AL-ATTIYAH Nasser saleh QAT 21/12/1970

GOTTSCHALK Timo DEU

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
Race Touareg 2	VOLKSWAGEN

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Scratch	4	1	3	3	3	4	1	5	1	4	4	2	2	1
Stage	4	1	3	3	3	4	1	5	1	4	4	2	2	1	-
Overall	4	1	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	-

"I feel at home in South America"

He has a hunger for sports that must be fed. An accomplished horseman, Nasser Al Attiyah really impressed by competing in four Olympic Games in shooting, just missing out on a medal, finishing fourth in 2004 Athens games. But Al Attiyah’s real vocation is driving with a special pension for dunes. While the Qatari first started on the roads and tracks of the World Rally Championship (WRC), where he evolved as a Subaru factory driver, the Dakar really seems to be the event where he has made his mark, year after year. As a newcomer during the 2004 edition he had to learn how to control his speed and find the proper rhythm on such a long race. While he was soon noticed by his peers for his speed and skills, he was, however, a bit too zealous on two occasions forcing him to quit prematurely in 2005 and 2006. After his first attempts, Al Attiyah began to worry the top drivers of the rally in 2007. It was only after receiving a penalty that the Nasser lost a podium finish that, in the end, went to Jean-Louis Schlesser: "It was really tough because that penalty was handed down days after my offence", remembers Nasser. That disappointment was maybe even bigger in 2009 season. His partnership with Tina Thôrner (2nd in the 2006 Dakar) allowed him to take his competitiveness to another level. The rather unexpected duo impressed during the first half of the Dakar, earning them two special successes and the race leadership after stage 5. But it then went all wrong on the way to Mendoza. Due to engine over-heating, the crew was forced to miss out on crucial way-points and were eventually excluded from the race. The man from Doha will be back again in 2010, hungrier than ever and at the wheel of possibly the best car of the field, a Volkswagen Race Touareg. After experiences with Mitsubishi and BMW X-Raid, the Qatari goes one step higher by joining the official VW squad. “The team is just so professional; the car is extremely well prepared. I’m therefore full of confidence”. Al Attiyah joined the VW program early in the season, giving him the opportunity to get used to his new situation: “Now I feel very comfortable in the car. I was able to learn a lot during my two races in Brazil (2nd) and at the Silk Way Rally. I also had to get used to a new co-driver”. For this new edition, Nasser will indeed have a new person at his side. After Tina Thorner, Timo Gottschalk, former team mate of Dieter Depping will be helping Al Attiyah in his quest for glory. After three withdrawals and some very impressive crashes like the one he witnessed at the Silk Way Rally, the goal is now to finish and simply by doing so, that could mean victory. “My plan is to win. I have more experience”. But does that mean he’ll have to calm down? “I’m free to drive like I’m used to, but of course I also have to listen to the orders”. At the start in Buenos Aires, Al Attiyah will be facing harsh competition. Against his former team mates from the X-Raid team but also at the very heart of the Volkswagen armada. The 39-year-old will start alongside the likes of Carlos Sainz and title-holder Giniel De Villiers: “Everyone in the team is a number one. There are no team orders. We’ll have to wait until the last two or three days to see who’s in front and then we will certainly help each other out”. For the driver used to WRC rally races, having a legend like Carlos Sainz at his side is rather special: “When I was younger he was my hero. Now I’m in the same team. Carlos is older now but we still learn a lot from him”. Al Attiyah who only witnessed 5 stages of the previous Dakar is however delighted to return to South America: “I feel at home over there. Maybe because I went there back in 2004 in WRC. But the Dakar is different…”

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

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