News - March 2010

Al-Attiyah, Al-Qassimi and Al-Thani set for MERC battle

31 March 2010 - NDP

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi and Citroën Total World Rally Teams will resume their duel for supremacy in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the lowest place on earth in the Jordan Rally on Thursday.

The three-day event is the third round of the world's premier off-road motor ...

Jordan Rally’s Dead Sea service park - a hive of activity

30 March 2010 - NDP

The Jordan Rally's Dead Sea service park was a hive of activity on Tuesday afternoon, as leading teams completed their timed reconnaissance and mechanics and team management carried out last-minute preparations for the third rounds of the FIA World and Middle East Rally Championships.

Jordan has attracted an impressive ...

Rally fever grips Jordan as country's hotels bustle with WRC fraternity

29 March 2010 - NDP

Hotels in the Dead Sea area of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were beginning to fill up with team members, officials and representatives from the global media on Monday, in advance of this weekend's Jordan Rally. Sixty-five drivers from 26 countries will tackle 21 special stages over Easter weekend ...

MERC rally teams run in the shadow of WRC counterparts in Jordan Rally

29 March 2010 - NDP

While the spotlight falls on the main FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) contenders taking part in this weekend's Jordan Rally, around 36 of the entire field of 65 drivers will take part in the third round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).

This is the first time ...

SAMF announces Sharqia Rally in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province

18 March 2010 - NDP

The Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF) has confirmed that the Sharqia Rally has received the full support and backing of the FIA World Council and will host the fourth round of the 2010 FIA Middle East Rally Championship on April 20-22.

The three-day, all-desert special stage event ran as a ...

FIA President Jean Todt visits Saudi Arabia as guest of Saudi Arabian Motor Federation

10 March 2010 - NDP

FIA President Jean Todt has just completed a one-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a guest of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation (SAMF). Todt was accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's FIA World Council member.

Todt will attend the FIA World Council meeting in ...

UAE's Khalid Al-Qassimi claims seventh MERC victory in Kuwait

8 March 2010 - NDP

The UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr clinched a comfortable victory in the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on Saturday.

At the wheel of his new Autotek-supported Ford Fiesta S2000, Al-Qassimi gradually extended his 7.7s overnight ...

UAE's Khalid Al-Qassimi extends Kuwait Rally lead after day one

5 March 2010 - NDP

The UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr held a 7.7-second lead after seven special stages of the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on Friday afternoon.

The Ford Fiesta S2000 crew won four of the day's ...

UAE's Khalid Al-Qassimi takes early lead in Kuwait Rally

4 March 2010 - NDP

The UAE's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr held a 0.1-second overall advantage after a thrilling opening super special stage of the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on Thursday afternoon.

A large crowd gathered to watch the ...

Thirty teams set to tackle 2010 Kuwait International Rally

2 March 2010 - NDP

Thirty of the leading rally teams in the Middle East will provisionally line-up at the start of the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), on Thursday afternoon (tomorrow).

With the exception of defending regional champion, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah – who is taking part ...