Al Attiyah clinches historic 20th MERC title
BEIRUT: Qatar’s rally icon Nasser bin Saleh Al Attiyah has etched his name deeper into motorsport history by securing a record-breaking 20th Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) crown for the 2025 season.
The five-time Dakar Rally champion sealed the title after finishing second at the 47th Lebanon International Rally, the penultimate round of the FIA-sanctioned series. Driving a Skoda Fabia RS alongside Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera, Al Attiyah clocked 1:49:45 hours—just 9.2 seconds behind local star Roger Feghali, who claimed victory in a Toyota GR Yaris.
Although Feghali topped the rally, his non-registration in the MERC meant Al Attiyah collected maximum points, clinching the championship one round early, ahead of the season finale in Cyprus (October 3–5).
Lebanon’s Elias El Dahdah, with Italian co-driver Nicola Arena, completed the podium in third, while Saudi driver Basil Abu Hamdan and Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al Kuwari rounded out the top five.
Al Attiyah’s dominance this season was built on victories in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, reaffirming his unrivaled stature in regional rallying. Meanwhile, Carrera had already wrapped up the Co-Drivers’ Championship before the Lebanon round, adding another accolade to the pair’s successful campaign.(QNA)
