Latest news with #W2RC
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
No Formula One, Formula E or W2RC for SA in 2026: sources
By: Double Apex The FIA World Motor Sport Council recently met in Macau and made a few vital decisions regarding the top echelons of the sport. Among the decisions that were ratified include 2025 calendars for all the FIA World Championship events. Sadly, there will be no F1, Formula E or W2RC for SA in 2026. The 2026 F1 calendar commences in Australia on 8 March with the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 6 December. The 2026 schedule will, once again, feature 24 races. Interestingly, Imola has been replaced by Madrid. So we have gone from there being two races in Italy to having two races in Spain. The USA still hosts three rounds (Miami, Austin and Las Vegas). More attention has been paid to geographical flow for better efficiency. As a result there are groupings of races in particular geographical areas. Local F1 fans have been dreaming of a race taking place on local soil for years. The minister of sport has been quite vocal about the success of his tenure resting on him being able to bring a race to SA. The department has even taken bids from a few interested parties. The idea being that the most successful bid would be presented to the FIA. The entire process seems to have gone quiet. Our sources tell us that none of the bids were of an adequate level to impress the FIA and Formula One. As a result, no local company ie promoter has yet been appointed to pitch to the sport's governing body. Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, said: '2026 will be a new era for Formula 1 where we will witness a brand-new set of regulations for our sport, the cars and the engines that will be powered by 100% sustainable fuel. "We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar, and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac and Ford join the Formula 1 grid. It promises to be an unforgettable season, where once again we will come together at 24 amazing global venues to watch the best drivers in the world push themselves to the limit and produce incredible wheel to wheel racing for our millions of fans watching around the globe.' No W2RC or Formula E Either Surprisingly, there will be no W2RC in SA either. The third round of the 2025 series, which started with the Dakar Rally, visited SA just a few weeks ago. By all accounts it was a success with visiting teams impressed by the organisation of the event as well as the variety of terrain. Rally raid legend Nasser Al Attiyah said of the event: 'It was really nice to be here in South Africa. We'd like to come back.' It was a sentiment echoed by WRC icon Sebastien Loeb: 'It is my second time in South Africa, but my first outside Cape Town where I raced in World Rallycross. Going on safari and seeing so much of the landscape during the stages was very beautiful.' Formula E won't be making a return to SA either in 2026. The sole event in SA, which took place a few years ago, was voted the best of the 2023 season. Cape Town's street circuit provided exciting racing and a picturesque backdrop in the form of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Seaboard. There is, however, a double-header blank spot in the 2026 schedule. But will we see the series race on local soil again…? Article courtesy of Double Apex
Gulf Today
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Qatari driver Al Attiyah notches up 17th victory at Jordan Rally
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. The success took the iconic Škoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al-Attiyah: 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Abdullah Al-Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al-Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al-Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroën C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Rakan Al-Rashed's main target was to finish the event and the Saudi again teamed up with Portugal's Hugo Magalhāes in a Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris. Cruelly, his Yaris sustained substantial damage after an accident on the penultimate stage he was forced out. Lebanese driver Bassel Abu Hamdan and his co-driver Firas Elias benefitted from his demise to round off the top four in a Škoda Fabia. Oman's Abdullah Al-Zubair led the MERC2 field from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha Al-Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya Al-Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al-Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al-Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al-Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run. The Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez and Shadi Shaban were classified in seventh and ninth overall. Tenth place was sufficient for Rashid Al-Mohannadi to take victory over Saad Al-Harqan and Payyaakkal 'Saneem' Panikkaveettil in the FIA MERC4 category and to seal the championship title in his Peugeot 208 with two rounds to spare. Al-Rawahi earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader Al-Fayez. A first pass through the iconic Panorama stage of 17.12km opened proceedings on the final morning. Palestine's Hamada Uda was the only driver not to restart. Outside temperatures were already up to 31°C at the start of the stage with a peak of 37°C in the afternoon. Surface cleaning was evident on the opener but Al-Attiyah laid down the gauntlet with a time of 11min 38.0sec. That smashed the existing stage record by six seconds. Al-Rawahi dropped 32.3 seconds with tyre damage on a front-right wheel and that enabled Al-Attiyah to extend his lead to 45.8 seconds. Al-Kuwari was second quickest but remained a long way behind the leading duo. Al-Zubair continued to dominate MERC2 from sixth overall but Mohammed Al-Shorafa was in trouble and retired with broken steering.
