Khalid Al Qasimi gears up for Sardinia test

Abu Dhabi: The narrow, bumpy mountainous roads of Sardinia will offer the UAE’s Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi an acid test during his forthcoming World Rally Championship appearance this weekend.

Partnered by British co-driver Scott Martin in his Abu Dhabi Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC, the Emirati faces another stern examination in an event which is one of the shortest on the WRC calendar, but still ranks among the toughest.

Following his premature exit from the recent Acropolis Rally, Al Qasimi is determined to get his 2013 WRC campaign back on track, and is comforted by the fact the stages in Sardinia average just 19 km in length, with no marathon sections like those of 52 km and 47 km which he encountered in Portugal and Greece.

“It suits me, because the shorter stages mean less wear and tear on the car and, most importantly, they’re easier on the mind,” he said. “When you have very long stages like we did in Portugal and Greece, you can lose your concentration towards the end, and when that happens you can lose heaps of time.”

To help prepare for the test in Sardinia, Al Qasimi has been consulting teammate Mikko Hirvonen, who is chasing a second successive victory in the rally at the wheel of his Citroen Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team DS3 WRC.

He has been concentrating more, however, on building his partnership with Martin as they prepare to start only their eighth rally together. “We have a good relationship and it’s developing,” said Al Qasimi. “The most important thing is the chemistry between driver and co-driver inside the car. I have good friends who know a lot about rallying, but having your best friend with you in the car could be a disaster. Scott and I are learning every day we’re together, and we stay in touch in between events. We’re always looking to try new things, and if they don’t work we look to find something else that does.”