JEDDAH: Oman’s Abdullah al Rawahi overcame a series of punctures to hold sixth position after the opening three stages of the new Jeddah-based Rally Saudi Arabia on Friday.
The opening Buraiman stage of 14.02km was cancelled on safety grounds but the Oman Rally Team driver teamed up with Great Britain’s Ross Whittock in an Autotek Skoda Fabia RS and was third quickest on the second stage behind Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al Attiyah and Finland’s Juho Hanninen.
But a series of punctures followed soon afterwards on the demanding terrain and the Omani slipped to sixth place at the midday return to Jeddah for a service and regroup on the third round of the 2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
Al Rawahi said: “We had a puncture. The first stage was cancelled and the second stage we were pushing, the pace was good and I was happy with the car. At the end of the stage, maybe three kilometres to go, we hit a rock and bent the rim. I thought it was a puncture. I lost focus a bit and we lost time.
“The third stage, we were pushing and we hit a rock after 5km and we had to change the puncture immediately. We lost a lot of time because it was very narrow and soft and we had to find a place to stop and change the wheel. Then we had a puncture at the end of the stage but we were happy to make the end of the loop.”
The re-run of the Buraiman special in the afternoon was also cancelled and that left just repeat runs of the Wadi Al Matwi and Um Al Jerem stages to negotiate in punishing heat late on Friday afternoon.
The Oman Rally Team has received vital backing from Al Manar Investments, the Oman Automobile Association, WMS, Zamakan, OQ, Strike, Size, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth and National Finance.
Saturday’s stages head north and centre on two runs through the Al Ghulal, Asfan and Thahban stages. The second pass through Thahban also acts as the event’s Power Stage of 9.34km.
2025 Rally Saudi Arabia – positions after SS3:
1. Nasser Saleh al Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 22min 06.0sec
2. Juho Hanninen (FIN)/Janni Hussi (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 22min 15.4sec*
3. Rakan al Rashed (KSA)/Hugo Magalhaes (POR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 23min 04.7sec
4. Abdulaziz al Kuwari (QAT)/Lorcan Moore (IRL) Citroen C3 Rally 2 23min 19.8sec
5. Abdullah al Zubair (OMA)/Taha al Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 25min 07.0sec
6. Abdullah al Rawahi (OMA)/Ross Whittock (GBR) Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 25min 26.1sec
7. Nasser Khalifa al Attiyah (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2 25min 35.2sec
8. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Marcin Pasek (POL) Can-Am Maverick R (SSV) 25min 46.4sec
9. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 26min 24.9sec
10. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 27min 28.0sec
11. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Skoda Fabia Rally 2 27min 48.3sec
12. Ihab al Shurafa (JOR)/Ahmad Jankhout (JOR) Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 28min 19.5sec
13. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 28min 28.1sec
14. Jassim al Muqahwi (KUW)/Suleiman al Helal (KUW) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X 28min 38.9sec
15. Rashid al Muhannadi (QAT)/Szymon Gospodarczyk (POL) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 28min 45.3sec
16. Shaikh Bader al Fayez (JOR)/Vili Oslaj (SLO) Skoda Fabia Rally 2 28min 51.9sec
17. Joanna Hassoun (LBN)/Dolyne Schlink (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 29min 49.6sec*
18. Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND) Ford Fiesta Rally 4 30min 43.7sec
19. Zakariya al Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed al Mazroui (OMA) Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 30min 55.4sec
20. Mohammed al Shorafa (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX (NAT) 31min 01.1sec*
21. Saad al Harqan (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 39min 37.2sec
Mohammed al Marri (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4 RETIRED – SS3
*denotes not registered for the Merc
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