Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah (Arabic: ناصر صالح ناصر عبدالله العطية : nāṣir ṣāliḥ nāṣir ʿabdullāh al-ʿaṭṭīyah; born 21 December 1970 in Doha) is a Qatari rally driver and sport shooter. He was the 2006 Production World Rally Champion, 2014 and 2015 WRC-2 champion, an 18 time Middle East Rally Champion, a five-time FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies champion, a three-time World Rally-Raid Champion, and a five-time (2011, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023) Dakar Rally winner.[1] His five victories in the Dakar Rally make him the only Middle Easterner and West Asian to win the competition more than once.[citation needed]

Nasser Al-Attiyah
Personal information
Full nameNasser Saleh Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah
Born (1970-12-21) 21 December 1970 (age 53)
Doha, Qatar
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
CountryQatar
SportRallying
Rally raid
Shooting
Achievements and titles
World finals
  • CCB 2008
  • CCB 2023
  • CCR 2008
  • CCR 2015
  • CCR 2016
  • CCR 2017
  • CCR 2021
  • W2RC 2022
  • W2RC 2023
  • W2RC 2024
  • Dakar 2011
  • Dakar 2015
  • Dakar 2019
  • Dakar 2022
  • Dakar 2023
  • P-WRC 2006
  • WRC2 2014
  • WRC2 2015
Medal record
Men's shooting
Representing  Qatar
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2012 London Skeet
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2002 Busan Skeet team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou Skeet team
Silver medal – second place 2022 Hangzhou Skeet team
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Skeet
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou Skeet
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2001 Bangkok Skeet
Gold medal – first place 2006 Singapore Skeet
Gold medal – first place 2012 Doha Skeet
Gold medal – first place 2012 Doha Skeet team
Gold medal – first place 2019 Doha Skeet team
Silver medal – second place 1995 Jakarta Skeet
Silver medal – second place 2003 Delhi Skeet
Silver medal – second place 2007 Kuwait City Skeet team
Cross country rally
Representing  Qatar
World Rally-Raid Championship
Gold medal – first place 2008 Cross-country
Silver medal – second place 2014 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2015 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2016 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2017 Cross-country
Silver medal – second place 2019 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2021 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2022 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2023 Cross-country
Gold medal – first place 2024 Cross-country
FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Bajas
Gold medal – first place 2008 Bajas
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Bajas
Gold medal – first place 2023 Bajas

In shooting, Al-Attiyah won the bronze medal in the men's skeet event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Career

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Rallying

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Having been inspired to start racing by Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart's book Winning Is Not Enough, Al-Attiyah started competing in the Middle East Rally Championship in 2003, where he claimed 65 race wins and 13 titles.[2] He drove a Subaru Impreza until 2009 and a Ford Fiesta since 2010, except in 2012 when he drove Peugeot 207 in two rounds, and in 2016 when he drove a Škoda Fabia.[3][4]

 
Al-Attiyah competing in the 2012 Wales Rally GB

Al-Attiyah also competed at the Production World Rally Championship from 2004 to 2009. He won the title in 2006,[5] his third year in the championship alongside co-driver Chris Patterson, driving a Subaru Impreza. He gained the championship lead after finishing second in the PWRC class in the Rally Mexico and afterwards won the following two rounds, Rally Argentina and Acropolis Rally. He also finished runner-up in 2005 and third in 2009. He scored his first points during the 2009 season, finishing eighth overall in the Rally Argentina.[citation needed]

In 2010 and 2011, Al-Attiyah drove in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship for the Barwa Rally Team, classifying seventh overall in both years. For the 2012 season, Al-Attiyah moved to compete in the top division for the Qatar World Rally Team. He secured a career-best fourth place at the Rally de Portugal.[6] In 2013 he switched to a Ford Fiesta WRC. He finished fifth overall at three races, and ranked 11th in the final standings.[citation needed]

Al-Attiyah stepped back to the WRC-2 in 2014. Driving a Ford Fiesta RRC, he scored four wins and won the championship. In 2015 he defended the championship with three wins.[citation needed]

In 2023, Al-Attyah claimed his 19th championship in the MERC. In an unprecedented case, he shared the title with Abdullah Al-Rawahi, as the pair had scored the same results across five events.[7]

Cross-country rally

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Al-Attiyah debuted at the Dakar Rally in 2004 with Mitsubishi, finishing 10th overall. He entered the next three editions with an X-Raid BMW, finishing sixth in 2007.[citation needed]

