Stage set for Qatar International Rally
29 Jan 2021 - 9:46
Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah tests his VW before the Qatar International Rally
The Peninsula
The 2021 Qatar International Rally roars into life at Katara this evening with the ceremonial start podium set to be held at 8:15pm before teams will tackle two runs and two laps of a purpose-built super special stage from 9:30pm. Then, ahead of an impressive field of drivers and co-drivers from 12 nations are two days of high-speed competition across the northern deserts of the State of Qatar that will make the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) such a challenge. Run under the rigorous protocols put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, all necessary precautions have been taken. Teams have now completed their reconnaissance of the desert special stages and attention turns to setting the cars up in preparation for the rigours that lie ahead over the weekend.