Qatar Tribune
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Al Attiyah earns his 17th Jordan Rally triumph
Tribune News Network Dead Sea Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday, The success took the iconic Skoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al Attiyah said, 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Abdullah Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroen C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Rakan Al Rashed's main target was to finish the event and the Saudi again teamed up with Portugal's Hugo Magalhaes in a Jameel Motorsport Toyota GR Yaris. Cruelly, his Yaris sustained substantial damage after an accident on the penultimate stage he was forced out. Lebanese driver Bassel Abu Hamdan and his co-driver Firas Elias benefitted from his demise to round off the top four in a Skoda Fabia. Oman's Abdullah Al Zubair led the MERC2 field from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha Al Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya Al Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' Nasser Khalifa Al Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run. The Jordanian duo of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez and Shadi Shaban were classified in seventh and ninth overall. Tenth place was sufficient for Rashid Al Mohannadi to take victory over Saad Al Harqan and Payyaakkal 'Saneem' Panikkaveettil in the FIA MERC4 category and to seal the championship title in his Peugeot 208 with two rounds to spare. Al Rawahi earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader Al Fayez. This year's Jordan Rally was supported by Zain Jordan, Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM, Markazia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Jordan. The FIA Middle East Rally Championship continues in Lebanon on September 5th-7th.
Qatar Tribune
31-05-2025
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Nasser Al Attiyah wins his 17th Jordan Rally title
DOHA: Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah cruised to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. The success took the iconic Škoda Fabia RS driver to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. Al Attiyah said, 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me. This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Qatar's Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroen C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places. Abdullah Al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata Al Hmoud maintained the pressure on Al Attiyah throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Qatar's Nasser Khalifa Al Atya continued his run of consistent form to bring his Ford Fiesta to the Dead Sea finish in sixth overall with co-driver Ziad Chehab. That result was sufficient for the Qatari veteran to seal success in the inaugural FIA Master MERC Championship with two rounds to run.
Muscat Daily
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Al Rawahi finishes second in Jordan Rally, compatriot Al Zubair wins MERC2
Dead Sea, Jordan – Qatar's Nasser Saleh al Attiyah won all but one of the 12 gravel special stages on his way to a comfortable 17th victory in the Jordan Rally on Saturday. Abdullah al Rawahi and his Jordanian co-driver Ata al Hmoud maintained the pressure on the Qatari throughout day one but a time-consuming puncture delayed the Omani on Saturday's opening Panorama stage and a second issue on stage 10 proved too much for the 2023 regional champion. He finished second overall. Al Rawahi said: 'It was a long two days for us. The first day was quite good, especially with the pace and we were very close to Nasser. Unfortunately, today we had some punctures and we lost some time. Overall, we are very happy with our performance. It has been the closest we have been to him in the battle. 'We don't really have enough seat time in the car. After this rally I have three months off not really driving my car. My car is also an older generation and there is experience difference between me and Nasser. That is why it is good that he is in the championship. He helps us to push and get closer to him. It is still good. We wanted to win but we are still happy.' Al Rawahi also earned victory in the second round of the Jordan National Championship with Shaker Jweihan claiming second place ahead of Sheikh Bader al Fayez. Oman had plenty more to celebrate as Abdullah al Zubair led the MERC2 field at Jordan Rally from start-to-finish with co-driver Taha al Tadjali to strengthen his push for the overall title. Fellow countryman Zakariya al Aamri had arrived in Jordan with a 15-point lead over Al Zubair but his rival's success and fifth place overall has thrown the battle wide open with two rallies remaining. Al Aamri finished second in the category and eighth overall. Al Zubair said: 'We are happy with this result, It is a very difficult race. It is also very hot. It was our first time here. The first day we were flat out and won every stage. Today, we took it slow. We had a good lead and the strategy paid off.' For Al Attiyah, the Jordan win took him to a record 90th career MERC rally win, as he closes in on an unprecedented 20th regional title since 2003. The new partnership with his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera has a 100% winning record with the duo now taking victories at the opening four rounds of this year's FIA Middle East Rally Championship in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and now Jordan. 'I am so happy to win again here in Jordan for the 17th time. This means a lot to me,' said al Attiyah. 'This year we have won every rally so far. It feels like a good year, leading the Middle East Championship and leading the W2RC. For this rally, I will give it 10 out of 10. Today, we controlled the pace and tried to make a gap in case we had a puncture.' Qatar's Abdulaziz al Kuwari and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore tried different set-ups with their Citroën C3 but struggled to match the pace of the leading duo on this occasion. They did enough to round off the podium places.
