Leading by just 1.4 seconds heading into the final stage, the Toyota Yaris GR driver called upon all his experience on the only all-tarmac round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) to set the fastest time and secure a record-breaking 18th win on his home event since 2000. The success marked a 10th for his navigator Joseph Matar with the Lebanese driver since 2011.

Al-Attiyah agonizingly suffered a slow right-hand puncture on the final stage and finished 9.2 seconds behind the Lebanese but second place was enough to confirm a record-breaking 20th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title with one round remaining in Cyprus.

Feghali was not registered for the MERC in any case and Al-Attiyah and his Spanish co-driver Candido Carrera picked up maximum regional points for the fifth time in as many starts in their Autotek Škoda Fabia RS. Carrera had confirmed the Co-drivers’ Championship before the start.

The success also marked an incredible milestone for Autotek Motosport’s owner Ken Skidmore – he has overseen all 20 of Al-Attiyah’s titles and also won regional championships with the late Misfer Al-Marri and Al-Attiyah’s shared title with Abdullah Al-Rawahi in 2023.

Al-Attiyah said: “This is always a fantastic rally and it was a tremendous battle between myself and Roger. We pushed hard all the way and enjoyed the great fight. I as obviously disappointed to have the puncture on the last stage but it’s a great feeling to have won the championship now for the 20th time.”

The leading duo were the class of the field: Elias Dehni and Italian co-driver Nicola Arena finished a distant third in their Škoda Fabia Rally 2. Bassel Abu Hamdan and Firas Elias were fourth in a Volkswagen Polo and picked up MERC points for being the second of the registered crews.

Qatar’s Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari finished fifth overall in his Škoda Fabia and the valuable points he collected for being third of the MERC drivers has lifted the outgoing regional champion into second place in this year’s Drivers’ Championship behind Al-Attiyah. Al-Kuwari was co-driven by Giovanni Bernacchini on this occasion.

Joseph Hindi and Vicken Kanledjian delivered a strong performance in their Renault Clio to finish seventh overall and fourth of the registered MERC crews.

The Lebanese crew of Ahmad Khaled and Omar Mazkour were the highest-placed of the registered MERC2 crews in their 10th-placed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XI and claimed maximum championship points from Lebanon’s Jad Al-Anwar and his Jordanian co-driver Musa Djiyerian.

But the Omani duo of Abdullah Al-Zubair and Zakariya Al-Aamri also collected points for finishing the Lebanese event and they will go head-to-head for the MERC2 title at the final round in Cyprus with their respective co-drivers Taha Al-Zadjali and Mohammed Al-Mazrui.

Veteran Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya has already won the FIA Master MERC Driver title in his Ford Fiesta. The Qatari finished 15th overall with Lebanese co-driver Ziad Chehab and picked up a useful haul of championship points in his quest to finish on the podium in the overall Drivers’ Championship. Chehab is well-placed to finish second in the Co-drivers’ Championship behind Carrera.

The absent Rashid Al-Mohannadi has already won the MERC4 title but Qatar Academy driver Mohammed Al-Marri finished ahead of India’s Payyakkal Panikkaveettil in Lebanon and the Peugeot 208 driver remains on course to seal a Qatar 1-2 in the MERC4 championship.

Likewise, Pierre Delorme leads Musa Sherif in the quest to finish as second co-driver behind the triumphant Irishman Gary McElhinney.

Twenty-six crews eventually made the ceremonial start in Jounieh before action got underway the following day with a super special stage of 2.54km.

Feghali claimed the early bragging rights against Al-Attiyah with the fastest time to lead overnight by just half a second. Al-Kuwari, Abu Hamdan and Rabih Ayoub rounded off the top five.

Predictably, the opening loop of the three Monsef, Toula and Deir Bella tarmac stages developed into a duel between Feghali and Al-Attiyah. The Lebanese won the opener and the last of the loop with Al-Attiyah winning the second one by half a second. At the regroup and service in Jounieh, Feghali’s lead had grown to 7.1 seconds.

