LUSAIL (Qatar): Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Candido Carrera moved firmly into control of the 2026 Qatar International Rally after six demanding special stages north of Doha on Friday.
Driving the Autotek Škoda Fabia RS, the pair claimed victory on five of the six gravel tests and headed into the overnight halt with a commanding 1min 32.0sec advantage over Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and his brother Nasser in a Sarrazin Škoda.
Measured pace pays off for Al-Attiyah
Despite dealing with slow punctures, Al-Attiyah adopted a controlled approach to the rough conditions.
“Today we had some slow punctures and we tried to manage,” said the 18-time rally winner. “In this kind of race you need to be careful and not have a crazy speed. We did a good job and have a decent lead. Tomorrow we need to be strong. The suspension was much better this afternoon after we stiffened it a bit.”
Al-Kuwari was content with second place, acknowledging the challenge of chasing the defending champion. “Sometimes to be behind Nasser you are like the winner of the rally. It’s not bad,” he said. “I’m missing some mileage but I’m happy. We didn’t push like hell and we’ll try to improve tomorrow.”
Al-Marri impresses on Rally2 debut
Young Qatari Mohammed Al-Marri belied his lack of Rally2 experience to secure a strong third overall. Partnered by French co-driver Pierre Delorme, Al-Marri impressed on his debut in a Citroën C3.
“We will try to hold our gap to at least make it a top three on the podium for Qatari guys,” he said. “I don’t have the seat time in the car but I am trying to do my best.”
Bakhashab recovers after early puncture drama
Saudi driver Hamza Bakhashab lost over three minutes changing a puncture on the opening stage but showed strong pace thereafter in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. He climbed back to fourth overall by day’s end, passing Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya and Ziad Chehab in the afternoon loop.
“The second loop was way better than the first one,” Bakhashab said. “It was cleaner and faster. Still a lot of catching up to do after the puncture.”
Al-Atya, who continues to lead the FIA Master Driver category in his Ford Fiesta, added: “I enjoyed the second loop. I pushed more and improved my times. We need to keep calm and be clever tomorrow.”
Punctures derail Al-Rawahi challenge
Omani driver Abdullah Al-Rawahi’s hopes of a maiden Qatar win were dashed by a series of punctures. A double puncture on the second stage cost him over five minutes and further tyre trouble on the final stage dropped him to seventh overnight.
“The pace was there and I’m happy with that,” said Al-Rawahi. “But I don’t think the podium is possible now.”
Jweihan dominates MERC2 battle
Jordan’s Shaker Jweihan was the standout performer in the FIA MERC2 category alongside Mustafa Juma in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. He won all but one stage to hold sixth overall and a 2min 24.5sec overnight lead.
“The stages are rough — crazy with stones and rocks,” Jweihan said. “We’re not taking risks. There’s plenty to lose. Tomorrow we’ll ease the pace.”
Thrilling MERC4 fight unfolds
The FIA MERC4 category delivered one of the day’s closest battles, with Rashid Al-Muhannadi, Nouef Al-Sowaidi and Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah separated by mere seconds throughout Friday. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah and co-driver Laos Savvas edged ahead on the final stage to take eighth overall, just 3.2 seconds clear.
Nineteen of the original 23 starters completed the opening leg, with crews bracing for another demanding day as the Qatar International Rally resumes on Saturday.
