KUWAIT CITY // Another race, another record.
Nasser Al Attiyah, the 10-time Middle East Rally champion, won his fifth Kuwait International Rally on Saturday to break Mohammed ben Sulayem’s record and move Qatar level with the UAE in terms of total Middle East Rally Championship (Merc) race victories.
Al Attiyah’s triumph was the 56th Merc win of the 44 year old’s career and moved him within four of Ben Sulayem’s record of 60, achieved by the Emirati between 1984 and 2002.
The victory also meant Qatar, with 73 race wins, matched the total held by the UAE.
“I am so happy to keep this run of wins going and extend my lead in the championship,” said Al Attiyah, who finished one minute, 2.1 seconds ahead of title rival Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi. “I had a good strategy here and it worked. I managed my pace and that was important.”
Al Attiyah leads Al Qassimi in the Merc by 14 points after two rounds. The Emirati, who drives for Abu Dhabi Racing, won two of yesterday’s six stages but was unable to make up the time lost on Friday’s third stage.
“I’m happy to be on the podium. I had some bad luck on the first day when dust stuck to my windshield and I had visibility problems, as a result of which I lost nearly 40 seconds,” Al Qassimi said. “Then, while I was catching up, I lost another 25 seconds due to a puncture. It is not the result I wanted, but I’ll take second after all the issues.”
Ben Sulayem, who remains the driver with most Merc titles, having won the championship 14 times, congratulated Al Attiyah on his latest achievement.
“I did my part for my country, but records are there to be broken,” he said. “I am sure Nasser will eventually break more of my records, but we can be proud the UAE held them for such a period.
“The challenge we have now is to get more young drivers into the sport because the Middle East Rally Championship is not about the records, but about improving the infrastructure and support of motorsport in the region and ensuring ways to sustain it.”
Mansour Al Helei, the Abu Dhabi Racing junior development driver, was ninth overall but first in the two-wheel drive category.
The next round of the Merc is in Iran on May 6-8.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
Sustainable Development Goals
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14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
England v West Indies
England squad for the first Test Cook, Stoneman, Westley, Root (captain), Malan, Stokes, Bairstow, Moeen, Roland-Jones, Broad, Anderson, Woakes, Crane
Fixtures
1st Test Aug 17-21, Edgbaston
2nd Test Aug 25-29, Headingley
3rd Test Sep 7-11, Lord's
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
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- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
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