The pendulum swung into Al-Attiyah’s favour on the second pass through Monsef when Feghali suddenly spluttered to a stop in the stage and dropped 14 seconds to his rival and lost the lead. He responded with the stage win on the next speed test but headed into the last stage of the day trailing the Qatari by six seconds. Dehni maintained third from Abu Hamdan, Ayoub and Al-Kuwari.

Al-Attiyah won the last stage of the day by 0.7 seconds to lead overnight by 6.7 seconds.

Feghali responded strongly on the first run through the Zandouka and Zabbougha stages on Sunday morning. He beat the Qatari on the openers and then ceded time on the second Bzebdine pass to leave the duo separated by just 1.4 seconds heading into the final stage.

Unfortunately for Al-Attiyah, he suffered a slow puncture on the final stage and that opened the door for Feghali to rewrite his own history at the Rally of Lebanon.

 The FIA Middle East Rally Championship reaches its conclusion in Cyprus on October 3rd-5th.

2025 Rally of Lebanon – result:

1. Roger Feghali (LBN)/Joseph Matar (LBN) Toyota GR Yaris                                                       1hr 49min 36.3sec

2. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Candido Carrera (ESP) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2                    1hr 49min 45.5sec*

3. Elias Dehni (LBN)/Nicola Arena (ITA) Škoda Fabia Rally 2                                                        1hr 53min 05.5sec

4. Bassel Abu Hamdan (KSA)/Firas Elias (LBN) Volkswagen Polo Rally 2                                   1hr 53min 33.3sec*

5. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (QAT)/Giovanni Bernacchini (ITA) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2                   1hr 56min 20.7sec*

6. Rabih Ayoub (LBN)/Georges Nadher (LBN) Škoda Fabia RS Rally 2                                        1hr 56min 43.5sec

7. Joseph Hindi (LBN)/Vicken Kanledjian (LBN) Renault Clio                                                        1hr 57min 31.6sec*

8. Tarek Younis (LBN)/Salim Jleilaty (LBN) Škoda Fabia Rally 2                                                   2hr 00min 48.5sec

9. Rodrigue Rahi (LBN)/Gary Koundakjian (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                               2hr 01min 44.4sec

10. Ahmad Khaled (LBN)/Omar Mazkour (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                 2hr 02min 56.4sec*

11. Henry Kahy (LBN)/Ramy Menhem (LBN) Citroën DS3                                                            2hr 06min 54.9sec

12. Jad Al-Anwar (LBN)/Musa Djiyerian (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                     2hr 08min 06.7sec*

13. Rhea Dagher (LBN)/Nadim Abou Elias (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                2hr 08min 32.9sec*

14. Charbel Chebly (LBN)/Dolyne Schink (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                 2hr 09min 22.3sec

15. Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya (QAT)/Ziad Chehab (LBN) Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally 2                        2hr 12min 44.4sec*

16. Abdullah Al-Zubair (OMA)/Taha Al-Zadjali (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14                            2hr 13min 21.0sec*

17. Toni Germanos (LBN)/Joseph Kmeid (LBN) Renault Clio                                                        2hr 19min 54.0sec*

18. Zakariya Al-Aamri (OMA)/Mohammed Al-Mazrui (OMA) Subaru Impreza N14                2hr 21min 49.6sec*

19. Mohammed Al-Marri (QAT)/ Pierre Delorme (FRA) Peugeot 208 Rally 4                           2hr 23min 01.8sec*

20. Ryan Khneisser (LBN)/Christopher Bechara (LBN) Peugeot 208 Rally 4                             2hr 29min 31.1sec

21. Alex Feghali (LBN)/Marc Haddad (FRA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                         2hr 33min 42.4sec

22. Payyaakkal ‘Saneem’ Panikkaveettil (IND)/Musa Sherif (IND) Ford Fiesta Rally 4            2hr 39min 43.6sec*

23. Carl Rizk (LBN)/Karim Abou Elias (LBN) Citroën DS3                                                               3hr 04min 57.4sec

24. Nadi Yazbeck (LBN)/Elie Mhanna (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII                                     3hr 22min 26.2sec

David Mezher (LBN)/Chadi Nasr (LBN) Ford Fiesta                                                                        RETIRED

Mohamad Tajeddine (LBN)/Samer Sfeir (LBN) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                   RETIRED*

*denotes registered for the MERC