Nissan’s Adel Hussein Abdulla has arrived in Morocco to make his final preparations for the OiLibya Rally of Morocco, the eighth and one of the most difficult rounds of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, which takes place between Agadir and Erfoud from October 1-7.
The Qatari has entered the racing category open for drivers of cars as Series Production Cross-Country or T2 vehicles and his Nissan Patrol has support from Nissan Qatar, Nissan Middle East and the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF).
Abdulla currently lies 11 points behind the series leader with two rallies to run and has just finished pre-Morocco testing in Germany and travelled to Morocco by road earlier this week.
“This is one of the most difficult rallies in the Cross-Country calendar, almost like a mini version of the Dakar,” said Abdulla. “Most of the big teams that take part in the Dakar take part in this rally in order to test their cars. Competition for me is sure to be tough with my main rivals in the T2 Championship.
“My aim is to finish in a good position, but I know this will not be easy with so many drivers using the event to get ready for Dakar. In Morocco, we can also earn double points. The difference between me and the leader is only 11 points, so it is possible for me to win the championship if I can take maximum points in Morocco.
“Most of the parts on my Nissan Patrol Y62 have been replaced with new ones and the car has been totally rebuilt since Poland last month. We plan to carry out some testing in Morocco before the start just to put the final touches on the car. I hope we do not have any problems. The rally is six days and we need a good strategy and a strong plan from the start. I thank Nissan Middle East, Nissan Qatar and the QMMF for their ongoing support and hope to continue with them into next season.”
Abdulla will also use a new co-driver in Morocco after deciding to team up with Yasir Saeidan’s former partner Sébastien Delaunay for the first time.
The Frenchman has vast cross-country experience with a number of different international drivers and Adel Hussein hopes that the replacement for Jean-Michel Polato will be the start of a long-term partnership.
Managed and co-ordinated by the Neveu-Pelletier Organisation (NPO), the Rally of Morocco takes place under the patronage of His Majesty The King Mohammed VI. In a total planned route of 1,882km, 1,317km will be timed against the clock over gruelling desert terrain that includes tricky dune crossings, rocky terrain and demanding navigation.
Competitive action gets underway with a timed super special stage of approximately seven kilometres in Agadir on Sunday (October 2). Two short stages of around 70km and 50km follow near the sea on Monday, October 3 and then the route heads inland towards the Moroccan desert for four further selective sections of 291km, 315km, 319km and 230km on October 4-7, with the route heading from Agadir to a finish in Erfoud via the notorious Erg Chebbi.