Nasser favourite at Kazakhstan Rally
QATAR’S Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah heads a strong field at the inaugural Kazakhstan Rally, the fifth round of FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
Nasser and his French navigator Matthieu Baumel are in impressive form, winning the last round in Qatar as well as the recent Middle East Rally Championship’s Jordan leg, and are the firm favourites at the event, to be held from May 20 to 27.
The main competition for the ace Qatari, who drives a Toyota Hilux for Overdrive Racing Team, comes from a fleet of X-raid Mini All4Racing.
Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi had pushed Nasser in a couple of stages at the recent Qatar Cross-Country Rally. He joins Poland’s Jakub Przygonski and Qatar’s Mohamed Issa Abu Issa in a trio of German-built Mini All4Racing.
Other leading drivers include experienced Czech Miroslav Zapletal in a Hummer H3 Evo VII and the Mobilex Racing Team’s Yuriy Sazonov in Hummer H3.
“It was important to win in Qatar. I hope to do well in Kazakhstan,” said Nasser, who has 90 points and trails championship leader Shaikh Khalid Al Qassimi of the UAE by just 15.
Nasser’s compatriot Mohamed Issa is third with 68 points.
The event features six demanding selective sections which will test crews and their machines to the limit.
