Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah was firmly on course to equal Mohammed Ben Sulayem's record of 60 victories in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship after leg one of the 23rd Oman International Rally Friday. The Qatari and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel won all six of the day's gravel special stages to hold a comfortable outright lead of 1min 18.6sec in their Ford Fiesta RRC. They have enjoyed a remarkable season thus far and were in a class of their own over the Sultanate's testing mountain roads. "No problems at all today and a good clean run on beautiful special stages," said Al-Attiyah. "We have a good lead now and can control our pace tomorrow and ensure that we don't take any risks." Abu Dhabi Racing's Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi, driving a Citroën DS3 RRC and partnered by Ulster's Chris Patterson, held second position. Despite driving on a flat tire, Qatar's Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and British navigator Marshall Clarke were third – 24.8 seconds behind Al-Qassimi - and Khalid Al-Suwaidi and Giovanni Bernacchini rounded off the top four. Kuwaiti Salah Bin Eidan remains on course to clinch the Group N championship title in Oman and holds fifth position with Slovenian co-driver Vili Oslaj. The rate of attrition was high in the heat on the gravel surfaces and only 10 of the 14 cars finished the day. Saif Al-Harthy was the leading Omani driver in sixth, after Zakariah Al-Ofi lost time in the seventh stage. Mansoor Bel Helai headed Abu Dhabi Racing teammate Saeed Bintowq in the two-wheel drive contest. There will be a further three special stages, repeated twice, Saturday. Action begins with the 20.86km of the Khoud old village stage at 09.28 a.m. and moves on to specials at Murayat and Misfah North from 10.01 a.m. and 10.29 a.m., respectively. The three stages will be repeated in the afternoon at 12.47 p.m., 13.20 p.m. and 13.48 p.m., before the finishing ceremony brings proceedings to a close at the OAA from 16.00 p.m.
