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AL-ATTIYAH VS LOEB

The newly elected FIA President, Mohammed bin Sulayem, travelled to Ha'il to witness the awarding of the very first FIA Cross-Country World Championship points. The Emirati former driver must have been delighted to see his heir take the lead at this momentous time. Not that Nasser Al-Attiyah is looking forward to an office with a commanding view of the Place de la Concorde in Paris! He is bin Sulayem's successor in the sense that the Toyota driver has won the Middle East Rally Championship 11 times between 2003 and 2021, the same race that bin Sulayem won on almost every occasion from 1986 to 2002, with 14 titles in total. The game is on, but Al-Attiyah is currently focused on his incipient struggle with Sébastien Loeb, his closest rival who has entered the W2RC.

Top Moments - Stage 1 Dakar 2022 - #W2RC
201 Al-Attiyah Nasser (qat), Baumel Batthieu (fra), Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+, Auto FIA T1/T2, W2RC, action during the first stage of the Dakar 2022 between Hail and Hail, in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2022.
201 Al-Attiyah Nasser (qat), Baumel Batthieu (fra), Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+, Auto FIA T1/T2, W2RC, action during the first stage of the Dakar 2022 between Hail and Hail, in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2022. © ASO/Charly Lopez
90 Petrucci Danilo (ita), Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing, KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica, Moto, W2RC, action during the Stage 1B of the Dakar Rally 2022 around Hail, on January 2nd, 2022 in Hail, Saudi Arabia - Photo Frederic Le Floch / DPPI
90 Petrucci Danilo (ita), Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing, KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica, Moto, W2RC, action during the Stage 1B of the Dakar Rally 2022 around Hail, on January 2nd, 2022 in Hail, Saudi Arabia - Photo Frederic Le Floch / DPPI © Frederic Le Floch / DPPI
201 Al-Attiyah Nasser (qat), Baumel Batthieu (fra), Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+, Auto FIA T1/T2, W2RC, action during the first stage of the Dakar 2022 between Hail and Hail, in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2022.
201 Al-Attiyah Nasser (qat), Baumel Batthieu (fra), Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+, Auto FIA T1/T2, W2RC, action during the first stage of the Dakar 2022 between Hail and Hail, in Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2022. © ASO/Charly Lopez