The penultimate round of the six-event series has attracted an impressive 29-car entry with eight Rally 2 machines at the front of a field that will see competitors from eight nations tackling 11 demanding asphalt stages in the mountains and valleys to the north and east of Beirut. The stages are tricky, specialised, often bumpy and deceptively slippery in high summer temperatures.

Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah stands on the verge of sealing a staggering 20th regional title with his new Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera. With Abdullah Al-Rawahi and Ata Al-Hmoud both sidelined for the rest of the season after an accident in a Lebanese national rally earlier in the summer and Saudi Arabian driver Rakan Al-Rashed not taking part in Lebanon, Al-Attiyah is already virtually assured the title in his Autotek Škoda Fabia RS.

He has 140 points to fourth-placed Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari’s 73 and only two maximum points scores for his Qatari rival and a pair of non-finishes in Lebanon and Cyprus could mathematically deprive Al-Attiyah of that 20th title. With co-drivers Lorcan Moore and Al-Hmoud not present and Hugo Magalhães taking part in Baja Poland, Carrera is already assured of the MERC Co-Drivers’ title.

In a bid to try and catch his fellow Qatari, Al-Kuwari has switched from a Citroën C3 to take part in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 and has recruited the services of Giovanni Bernacchini as his co-driver. The Italian has already racked up 27 wins in the MERC – a number beaten only by record-holder Ronan Morgan (41) and Mathieu Baumel (32).

Last year’s event ran as a national status rally and the local super star Roger Feghali was able to earn a 17th victory since 2000. He is not registered for the MERC on this occasion but is sure to be the pre-event favourite at the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 with Joseph Matar as his co-driver. Together, the duo has won the event on nine occasions between 2011 and 2024.

Only nine of the drivers are registered for MERC points with the majority competing for Lebanese national championship honours. Veteran Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya is already assured of the FIA Master MERC Driver title in his Ford Fiesta but the Qatari, like his Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab, is also chasing a top three finish in the overall championship.

Oman’s Zakariya Al-Aamri and Abdullah Al-Zubair are currently locked in their own duel for the FIA MERC2 title. The Subaru Impreza drivers are separated by just nine points with two rounds remaining, while their respective co-drivers Mohammed Al-Mazrui and Taha Al-Zadjali are separated by a similar margin in their quest for honours.

Local Mitsubishi drivers Ahmad Khaled and Jad Al-Anwar are also registered for MERC points in Lebanon.

Qatar’s Rashed Al-Muhannadi has already secured victory in the FIA MERC4 section with four maximum points scores in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. But the battle for second place in the category is still up for grabs. Qatar Academy driver Mohammed Al-Marri (Peugeot 208) will battle it out with India’s Payyakkal Panikkaveettil (Ford Fiesta) for honours. The pair are currently separated by just five points and hold third and fifth in the MERC4 rankings.

Although not registered for the MERC, Lebanese crews offer strength in depth to the entry: Bassel Abu Hamdan wheels out a Volkswagen Polo, Rabih Ayoub, Tarik Younis and Elias Dehni will challenge in Škoda Rally 2s and young Alex Feghali is one of the clear favourites to shine in MERC2 with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

Action gets underway with a 2.54km super special stage close to the A.T.C.L. in Jounieh on Friday, September 3rd from 17.03hrs.

Competitors will then tackle two loops of three tarmac stages on Saturday. The 14.63km of Monsef is first on the agenda from 08.50hrs and is followed by passes through Toula and Deir Bella.

After a return to the Fouad Chehab Stadium in Jounieh for a midday regroup and service stop, the three specials will be repeated in the afternoon. Toula is the longest stage of the entire rally at 28.89km.

Sunday’s action comprises two passes through the Zandouka and Zabbougha stages, although the pair of Zandouka speed tests are slightly different. The opener (Baabdat) runs for 16.85km from 09.00hrs and the second pass (Bzebdine) offers 17.67km.

