MERC 2014

[makinen_fan]

The Middle east championship started today with Qatar rally. After first day Al Kuwari is unusually close to Al Attiya, only 5.5s between the two.
http://timing.sporttraxx.com/races/qata ... #results/6 (http://timing.sporttraxx.com/races/qatar-2014/#results/6)

[TheFlyingTuga]

He his leading day two with 4.5 s from Al-Attyah

[makinen_fan]

He his leading day two with 4.5 s from Al-Attyah

Leading due to 10s penalty by Nasser. Although Nasser will start 1st the second day and Al Kuwari second:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t31/q89/s720x720/1618101_10152262589880242_1466572475_o.jpg

[Mihai]

Has Giovanni Bernacchini become Polish lately ? :D

[Andre Oliveira]

Missfer Al-Marri died today

[dupanton]

Missfer Al-Marri died today

In a crash?

[makinen_fan]

In a crash?

No, illness according to this
http://biser3a.com/sports/middle-east-r ... asses-away (http://biser3a.com/sports/middle-east-rally-champion-misfer-al-marri-passes-away/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=middle-east-rally-champion-misfer-al-marri-passes-away)

[makinen_fan]

So Nasser wins the Middle East championship for the 10th time after his protest and not Khalid. I am not sure what it was about, can anyone shed more light?

PS: to mods: why is this thread not shown anymore??

[MartijnS]

Apparently Khalid cut too big parts of the stages and that was filmed by spectators.

[Leon]

Apparently Khalid cut too big parts of the stages and that was filmed by spectators.

indeed
http://biser3a.com/rally/will-abu-dhabi-racing-commit-to-the-middle-east-rally-championship-in-2015-after-al-attiyahs-dubai-rally-victory-announcement/

[makinen_fan]

so which article is right?it cant be right both of them.i also remember in cyprus that merc competitors was not penalised for big cuttings but this was had not effect for erc competitors.so WHATS THE RULE?i think fia messed up( because qatar's association influence)!!!!!!!!!!bullshit!!

P.S opinions please!!

Without seeing the spectator's footage that resulted to Khalid's penalty we cannot really comment on that. But IMO the overall decision is biased towards Nasser, after all one of FIA's vice-presidents is from his family). Also this article hinds that Nasser explicitly didn't take the questionable cuts, so maybe the whole thing was staged to penalise Khalid? I wouldn't be surprised. http://motorheads.me/2014/12/sheikh-khalid-al-qassimi-im-very-disappointed-with-the-fias-final-decision/

[AndyRAC]

Something is not right - and I'm not sure about using a spectators footage as evidence. It seems all a bit dubious.

[nafpaktos]

I think nasser is a cheater.i thinks he wants to win and he doesnt care about the way.i remember some years ago in our rally when he was excluded because his car wasnt according to the regulations.i think this was not the only time!if he is happy with this championship what can i say???he has a lot of money and influence to buy some more.well done nasser.

[dimviii]

Fredrik Gustavsson retweeted
carlos abou jaoude ‏@wrccarlos 4 ώρεςΠριν από 4 ώρες
Tlaking of rules . Nasser what is this !!!@fia @OfficialWRC @planetemarcus @Official_iRally @paddocknews Dubai 2014
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4MLLFlCcAAhIVb.jpg

[dimviii]

carlos abou jaoude ‏@wrccarlos 1 ώραΠριν από 1 ώρα
They do not want to watch or listen,so be justice.1 more cut for nasser @paddocknews @fia @Official_iRally @planetema

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RhzQzCUAAoxj1.jpg

[dimviii]

Motorsport Fervor ‏@simply_perfect 16 ώρεςΠριν από 16 ώρες
@WorldRallyBlog @AutosportME @MadYarpen @Official_iRally @OpensTightens @wrccarlos History of shortcuts.No penalty? pic.twitter.com/BpllWJnYmv

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4OZT_xCEAAKMg2.jpg:large

[nafpaktos]

http://www.worldrallyblog.com/2014/12/06/wrc-news/abu-dhabi-racing-need-think-commitment-merc/

dim i think in the first photo of your latest post nasser lost the brakes.the ruts are very big to get through,so i think in this specific occasion he may used reverse to get back to the road(just assume).this of course doesnt change my mind for him.CHEATER!!!!!!

