JEDDAH, 13 February 2006 — Despite the fierce competition between the two top drivers Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and UAE’s Khalid Al-Qasimi, the Saudi Rally Team’s participation was positive during the UAE International Rally 2006.
Despite his great start that saw him lead after the first day, team leader Ahmed Al-Sabban faced a serious technical problem but insisted to go on and continue his race. He eventually finished seventh overall in his Subaru Impreza WRX STi .
Al-Sabban was satisfied with his performance despite being away from racing for a long time. He said: “Yes, we were expecting to do much better than the seventh position unfortunately, things did not go our way but will try our best to improve our position in next round which will be held in Qatar.”
Meanwhile, his teammate Saad Faisal who is making his debut in the sport of rallying came in 16th position. Twenty of the original 27 starters began the final six stages, but there were several retirements among the backmarkers.The Saudi Rally Team this year is fully supported by Mobily and will be ready for the second round which is going to be held in Qatar from Feb. 16-18.
