Defending champion Al-Attiyah and his Spanish navigator Candido Carrera top an entry that includes six Rally2 machines, a similar number fighting for honours in the FIA MERC2 category, half a dozen machines in FIA MERC4, a Rally5 entrant and four teams with SSVs.

The second round of the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) is being organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and follows hot on the heels of last week’s season opener in the Sultanate of Oman, where Al-Attiyah was triumphant to hold the early championship advantage.

The Autotek Škoda Fabia RS driver will be aiming for a 19th victory in Qatar from 26 starts and a staggering 93rd career MERC success. Carrera already has six MERC wins under his belt as Al-Attiyah’s new co-driver.

Former regional champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi and the 2012 event winner Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari should be Al-Attiyah’s closest challengers. They also wheel out Škoda Fabia RS machines with their respective co-drivers Ata Al-Hmoud and Nasser Al-Kuwari.

Talented up and coming local driver Mohammed Al-Marri has made the transition from a Rally4 car to the premier Rally2 category and drives a Citroën C3 for the first time. Defending FIA Master Driver champion Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya is also in the Rally2 field with co-driver Ziad Chehab and a Motortune Ford Fiesta.

There was also a late entry for Saudi driver Hamza Bakhashab and his Irish co-driver Lorcan Moore in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. They finished eighth in Oman last time out after holding third for long periods.

Jordanian Shaker Jweihan was the runaway winner of the FIA MERC2 section in Oman and tops the field in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X with co-driver Mustafa Juma. He faces competition from fellow countryman Sami Fleifel, Kuwait’s Jassim Al-Muqahwi, Omani Zakariya Al-Aamri, Indian Mohamed Mansoor Parol and Lebanese driver Charbel Chebly.

Six teams will battle it out for FIA MERC4 success in a quintet of Peugeot 208s and a solitary Ford Fiesta. Qatar Academy member Rashid Al-Muhannadi is the defending FIA MERC4 champion and teams up with Irishman Gary McElhinney in the first of the Peugeots.

He faces fierce resistance from the experienced trio of Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah and Nouef Al-Sowaidi and their respective co-drivers, Baptiste Cerrato, Aisvydas Paliukenas and Laos Savvas. Ahmad Al-Mohannadi and Taha Al-Zadjali crew the fifth 208.

The Indian duo of Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil and Musa Sherif will be hoping to break the French manufacturer’s stranglehold on the category in a Ford Fiesta.

SSVs are also eligible to score points in the MERC and a Qatari driver and three Italians will battle it out for honours. Mohammed Al-Atteya and Mirko Carrara have a pair of Can-Am Mavericks at their disposal, while Mario Marotta and regular Qatar Rally entrant Christiano Gabbarrini wheel out Yamaha YXZ 1000 Rs built by Quaddy Racing. 

The Lebanese duo of Shadi El Fakih and Joseph Kmeid will again be competing in a Renault Clio RS Rally 5 at the rear of the field.

In a revised route of 653.90km, the QMMF has planned 211.56km to be timed against the clock over 12 special stages.

A hectic Thursday (February 5th) sees a practice session through a new 5.56km special for Rally2 cars at Al-Khor. This will also act as the new qualifying stage for Rally2 crews. The result of that will determine the starting order for leg one. The slowest driver in the qualifying stage will run as the first Rally2 entrant on the road on Friday.

Non-Rally2 machines will be permitted a maximum of two passes apiece during a shakedown on the Al-Khor stage. The ceremonial start will then take centre stage at Lusail.

Friday’s action features two loops of three gravel stages. The morning’s itinerary features runs through the brand new Lejthaya and Waab Al-Mashrab stages and Al-Waab. The three will be repeated after a return to Lusail for a regroup and service.

Six further special stages are planned for Saturday (February 7th) before the rally reaches a conclusion with a ceremonial finish at Lusail.

An opening run through the slightly modified Umm Birka special gets the day’s action underway and is followed by the first passes through Ras Laffan and a revised Al-Thakira speed test. Another return to the service park in Lusail precedes the repeat runs of the three specials.

