Saturday, Oct 05, 2013

Dubai: Skydive Dubai Rally Team driver Rashid Al Ketbi and German co-driver Karina Hepperle were on course for their best result of the season in the WRC2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship in France on Saturday.

The duo held a superb third position in Rallye de France-Alsace after eight timed special stages in their Ford Fiesta R5. Only ex-Formula One star Robert Kubica and Welshman Elfyn Evans were ahead of the Dubai driver.

“I felt confident all along that I could make the podium here,” said Al Ketbi. “Robert is driving very well and is the man to track in WRC2, but I have been having a great battle with Elfyn and we are well clear of the chasing pack.”

Mexican driver Ricardo Trivino is fourth in WRC2, albeit a massive 5min 22.9secs behind the Skydive Dubai Rally Team star.

Meanwhile, Belgian Thierry Neuville was the surprise outright leader. The Ford driver extended his advantage to 16.6 seconds after nine timed speed tests. Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala was second and Spaniard Dani Sordo was third. The French Sebastiens, Ogier and Loeb, were a somewhat subdued fourth and fifth respectively on their home WRC rally.

Saturday was the longest day of the rally with 134.93 kilometres of timed tests through the Haut-Rhin region and a special stage in Mulhouse.

Al Ketbi was in superb form through Friday afternoon’s special stages. He climbed to second in the WRC2 category behind Kubica on the third stage and retained his position until he was passed by talented Welshman Evans on SS5. But the Emirati stayed well clear of the chasing pack and reached the end of the leg in a comfortable third place behind Kubica and Evans.

There are a further six stages on Sunday, totalling just 56.58km, before the finish in Strasbourg.

The Skydive Dubai Rally Team is running in the 2013 WRC under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, and is backing the UAE’s bid for Expo 2020.

Staff Report

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