DOHA: Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and his brother Nasser ended a 10-year wait for a third FIA Middle East Rally Championship victory after securing a dramatic win at the Qatar International Rally in Lusail on Saturday.
The Qatari pairing trailed runaway leader and defending champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah for much of the event, only moving into the lead after disaster struck their rival following nine of the rally’s 12 gravel stages north of Doha.
Al-Attiyah Retires After Suspension Failure
Al-Attiyah’s charge for a record 19th Qatar victory unravelled when he completed stage nine with a broken rear-left wheel and damaged suspension on his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS.
Despite changing the wheel and attempting emergency roadside repairs, the damage proved terminal. A small fire broke out as the crew attempted to return to Lusail, and although Al-Attiyah made it back within maximum lateness—on three rotating wheels—he ultimately withdrew from the rally.
The Qatari later admitted he had believed the issue was a puncture and continued to the stage finish, unaware the wheel had broken and caused suspension damage.
Calm Run to the Finish for Al-Kuwari
Once in the lead, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari, driving the Sarrazin Škoda Fabia RS, avoided trouble across the remaining three stages to seal victory with a commanding margin of 5min 08.8sec.
The win followed up Al-Kuwari’s previous Qatar success in 2012, when he triumphed in a Mini S2000. He had also claimed victory on a MERC candidate event in Oman in 2014 and maximum championship points in Cyprus the same year.
Emotional Return for Retired Co-Driver
The rally marked a surprise return for Nasser Al-Kuwari, who had announced his retirement last year but stepped in as a stand-in co-driver for the event.
“Fourteen years I didn’t win the event and 14 years my brother was never next to me here,” said Abdulaziz. “I brought him back. I never pushed 100%. I had no penalties or punctures. The team did a great job. Now, for sure, I will ask the QMMF if I can continue the Middle East championship. I think I deserve it.”
Nasser Al-Kuwari added: “When my brother asked me to come back, I felt we were going to win. This will be my last race and we have won it. I am proud of my brother. This is the end of my career.”