After winning the 2008 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup in a BMW, he took part alongside Swedish female co-driver Tina Thörner in the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina.[8] He was among the frontrunners until he got disqualified on 8 January 2009 after he had missed 9 checkpoints, the rules stating that 4 missed checkpoints are the maximum.[9] He finished second in the Rally dos Sertões from Goiânia to Natal in Brazil (24 June-3 July 2009) behind Carlos Sainz of Spain.[10]

In the 2010 Dakar Rally, Al-Attiyah finished second, 2'12" behind Carlos Sainz, the smallest gap in the history of the race.[11] On 15 January 2011, Al-Attiyah won the legendary Dakar race ahead of fellow Volkswagen drivers Sainz and Giniel de Villiers,[12] making him the only Arab to ever win the difficult race.[13]

The driver claimed the 2015 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup with five wins and the 2015 Dakar Rally, driving a Mini All4 Racing X-Raid, and the 2016 FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup for Toyota with six wins.[citation needed]

In 2019 Al-Attiyah won the Silk Way Rally driving Toyota Hilux for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. He finished second place in the 2019 Baja 1000.[14] He also won the 2019 Dakar Rally.[citation needed]

In 2022 he won the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia,[15] making him the only Arab to win the Dakar rally on Arab soil, ahead of 9 time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb (co-driver Fabian Lurquin). He would also win the inaugural FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title.[citation needed]

In 2023, Al-Attiyah won 2023 Dakar Rally, winning the rally for the fifth time in his career, again finishing ahead of Sébastien Loeb.[16] With two further victories, the Qatari would defend his W2RC title.[17] During the same season, he and co-driver Mathieu Baumel would also clinch the World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.[18]

Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Al-Attiyah would leave Toyota to partner Sébastien Loeb at Prodrive.[19]

Extreme E

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Al-Attiyah signed with Abt Cupra XE to race in the 2022 Extreme E Championship, first alongside 2001 Dakar Rally winner Jutta Kleinschmidt[20] and later with Klara Andersson. The team scored a win in Chile and a third place in Chile, ranking 6th in points. Al-Attiyah and Andersson continued together at Abt Cupra for the 2023 season. Al-Attiyah raced the first four rounds of the season and was replaced by Sébastien Loeb and Adrien Tambay in Rounds 5–8 and 9–10 respectively as he focuses on the Baja World Cup.[21][22]

Shooting

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Nasser Al-Attiyah (left) posing for a picture with Mutaz Essa Barshim after winning bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics

In shooting, Al-Attiyah came in fourth place in the 2004 Olympic Games in clay pigeon shooting[23] and 15th overall in the 2008 Olympic Games, missing out on qualification for the final round by 2 points.[24] In the 2012 Olympic Games he won the bronze medal after a shoot-off against Valeriy Shomin.[25][26]

Olympic results
Event 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Skeet 15th
120
6th
122+23
4th
122+25
15th
117
3rd
121+23+6
31st
111
World records held in Skeet from 2005 to 2012
Men Qualification 125   Vincent Hancock (USA)
  Tore Brovold (NOR)
  Mykola Milchev (UKR)
  Jan Sychra (CZE)
  Tore Brovold (NOR)
  Jan Sychra (CZE)
  Antonakis Andreou (CYP)
  Juan José Aramburu (ESP)
  Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)
  Anthony Terras (FRA)
  Efthimios Mitas (GRE)
14 June 2007
13 July 2008
9 May 2009
20 May 2009
25 July 2009
7 March 2011
22 April 2011
13 September 2011
17 January 2012
26 March 2012
26 March 2012
Lonato (ITA)
Nicosia (CYP)
Cairo (EGY)
Munich (GER)
Osijek (CRO)
Concepción (CHI)
Beijing (CHN)
Belgrade (SER)
Doha (QAT)
Tucson (USA)
Tucson (USA)
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Final 150   Vincent Hancock (USA) (125+25)
  Tore Brovold (NOR) (125+25)
  Tore Brovold (NOR) (125+25)
  Jan Sychra (CZE) (125+25)
  Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) (125+25)
  Efthimios Mitas (GRE) (125+25)
14 June 2007
13 July 2008
25 July 2009
7 March 2011
17 January 2012
26 March 2012
Lonato (ITA)
Nicosia (CYP)
Osijek (CRO)
Concepción (CHI)
Doha (QAT)
Tucson (USA)
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Career results

edit
 
Al-Attiyah drives a Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the 2006 Acropolis Rally

Circuit racing career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2008-09 Speedcar Series Team Barwa 2 0 0 0 0 0 17th
2009 Qatar National Road Racing Championship 2 0 0 0 1 12 12th
2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring - AT Volkswagen Motorsport 1 1 ? ? 1 N/A 1st
2011 24 Hours of Nürburgring - AT Volkswagen Motorsport 1 1 0 0 1 N/A 1st
2013-14 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East 6 0 0 0 0 70 15th
2015 World Touring Car Championship Campos Racing 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC

