Mohamed Issa eager to impress on home debut
HAVING made an impressive switch from quads, Mohamed Issa Abu Issa is keen to shine on his home debut in the cars’ category.
Mohamed Issa, who became the first Qatari to ride a quad bike at the gruelling Dakar Rally, has seen his profile going up after making the big switch to cars at the start of season.
It has been a fascinating journey so far, starting with a10th-place finish at Dakar in January. And that was followed by third-place finishes in both rounds (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
Mohamed Issa, one of the three Mini All4Racing drivers in the fray for Qatar Cross-Country Rally along with Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Poland’s Jakub Przygonski, is keen to excel at home.
“It was an amazing feeling to be on the podium in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There was drama in every turn of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Now, I hope to do well at home,” said Mohamed Issa.
The 26-year-old’s record in his home event on a quad is reasonably good. He finished third on his debut in 2013, won it in 2014 and finished second in 2015. He missed last year’s edition due to his military service commitments and is keen to make it count this time.
“It has been a good learning experience in the cars’ category. I’m learning everything from the scratch. The rally challenge is never easy. But you’ve to keep focused.
“One’s vision is like an endless set of stairs, you’ve to climb every day and enjoy every moment of the journey if you want to make it to the top,” Mohamed Issa added.
