Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi pleased with Portugal lessons
Emirati driver passes tough World Rally Championship test in Abu Dhabi Citroën
Abu Dhabi: After securing his third top-ten finish in the Rally de Portugal, the UAE’s Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi believes he has learnt some valuable lessons to propel him confidently into the remainder of his 2013 World Rally Championship programme.
Partnered by British co-driver Scott Martin in his Abu Dhabi Citroën Total WRT DS3 WRC, Al Qasimi came through a stern test of character over the final four stages to secure a hard-earned ninth-place finish in the fourth round of this year’s WRC series.
The fourth round of the championship proved to be the toughest so far, claiming a number of major casualties, and the Emirati driver was pleased to have completed an error-free rally to score two WRC points, his first of the season.
“I’m happy to have made it to the end of this rally,” said Al Qasimi. “But above all, I’m pleased to have made progress with my driving style on the last few stages.
“As the tyres were tending to heat up, I eased off a little and realised that this approach was a lot more effective. This is another step forward on my learning curve.”
The Emirati driver delivered an impressive performance after coming under intense pressure from last year’s Rally de Portugal winner, Norway’s Mads Ostberg.
Ostberg had led the event on the first day before rolling his Ford Fiesta WRC. After later restarting well down the field, he fought to get back among the points, and won three of the final leg’s four stages to eventually climb above Al Qasimi into the top ten.
But the UAE driver produced a great surge of his own on the last two stages to move past Finland’s Esapekka Lappi, and gained another place when the Ford Fiesta of Dutchman Dennis Kuipers failed to start the last stage.
Al Qasimi, who finished eighth in Portugal in 2009 and 9th in 2010, returns to action in the third round of the 2013 FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Jordan from May 9-11. His next of seven more WRC events this season is the Acropolis Rally in Greece from May 31 to June 2.
