MERC – Qatar’s Al-Kuwari on pole for maiden title because the collection reaches a showdown in Cyprus
2024 FIA Center East Rally Championship – Cyprus Rally (October 18-24, spherical 3/3)
The unstable state of affairs in elements of the Center East meant that the Rally of Lebanon was not a spherical of the FIA Center East Rally Championship (MERC) this yr and the Oman Car Affiliation not too long ago cancelled what would have been the ultimate spherical of the collection within the Sultanate of Oman in late November.
That implies that the Cyprus Rally will convey this yr’s shortened three-round collection to an exciting conclusion on October 18th-Twentieth and will effectively see the crowning of a first-time champion.
Twenty-one drivers grace the entry record for the Nicosia-based occasion and 6 of these are registered for MERC factors with three aiming for the general Drivers’ Championship. Qatari Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari at present has a 12-point lead over Jordanian Shaker Jweihan within the standings and sits 14 factors forward of Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah.
A end in fourth place or increased for Al-Kuwari within the basic classification and the Energy Stage can be ample for the Qatari to win the title for the primary time, though a slip up might see Al-Attiyah storm by means of to seal a Twentieth title if he had been to win the rally and the Energy Stage. Catastrophe for both of the Škoda drivers might see Jweihan add the MERC title to the MERC2 Championship he now has an unassailable lead in.
Final yr’s Cyprus occasion noticed a bit piece of rallying historical past made when Al-Attiyah and title rival Abdullah Al-Rawahi tied on factors on the finish of the season and couldn’t be cut up on a tie-break ruling within the Sporting Rules for FIA Regional Rally Championships. A particular committee was arrange and the choice was taken to share the title between the 2 drivers with Al-Attiyah claiming a record-breaking nineteenth regional title and Al-Rawahi successful his first.
Following the cancellation of the Oman occasion in November, Al-Rawahi has withdrawn his entry from the Cyprus Rally, realizing full effectively that he solely had a slim mathematical likelihood of regaining the title after selecting up factors for third in Qatar after which retiring in Jordan.
Whereas Al-Kuwari and Rashid Al-Muhannadi drive a pair of SRT-run Škodas, eight-time occasion winner Al-Attiyah wheels out his ordinary Autotek Motorsport-run machine that he used for the primary time in Jordan in Could. Panayiotis Yiangou and Aristos Nicolaou are additionally registered for MERC factors of their Hyundai i20 R5 and a podium end for the Cypriot might effectively have an effect on the end result of the MERC.
Jordan’s Shaker Jweihan chasing doable MERC and MERC2 double
Jweihan leads the MERC2 class by 12 factors from Shadi Shaban however none of his rivals have made the journey to Cyprus and the collection has been secured earlier than an engine is began in anger.Lebanon’s Carlos Hanna is current because the co-driver alongside Jweihan, nonetheless, and a end would see him overhauling the absent Samer Issa to win the MERC2 Co-drivers’ Championship.
The Lebanese pairing of Shadi El-Fakih and Samer Sfeir are additionally chasing MERC4 factors of their Peugeot 208. They’re tied with the absent Saneem Payyakal and Musa Sherif on 30 factors and a end might give the duo each MERC4 titles.
Italian veteran co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini sits alongside Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and shall be making an attempt to defend a slender lead within the MERC Co-drivers’ Championship.
Whereas his closest rivals Loris Pascaud, Patrik Barth and Marshall Clarke should not current in Cyprus, the joint defending co-drivers’ champion Ata Al-Hmoud is competing with Al-Muhannadi. The Jordanian is sixth within the championship, 10 factors behind Bernacchini, and nonetheless has a slim likelihood of successful the title for a second time.
The rest of the sphere is made up of native drivers chasing factors within the Cyprus Nationwide Championship. They embody Simos Galatariotis in his Petrolina Racing Group Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and Costas Zenonos in a Citroën DS3 R5, with the rest of the sphere entered in Rally3, Rally4 and group NR4 machines.
Organised by the Cyprus Car Affiliation, rivals will face 12 primarily gravel particular phases and 191.20 aggressive kilometres on Saturday and Sunday. The occasion relies on the POED Constructing reverse the service park in Nicosia.
2024 Cyprus Rally – entry record:
1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA)Škoda Fabia RS*2. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT)Škoda Fabia R5*3. Panayiotis Yiangou (CYP)/Aristos Nicolaou (CYP)Hyundai i20 R5*4. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR)Škoda Fabia RS*5. Simos Galatariotis (CYP)/Antonios Ioannou (CYP)Volkswagen Polo GTI R56. Costas Zenonos (CYP)/Phanos Christophi (CYP)Citroën DS3 R57. Petros Panteli (CYP)/Charalambous Laos (CYP)Renault Clio Rally38. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Carlos Hanna (LEB)Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X*9. George Nesteros (CYP)/Yiannos Kallis (CYP)Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X10. Costas Laos (CYP)/Michalis Stylianou (CYP)Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX11. Christos Christodoulou (CYP)/Panayiotis Kyriacou (CYP)Subaru Impreza12. Shadi El-Fakih (LEB)/Samer Sfeir (LEB)Peugeot 208*14. Chrysotomos Panteli (CYP)/TBAPeugeot 208 R215. Zacharias Manoil (CYP)/TBAPeugeot 208 R216. Yiangos Yiangou (CYP)/ Panayiotis Demetriou (CYP)Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX17. Kleanthis Ellinas (CYP)/George Pouyioukkas (CYP)Ford Fiesta18. Christodoulos Christodoulou (CYP)/Andreas Nestoros (CYP)Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 19. Marios Antoniou (CYP)/Andreas Karantonis (CYP)Mitsubishi Lancer20. Michalis Sofokleous (CYP)/Evagoras Pantelides (CYP)Volkswagen Golf GTI21. Nicolas Kyriacou (CYP)/Giorgos Zouppouris (CYP) Honda Civic22. Marios Zakou (CYP)/Stelios Zakou (CYP)Volkswagen Golf GTI*denotes registered for MERC
2024 FIA Center East Rally Championship – positions after spherical 2 of three: 1. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)49pts2. Shaker Sjweihan (JOR)37pts3. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)35pts4. Pierre-Louis Loubet (FRA)33pts5. Mads Østberg (NOR)29pts6. Shadi Shaban (JOR)28pts7. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN)25pts8. Husam Salim (JOR)24pts9. Denis Krotov (KGZ)22pts10. Bader Al-Fayez (JOR)19pts11. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)17pts12. Ihab Al-Shorafa (JOR)16pts, and many others 2024 FIA MERC2 – positions after spherical 2 of three: 1. Shaker Sjweihan (JOR)60pts2. Shadi Shaban (JOR)48pts3. Husam Salim (JOR)42pts4. Ihab Al-Shorafa (JOR)34pts5. Isa Abu Jamous (JOR)19pts5. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)19pts, and many others
Timetable of occasions
Thursday, October 17 Scrutineering checks, Nicosia10.00-16.00hrs Friday, October 18 Pre-rally press convention, Nicosia Metropolis Centre18.00hrsCeremonial begin, Nicosia metropolis centre19.00hrs Saturday, October 19 Begin of Leg 1 (six phases)08.30hrsFinish of leg 117.30hrs Sunday, October 20 Begin of leg 2 (six phases)08.00hrsFinish of leg 217.00hrsPodium ceremony, Nicosia metropolis centre17.30hrsPost-event press convention, End ramp18.00hrs
