Middle East Rally heats up as two vie for top spot
Three points separate key contenders eager to win championship
Dubai: The race for the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) crown is expected to reach boiling point when the 31st edition of the Dubai International Rally gets under way from December 3 — with just three points separating the top two contenders for this prestigious title in the 25th year of the championship.
President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE and Chairman of the Organising Committee Mohammad Bin Sulayem said: "This has always been the case with Dubai International Rally; the rally has decided the FIA MERC champion over the years."
Bin Sulayem, who is also FIA Vice-President, said: "This year in particular, the championship is still very wide open between the top two contenders — Al Attiyah and Al Merri with Al Rajhi waiting in the wings for either to make a mistake.
"It is going to be a great finish, very close and I am happy that such a fantastic contest is taking place in Dubai and at a time when the MERC is celebrating its 25th anniversary," Bin Sulayem, a 14-time Middle East Rally champion, said.
Current leader
Five-time MERC champion Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar currently leads the championship having collected 40 points from four rounds against 37 points secured from five rounds by his Qatari counterpart Misfer Al Merri. Yazeed Al Rajhi of Saudi Arabia is placed third with 32 points from four rounds.
Going into the Dubai International Rally, the final round of the MERC for the current season, Al Attiyah must finish among the top two to ensure that he retains his Dubai winning streak, having been undefeated in the UAE since 2006, and secure his fifth MERC title in a row since 2005 and sixth overall since 2003.
On the other hand, Al Merri will look to top the podium in Dubai and hope that his Qatari counterpart slips to below second spot, which would hand him the title by a mere one point.
But while the top two contenders will be involved in a straight battle for the first spot, Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi is also expected to push his car to the limit in the hope of wresting the second position from Al Merri, with just five points separating the two.