The second pass through Al-Thakira will also act as the Power Stage, with additional bonus points available for the five fastest drivers.

2026 Qatar International Rally – entry list:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP)                                 Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

2. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMA)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR)                                           Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2         

3. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN)                                           Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2

4. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT)                                      Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2         

5. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/Pierre Delorme (FRA)                                       Citroën C3 Rally 2

6. Shaker Jweihan (JOR)/Mustafa Juma (JOR)                                                      Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

7. Jassim Al-Muqahwi (KUW)/Sulaiman Al-Helal (KUW)                                  Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

8. Sami Fleifel (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR)                                                                    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

9. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed Al-Mazrui (OMA)                          Subaru Impreza N14

10. Mohamed Mansoor Parol (IND)/Lenin Joseph (IND)                                  Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

11. Charbel Chebly (LBN)/Carlos Hanna (LBN)                                                     Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

12. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Gary McEnhinney (IRL)                                 Peugeot 208 Rally 4

13. Hamza Bakhashab (KSA)/Lorcan Moore (IRL)                                               Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2

14. Ahmed Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Baptiste Cerrato (QAT)                                          Peugeot 208 Rally 4

15. Nouef Al-Sowaidi (QAT)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU)                                    Peugeot 208 Rally 4

16. Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Laos Savvas (CYP)                                        Peugeot 208 Rally 4

17. Ahmad Shaheen Al-Muhannadi (QAT)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA)               Peugeot 208 Rally 4

18. Payyaakkal Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND)                                   Ford Fiesta Rally 4

19. Mohammed Al-Atteya (QAT)/Aleksei Kuzmich (UAE)                               Can-Am Maverick

20. Mirko Carrara (ITA)/Stefano Tiraboschi (ITA)                                               Can-Am Maverick

21. Mario Marotta (ITA)/Giada Manocchi (ITA)                                                  Yamaha Quaddy YXZ 1000R

22. Christiano Gabbarrini (ITA)/Alessandro Forni (ITA)                                    Yamaha Quaddy YXZ 1000R

23. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN)                                                       Renault Clio RS Rally 5

Timetable of events

Tuesday, February 3

Administration checks, Rally HQ, Lusail                                                10.00hrs onwards

Pre-rally press conference, Rally HQ, Lusail                                        18.00hrs

Wednesday, February 4

Scrutineering checks, Rally HQ, Lusail                                                   09.00hrs onwards

Thursday, February 5

Free practice for Rally2 cars, Al-Khor                                                    10.00hrs-11.15hrs

Qualifying stage (5.56km) for Rally2 cars, Al-Khor                           11.45hrs

Shakedown stage (5.56km for other cars, Al-Khor                           12.30hrs-14.15hrs

Ceremonial start, Lusail international Circuit                                     18.00hrs

Friday, January 23

SS1 Lejthaya 1 (16.54km)                                                                           08.15hrs

SS2 Waab Al-Mashrab 1 (16.11km)                                                        08.43hrs

SS3 Al-Waab 1 (18.14km)                                                                           09.20hrs

SS4 Lejthaya 2 (16.54km)                                                                           12.25hrs

SS5 Waab Al-Mashrab 2 (16.11km)                                                        12.53hrs

SS6 Al-Waab 2 (18.14km)                                                                           13.30hrs

Saturday, January 24

SS7 Umm Birka 1 (22.98km)                                                                      08.03hrs

SS8 Ras Laffan 1 (16.73km)                                                                        08.57hrs

SS9 Al-Thakira 1 (15.28km)                                                                        09.22hrs

SS10 Umm Birka 2 (22.98km)                                                                   11.43hrs

SS11 Ras Laffan 2 (16.73km)                                                                     12.37hrs

SS12 Al-Thakira 2 (15.28km)                                                                     13.09hrs

Post-rally press conference, Lusail international Circuit                15.45hrs

Podium ceremony, Lusail international Circuit                                  16.15hrs