Mads Ostberg drives during the opening day of the Qatar International Rally, yesterday.
Losail: Norwegian driver Mads Ostberg delivered a stunning performance on his first appearance at the Qatar International Rally to open up a 12.2-second lead after six gravel special stages yesterday.
Competing in the southern Gulf region and the State of Qatar for the first time, the Škoda Fabia R2 evo driver belied his lack of experience and teamed up effortlessly with Austrian co-driver Ilka Minor for the first time to win four of the day’s six stages.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Ostberg.
“This is a brand new experience for me. I felt more and more comfortable through the day. I guess the approach we have had has been quite correct. It’s not been easy and, for me, the more difficult part starts tomorrow when we open the road. We discussed if we should play some tactics and we decided not to. We are here to learn and we might as well learn by opening the desert. I have been lucky enough not to have any issues today but I am not saying anything until I am at the end.”
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah is bidding for a 16th win on home gravel but faces his stiffest ever test on Saturday. He and French co-driver Mathieu Baumel delivered a solid performance without problems to hold second overall.
“This will be good for us for tomorrow with Mads opening the road,” said Al Attiyah.
“We can push. It’s important that we finished today without any problems. We are quite happy. Kris (Meeke) will have a good line tomorrow. He has nothing to lose and will push. For me, it is important to win and score maximum points for the championship.”
Andorra-based Ulsterman Kris Meeke showed a formidable turn of speed to win the first two stages and lead after the opening loop. But an unfortunate roll at the start of SS4 dented his chances but he and co-driver Chris Patterson finished the leg in fifth overall.
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Australian co-driver Dale Moscatt benefited from Meeke’s problems and rounded off the podium places in their Škoda. The 2012 event winner said: “Good, second loop was better. We are trying our best but it is not easy and we are far away from not driving for a long time. But we are happy.”
Khaled Al Suwaidi and Hugo Magalhães were classified in fourth place and Oman’s Abdullah Al Rawahi delivered a measured performance to hold sixth in his Škoda.
Kuwait’s Meshari Al Thefiri was the class of the MERC2 field in his seventh-placed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. The multiple winner of the showroom category won all six stages to take a lead of 4min 53.2sec into the night halt.
MERC2 series leader Ihab Al Shorafa and fellow Jordanian Issa Abu Jamous rounded off the top 10 and held third and fourth in MERC2. Qatar’s Mohammed Al Attiyah held 11th and Edith Weiss celebrated 30 years of participating in the event in 12th.
Hamed Al Wahaibi’s rally ended prematurely after he left the track at speed, clouted the front of the Fabia and sustained radiator and engine damage.
All three entrants in the Qatar National Rally suffered their own varied issues on the first loop of stages, but Ahmed Allouh and Henry Kahy were permitted to tackle the afternoon’s action.
Two loops of three stages were on the agenda for the opening leg, starting with the short 8.89km Eraida stage.
After all the pre-event publicity and hype it was down to the serious business of delivering competitive stage times. Al Attiyah opened his account with a run of 4min 49.4sec and an average speed of 110.6km/h, but an inspired Meeke shaved 4.8 seconds off that run by the Qatari.
Ostberg also edged in front of the Qatari and finished the special 1.3 seconds adrift of the flying Ulsterman.
Al Thefiri cruised into a 49.9-second lead in MERC2, but Lebanon’s Henry Kahy retired from the National Rally with no turbo boost on his Can-Am.
The longer Al Thakira stage (20.15km) followed and Meeke attacked again. He extended his lead over Al Attiyah to 11.8 seconds, although the Qatari squeezed 1.2 seconds out of Ostberg and remained in third place.
Al Attiyah completed the loop with a time of 8min 16.8sec through Al Khor but he was third quickest, with Ostberg claiming the stage win by 2.6 seconds from Meeke. The second fastest time enabled the Ulsterman to take a 9.2-second advantage over his former team-mate into the Losail regroup. Al Attiyah was 14.6 seconds off the lead.
Meeke dug into a section of soft sand and rolled his Fabia a short distance into the rerun of the Eraida stage, haemorrhaged 1min 27.9sec to Al Attiyah and slipped down to fifth. Ostberg was quickest again, shaving 1.1 seconds off his morning’s run. He moved into the outright lead and increased his advantage over Al Attiyah to 6.6 seconds, as Al Kuwari moved up to third overall.
Al Attiyah was 5.5 seconds faster on his second run through Al Thakira, but the previous stage roll had not affected Meeke and he continued with minimal damage to the Fabia to beat the Qatari by 1.4 seconds. Ostberg was again quickest and his lead over the defending champion grew to 9.3 seconds.
The Qatari averaged 118 km/h through the last stage of the day but he still ceded 1.2 seconds to Meeke and 2.9 to the rally leader. Ostberg duly returned to Losail with an overnight lead of 12.2 seconds.
Today, teams tackle a further two loops of three graded gravel stages in the north of Qatar. Action gets underway with the 14.50km Al Waab stage between Al Mashrab and Umm Al Qahab from 08.53hrs. The longer Umm Birka (24.54km) stage follows at 09.28 and precedes a 21.33km at Ras Laffan from 10.20.
Competitors then return to the Losail Circuit for a regroup and service before the three specials are repeated at 13.03, 13.38 and 14.30. The post-event press conference and podium ceremony will then take place from 18.20 onwards.
2022 Qatar International Rally – Positions after SS6
1. Mads Ostberg (HUN)/Ilka Minor (AUT) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 46min 08.5sec
2. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (AND) Volkswagen Polo GTI 46min 20.7sec
3. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari (QAT)/Dale Moscatt (AUS) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 14.6sec
4. Khaled Al Suwaidi (QAT)/Hugo Magalhães (PRT) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 25.8sec
5. Kris Meeke (AND)/Chris Patterson (IRL) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 47min 31.4sec
6. Abdullah Al Rawahi (OMN)/Ata Al Hmoud (JOR) Škoda Fabia R2 evo 48min 19.4sec
7. Meshari Al Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 54min 05.1sec
8. Zakariya Al Aamri (OMN)/Mohammed Al Aamri (OMN) Subaru Impreza 58min 58.3sec
9. Ihab Al Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 03min 27sec
10. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX 1hr 05min 56.1sec
11. Mohammed Al Attiyah (QAT)/Savvas Laos (CYP) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 08min 31.8sec
12. Edith Weiss (QAT)/Serena Mattivi (ITA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 1hr 08min 44.2sec