2025 Rally of Lebanon – entry list:

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

2. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA)                                       Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2*

3. Roger Feghali (LBN)/Joseph Matar (LBN)                                                                Toyota GR Yaris

4. Rabih Ayoub (LBN)/Georges Nadher (LBN)                                                            Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2

5. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN)                                                            Volkswagen Polo Rally 2

6. Elias Dehni (LBN)/Nicola Arena (ITA)                                                                                         Škoda Fabia Rally 2

7. Alex Feghali (LBN)/Marc Haddad (FRA)                                                                   Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X         

8. Carl Rizk (LBN)/Karim Abou Elias (LBN)                                                                   Citroën DS3

9. Rodrigue Rahi (LBN)/Gary Koundakjian (LBN)                                                        Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX        

10. Henry Kahy (LBN)/Ramy Menhem (LBN)                                                              Citroën DS3

11. Joseph Hindi (LBN)/Vicken Kanledjian (LBN)                                                        Renault Clio

12. David Mezher (LBN)/Chadi Nasr (LBN)                                                                  Ford Fiesta              

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

15. Tarek Younis (LBN)/Salim Jleilaty (LBN)                                                                 Škoda Fabia Rally 2

16. Charbel Chebly (LBN)/Dolyne Schink (LBN)                                                          Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

17. Ahmad Khaled (LBN)/Omar Mazkour (LBN)                                                         Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X*

18. Rhea Dagher (LBN)/Nadim Abou Elias (LBN)                                                        Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

19. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA)                                              Subaru Impreza N14*

20. Mohamad Tajeddine (LBN)/Samer Sfeir (LBN)                                                    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

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

22. Jad Al-Anwar (LBN)/Musa Djiyerian (JOR)                                                            Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X*

23. Ryan Khneisser (LBN)/Christopher Bechara (LBN)                                              Peugeot 208 Rally 4

24. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/ Pierre Delorme (FRA)                                           Peugeot 208 Rally 4*

25. Sami Fleifel (JOR)/Yazan Juma (JOR)                                                                      Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

26. Toni Germanos (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN)                                                          Renault Clio

27. Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND)                         Ford Fiesta Rally 4*

28. Nadi Yazbeck (LBN)/Elie Mhanna (LBN)                                                                Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII

29. Joanna Hassoun (LBN)/TBA)                                                                                    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

*denotes registered for the MERC

2025 FIA Middle East Rally Championship – positions after round 4 of 6:

Drivers

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)                                                                  140pts

2. Abdullah Al-Rawahi (OMN)                                                                                         93pts

3. Rakan Al-Rashed (KSA)                                                                              74pts

4. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)                                                                        73pts

5. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)                                                                    68pts

6. Rashid Al-Muhannadi (QAT)                                                                     48pts

7. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN)                                                                         46pts

8. Shadi Shaban (JOR)                                                                                     40pts

9. Bassel Abu Hamdan (LBN)                                                                         32pts

10. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMN)                                                                        29pts, etc

MERC2

1. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMN)                                                                          99pts

2. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMN)                                                                        90pts

3. Shadi El Fakih (LBN)                                                                                    45pts, etc

Timetable of events

Thursday, September 4

Scrutineering checks, BUMC, Hazmieh                                               09.00hrs onwards

Pre-rally press conference, Jounieh                                                                       19.45hrs

Ceremonial start, Jounieh                                                                         20.30hrs

Friday, September 5

SS1 – Super special stage                                                                          17.03hrs

Saturday, September 6

Start of leg 1, Jounieh                                                                                07.30hrs

Finish of leg 1, Jounieh                                                                              20.00hrs

Sunday, September 7

Start of leg 2, Jounieh                                                                                07.30hrs

Finish of leg 2, ATCL, Jounieh                                                                  17.00hrs

Finish ceremony and prizegiving, ATCL, Jounieh                            17.30hrs

Post-rally press conference, Media Centre, ATCL                           18.30hrs