The 51st international Cyprus Rally was launched on Friday in Nicosia city center, in the presence of Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Cyprus, H.E. Yousef Sultan Laram, and the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos. The race will finish on Sunday, October 20, with the crowning of the new Middle East Champion, as this event is the final round of the 2024 FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
According to an organizers’ press release, hundreds of motorsport fans were present at the Ceremonial Start, as many have been following the event since 1970, when it was first organized by the international Cyprus Automobile Association.
The Special Stages of the 51st Cyprus Rally kicks off on Saturday morning with three special stages in the Asinou area, which will be repeated in the afternoon. On Sunday, October 20, the action moves to the areas of Skarinou, Lefkara, Lythrodontas, and Yeri, with the race concluding with the Visit Qatar Power Stage in Yeri at 15:43.
The contenders for the Middle East Rally Championship are in Cyprus. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (49 points) and Nasser Al-Attiyah (35 points) from Qatar, both driving Skoda Fabia R5s, as well as Jordanian Shaker Jweihan (37 points) with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. Jweihan has already secured the title in the MERC 2 category.
At the Cyprus Rally 2024 also participating competitors from the National Cyprus Rally Championship: Simos Galatariotis (60 points) with a Volkswagen Polo GTi R5, Panagiotis Yiangou (48 points) with Hyundai i20, Giorgos Nestoros (30 points) with driving Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X and Kostas Zinonos (21 points) with a Citroen DS3 R5. Each day of the Cyprus Rally counts as a separate event for the National Championship with a coefficient of 1.5.
Rashid Al-Muhannadi is competing with a Skoda Fabia R5 in Qatar’s colors, while Lebanon’s Shadi El Fakih, a title contender in the MERC 4 category, arrived with a Peugeot 208. Petros Panteli is racing in the Cyprus Rally with the Renault Clio Rally3, the car that gave him the Middle East Championship title in MERC 3 last year.