[makinen_fan]

dim i think in the first photo of your latest post nasser lost the brakes.the ruts are very big to get through,so i think in this specific occasion he may used reverse to get back to the road(just assume).this of course doesnt change my mind for him.CHEATER!!!!!!

watch this:
http://youtu.be/e1y-bla1eOg?t=2m50s

It was also shown in the official review of the rally (no penalty by organisers/FIA in this one)

[focus206]

I think that extreme cutting is quite common in MERC. I remember to have read an article about Ron Cremen, an Australian rally driver who contested few seasons of MERC around 2000, in which he was indeed saying that Middle East drivers used to cut big parts of the stages, and there were some SS in which they were cutting so much that there was no way for him to match their times and was finding himself at the bottom of the classification of those SS. With this I'm not justifying anyone nor taking any side.

[nafpaktos]

watch this:
http://youtu.be/e1y-bla1eOg?t=2m50s

It was also shown in the official review of the rally (no penalty by organisers/FIA in this one)

Speechless!!!this video was really insightful!THANKS!!my assumption was obviously wrong!!!i couldnt even think a driver would do such a thing,but it is obvious here that he lost the brakes.

[dimviii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-haxnYQztQg&feature=youtu.be

[makinen_fan]

The cut that resulted to Khalid's penalty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d64_I3uA_pc

[dimviii]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1osghXUrww&app=desktop

[manthey]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4MLLFlCcAAhIVb.jpg

just a curiosity: someone knows which is the model of that pickup?thanks
(seems not a ram and neither a ford)

[vino_93]

ATCL Motorsports

WRC Jordan 2016?? North Africa Championship and Egypt candidate for MERC
AL Attiyah' confirms : coordination is going on to organize North Africa'Rally championship 2015
Nasser AL Attiyah' FIA Vice President announced that there is coordination with a number of North Africa countries clubs and federations represented in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Alegria ,Morocco and Muritania' to find a fertilized, solid ground to organize a regional championship the same like middle east rallychampionship which is the new idea AL Attiyah' is looking forward to implementing it in the coming season 2015. As a qualifying round will be hosted in each country in 2015 while the official start will be in 2016 within the international championships agenda .
This idea aims at developing in North Africa region which suffered a lot in the last years' specially after Paris -Dakar' was cancelled in 2008 as it was shifted to South America due to the murder of a number of French tourists in Muritania' before the start of the race .
Egypt into the agenda of middle east Rally championship
It's expected that AL Attiyah' is going to visit these countries which welcimed the idea at the beginning of the next year .Egypt and middle east championship for rallies. AL Attiyah' as the first official responsible for MENA - FIA is trying to insert Egypt into the agenda of middle east Rally championship in order to raise the number of the rounds to 9 instead of 8 which is the target that AL Attiyah' is seeking since he took the responsibility as FIA vice president in last December.
AL Attiyah stated that my ambition is to increase the number of activities and promote this sport in MENA, thanks God we managed to achieve a big part of our mission such as increasing the number of rounds and developed the sport systems , we hope to compete our strategy by organizing North Africa championship which will benefit all countries of the region and make a touristic and economic promotion. Jordan Rally .
AL Attiyah added that we are trying seriously to get the official approval for the return of Jordan rally to the agenda of WRCafter it has stopped since 2011. We are coordinating with HRH Prince Faisal Bin AL Hussein and the sponsoring company of the championship to reach a memorandum of understanding to host the championship in 2016.
End.


has anyone heard about that North African Rally Championship ?
I've even no knowledge of events there, except Rallye du Maroc Historique ... and some hillclimbs in Algeria.

[J4MIE]

Always wanted to go to Jordan when it was in the WRC, but it was dropped before I got the chance to visit.

Really not sure about having events in Libya for example at the moment, surely, but we only hear bad things about it and it may be totally different on the ground there.

Surely though any event would struggle for entries, same as the African Championship (which won't include the Safari Rally this year), and the MERC.

[dimviii]

Qatar day 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqX9N95jqd8&feature=youtu.be

[makinen_fan]

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Zw6m_WWX0

Nasser's review. He says something about new rule to stay always in the road. Does anyone know any more on this?

[tolis]

@Yiannis: Have a look at page 2 filoui m!

http://circuitlosail.com/uploads/QIR%202015%20-%20Bulletin%20No%202.pdf

[Zeakiwi]

Nasser takes the win in his home International rally.
http://youtu.be/VqUBr9lP9bM

Khalid secon. Yazeed suspension problems.