Al-Attiyah wins Cross-Country Rally in Qatar for seventh time
Last updated on: 27 February,2020 11:29 pm
Al-Attiyah and Baumel triumphed with a winning margin of one hour 31 minutes, 40 seconds
(Reuters) - Four-time FIA World Cup Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah got his 2020 campaign off to the perfect start by securing victory in the opening Manateq Qatar Cross-Country Rally on Thursday (February 27).
Al-Attiyah, who is chasing a first World Cup rally crown since 2017, won four of five stages alongside French co-driver Baumel to secure overall victory in his home country for the seventh time in nine seasons.
Al-Attiyah and Baumel triumphed with a winning margin of one hour 31 minutes, 40 seconds despite finishing the final stage with two flat tyres.
Victory in Lusail gives the Qatari the perfect start in the five-round series which resumes next month with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The Toyota Gazoo pair held a lead in excess of one hour heading into Thursday’s stage five and did enough to cruise through with Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Michael Orr finishing second overall for Overdrive Racing.
Poland’s Jakub Przygonski and German navigator Timo Gottschalk battled back from a near two-hour time loss on day two to secure the final podium place on their first appearance together in a Toyota - completing a podium sweep of Toyota Hilux cars.