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Qatar’s Adel Hussein Abdulla heads to northern Italy this weekend in a bid to snatch the lead in the prestigious FIA T2 World Championship, held in conjunction with the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies.
With support from Nissan Middle East for his powerful Nissan Patrol Y62, the Qatari currently trails Saudi Arabian driver Yasir Saeidan by 12 points in the championship standings and success at this weekend’s three-day Italian Baja would give the Doha-based driver the initiative to take into the second half of the season.
Adel guided his Nissan Patrol – the ‘King of all Terrains – to a memorable victory at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge at the start of April and finished fourth overall at his home Sealine Cross-Country Rally behind Saeidan, fellow Qatari Mohammed al-Harqan and Pole Jaroslaw Kazberuk two weeks later.
Although the Baja-type events are shorter and carry less FIA championship points than the longer distance off-road rounds of the FIA World Cup, they are no less important and Adel knows that he needs to reach the podium to continue the quest for a second successive T2 title for Nissan. Adel will be co-driven by the experienced Frenchman Jean-Michel Polato.
“I started my full challenge for T2 honours at the Sealine Cross-Country Rally in Qatar and have now attracted support from the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Nissan Middle East,” said Adel Hussein Abdulla. “I have full support now for all the remaining rounds of the championship.
“I am looking forward to the Italian Baja. This is my first time in Italy, although it will not be my first time on this kind of terrain. I competed in a Porsche Cayenne in 2007 and 2008. The objective is to get a good result and gain the maximum points in the T2 Championship. I want to be at the top of the points’ table. There is only a small gap of 12 points between myself and Yasir Saeidan from Saudi Arabia at the moment, although I know the local Italian drivers will be fast. I am delighted to welcome my new co-driver, who is very experienced on these type of rallies.”
Saeidan currently has 86 championship points to Adel Hussein’s 74, although the Qatari is a comfortable second in the title race, with fellow countryman Mohammed al-Harqan a further 18 points adrift.
The opening Italian Baja stage for Adel Hussein starts and finishes at Cordenons on Friday (June 24), stage two is centred around Valasone the following day and the final action takes place between San Lorenzo and Ponte della Delizia on Sunday, prior to the ceremonial finish in Pordenone.
FIA T2 Cross-Country Rally World Cup
1. Yasir Saeidan (SAU) 86 pts
2. Adel Hussein Abdulla (QAT) 74 pts
3. Mohammed al-Harqan (QAT) 56 pts
4. Jaroslaw Kazberuk (POL) 42 pts
5. Emil Khneisser (LEB) 36 pts
6. Marat Abykayev (KAZ) 30 pts
7. Aleksandr Terentyev (RUS) 25 pts
8. Raul Orlandini (PER) 24 pts
9. Pietro Fogliani (ITA) 18 pts
10. Tariq al-Rammah (SAU) 16 pts
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