The UAE’s Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar are all set to renew their regional rivalry when round three of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) gets under way in Shiraz, Iran, on Thursday.
The Shiraz rally is a new addition to the MERC calendar, along with Oman, which sees the series expanded to eight rounds from six in previous years.
Being a debut event, the rally comprises of just 248km, run over 14 short stages spanning two days. The event has failed to generate the kind of interest other MERC rallies draw, particularly in Dubai and Qatar, with just 14 cars registered.
Nevertheless, the two regional arch rivals have travelled to Shiraz in their bid to bolster their Middle East title chances.
Sheikh Khalid is coming off the back of a strong sixth-place finish in the WRC’s Xion Rally Argentina late last month and is naturally brimming with confidence ahead of this weekend’s event.
Likewise, Al Attiyah is also high on confidence having won his second Dakar title in January this year, topping that with two MERC victories and triumph on home soil in round three of the World Cup for Cross Country Rallies in April.
The Qatari currently leads the MERC standings with 50 points while Sheikh Khalid is 14 points behind in second on 36 points.
Al Attiyah is hoping to keep Sheikh Khalid at bay in Shiraz, reflected in the fact that he has packed the line up with as many as five cars from Qatar in the hope of muscling the Abu Dhabi driver out of podium contention.
