiyah and Mirko Carrara will be driving a Can-Am Maverick, while Mario Marotta and Cristiano Gabarini, a regular face in the Qatar Rally, will be driving a Yamaha RS1000 YXZ under the supervision of the Kadhi Racing team.

The Lebanese duo of Shadi Al Faqih and Joseph Kmeid overcame fuel pump problems in the first stage in Amman last week to reach the finish line, and they will be back in the second round driving a Renault Clio RS Rally5.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Sheikh Bader Al Fayez will miss the Qatar Rally after suffering engine problems in the first stage, and a traffic accident prevented Ehab Al Shurafa from completing the second stage.

The Qatar International Rally is being held under the chairmanship of Abdulrahman Al Mannai, President of the Qatar Rally Federation, Abdulrazzaq Al-Kuwari, a member of the Supreme Committee, and Amr Al Hamad, the Federation's Executive Director. (QNA)