Qatari motorsport titan Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claimed a hard-fought victory at the Cyprus Rally, overcoming fierce competition from local favourite Simos Galatariotis. Al-Attiyah’s triumph, by an impressive margin of 8 minutes 19.3 seconds, wasn’t enough to halt fellow Qatari driver Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari from clinching his maiden FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) title.
Al-Kuwari entered the final round of the shortened MERC season knowing that a fourth-place finish would guarantee him the championship. Driving cautiously through Cyprus’s rugged gravel stages alongside his brother and co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari, the duo secured third place overall, ensuring the coveted championship title. This victory marks the first time since 2010 that anyone other than Al-Attiyah has taken the MERC crown.
Reflecting on the win, Al-Kuwari said: “It’s never easy to win a championship when Nasser is competing. We took it seriously this year, and we’re lucky to have finished every rally. This rally was all about playing it safe—we had a plan to cruise through without risks, and that’s exactly what we did.”
He credited the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) for their season-long support, adding: “Special thanks to QMMF President Abdulrahman Al-Mannai and CEO Amro Hamad for their unwavering backing throughout.”
Galatariotis had previously outpaced Al-Attiyah on Cypriot soil back in 2018, but this year, a combination of punctures and a driveshaft failure cost him the rally. His Petrolina Racing Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 initially led the charge, but Al-Attiyah’s relentless pace on the penultimate day saw him reclaim the lead in his Škoda Fabia, run by Autotek Motorsport.
With Galatariotis forced to retire on the penultimate stage after a wheel and control arm failure, Panayiotis Yiangou and Aristos Nicolaou moved into second place in their Hyundai i20 R5. Rashed Al-Mohannadi of Qatar, along with co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud, completed the top five behind local heroes Petros Panteli and Charalambous Laos.
Al-Attiyah’s co-driver, Giovanni Bernacchini, celebrated his 27th career MERC victory, securing the Co-Drivers’ Championship. Al-Attiyah himself earned his 86th MERC win and ninth Cyprus Rally title, demonstrating once again his consistency in the sport.
A season of caution pays off
For Al-Kuwari, this was a season of measured risks. “We weren’t pushing at all. I only enjoyed the final stage—until then, it was all about staying safe,” Al-Kuwari admitted. His strategic approach ensured both the MERC title and the Jordan National Championship, making it a year to remember.
His father, Sadoon Al-Kuwari, a former rally driver and motorsport official, praised his son’s achievement: “It wasn’t the championship we hoped for, given the cancellations, but it’s still a title, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
The rally also witnessed personal milestones for other participants. Shadi El-Fakih and Samer Sfeir from Lebanon clinched the MERC4 title with a top-ten finish, while Jordan’s Shaker Jweihan, already assured of the MERC2 title, retired early due to a mechanical issue. Samer Issa, another Jordanian, emerged as the top co-driver in the MERC2 category.
Al-Attiyah’s push for victory
Al-Attiyah came out swinging with the fastest time in the opening Xyliatos stage, only to suffer a puncture that gave Galatariotis the early advantage. Mechanical setbacks plagued both drivers, with Al-Attiyah contending with a sticking handbrake and Galatariotis battling punctures of his own.
By Sunday, Al-Attiyah’s team made strategic setup changes, and his bold tyre choice paid dividends as he closed the gap stage by stage. As Galatariotis faltered with a broken driveshaft, Al-Attiyah stormed through the final stages to seal the victory.
“It was about never giving up and keeping the pressure on,” Al-Attiyah reflected after the win. “Cyprus is always a challenge, but I’m thrilled to add another win here.”
With Al-Kuwari’s safe third-place finish sealing his historic MERC title, Qatar now boasts two motorsport champions—one who dominated the season with calculated precision and another who continues to set the gold standard in regional rallying.
Final Results
01: N. Saleh Al-Attiyah/G. Bernacchini (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 2h 47m 00.0s
02: P. Yiangou/A. Nicolaou (Hyundai i20 R5) + 8m 19.3s
03: A. Al-Kuwari/N. Al-Kuwari (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 9m 46.2s
04: P. Panteli/C. Laos (Renault Clio Rally3) + 10m 55.9s
05: R. Al-Muhannadi/A. Al-Hmoud (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 17m 57.8s
06: G. Nesteros/Y. Kallis (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) + 21m 21.5s
07: C. Christodoulou/A. Andreou (Subaru Impreza STI N12) + 36m 31.5s
08: Z. Manoli/C. Evripidou (Peugeot 208 R2) + 38m 24.1s
09: K. Ellinas/G. Pouyioukkas (Ford Fiesta) + 42m 39.2s
10: S. El-Fakih/S. Sfeir (Peugeot 208 R2) + 42m 56.3s