January 19, 2021
Kris Meeke (GBR) Seen during FIA World Rally Championship 2018 in Leon, Mexico on 8-3-2018.
LOSAIL, Qatar — Defending FIA Middle East rally champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and WRC star Kris Meeke are the top seeds on an international 18-car entry with competitors from nine nations (subject to FIA approval) announced by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) for next week’s Qatar International Rally.
The opening round of the 2021 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) will go ahead under the strict COVID-19 protocols in force in Qatar and has also moved forward by one day in the calendar. The start ceremony will now be held at Katara on Friday evening (Jan. 29), followed by two days of gravel action in the Qatar deserts on Jan. 30-31.