WRC results

edit
 
Al-Attiyah drives a Ford Fiesta S2000 at the 2010 Rally Finland
 
Al-Attiyah's Hilux from 2017
Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Pts
2004 Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza WRX STi MON SWE
32
MEX
Ret
NZL
20
CYP GRE TUR ARG
14
FIN GER JPN GBR ITA FRA
22
ESP AUS
13
NC 0
2005 Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza WRX STi MON SWE MEX NZL
16
ITA CYP
18
TUR
16
GRE ARG
17
FIN GER GBR
21
JPN FRA ESP AUS
13
NC 0
2006 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C MON
30
SWE MEX
10
ESP FRA ARG
15
ITA GRE
17
GER FIN JPN CYP
19
TUR AUS NZL
26
GBR NC 0
2007 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C MON SWE
27
NOR MEX
Ret
POR ARG
Ret
ITA GRE
19
FIN GER NZL ESP FRA JPN IRE
17
GBR NC 0
2008 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX STi MON SWE
40
MEX ARG
Ret
JOR ITA GRE
Ret
NC 0
Subaru Impreza STi N14 TUR
23
FIN GER NZL ESP FRA JPN GBR
Ret
2009 Autotek Subaru Impreza STi N14 IRE NOR CYP
11
18th 1
Barwa Rally Team POR
16
ARG
8
ITA
9
GRE
DSQ
POL FIN AUS ESP GBR
Ret
2010 Barwa Rally Team Škoda Fabia S2000 SWE MEX
Ret
JOR
18
TUR NZL
13
NC 0
Ford Fiesta S2000 POR
25
BUL FIN
29
GER JPN FRA ESP GBR
2011 Barwa Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000 SWE MEX
EX
POR JOR
Ret
ITA
11
ARG GRE
16
FIN GER
16
AUS FRA
Ret
ESP
11
GBR NC 0
2012 Qatar World Rally Team Citroën DS3 WRC MON SWE
21
MEX
6
POR
4
ARG
9
GRE
Ret
NZL FIN GER
8
GBR
10
FRA
Ret
ITA ESP 12th 28
2013 Qatar World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RS WRC MON SWE MEX
5
POR
5
ARG GRE
5
ITA FIN GER
13
AUS FRA ESP
Ret
GBR
WD
11th 30
2014 Nasser Al-Attiyah Ford Fiesta RRC MON SWE MEX POR
9
ITA
Ret
POL FIN GER
17
AUS
11
FRA ESP
10
GBR
17
22nd 4
Drive DMACK ARG
10
2015 Nasser Al-Attiyah Ford Fiesta RRC MON SWE MEX
7
ARG POR
11
ITA
12
POL
Ret
FIN AUS
10
FRA 16th 7
Škoda Fabia R5 GER
17
ESP
12
GBR

PWRC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PWRC Points
2004 Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza WRX STi SWE
7
MEX
Ret
NZL
7
ARG
3
GER FRA
7
AUS
5
7th 17
2005 Nasser Al-Attiyah Subaru Impreza WRX STi SWE NZL
4
CYP
5
TUR
3
ARG
1
GBR
3
JPN AUS
5
2nd 35
2006 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C MON
3
MEX
2
ARG
1
GRE
1
JPN CYP
5
AUS NZL
7
1st 40
2007 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX Spec C SWE
7
MEX
Ret
ARG
Ret
GRE
5
NZL JPN IRE
3
GBR 9th 12
2008 QMMF Subaru Impreza WRX STi SWE
17
ARG
Ret
GRE
Ret
NC 0
Subaru Impreza STi N14 TUR
10
FIN NZL JPN GBR
Ret
2009 Autotek Subaru Impreza STi N14 NOR CYP
3
3rd 31
Barwa Rally Team POR
4
ARG
1
ITA
1
GRE
DSQ
AUS GBR
Ret

SWRC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 SWRC Points
2010 Barwa Rally Team Škoda Fabia S2000 SWE MEX
Ret
JOR
4
NZL
5
7th 34
Ford Fiesta S2000 POR
7
FIN
7
GER JPN FRA GBR
2011 Barwa Rally Team Ford Fiesta S2000 MEX
EX
JOR
Ret
ITA
4
GRE
6
FIN GER
2
FRA
Ret
ESP
2
7th 56

WRC-2 Results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WRC-2 Points
2014 Nasser Al-Attiyah Ford Fiesta RRC MON SWE MEX POR
1
ITA
Ret
POL FIN GER
5
AUS
1
FRA ESP
1
GBR
6
1st 118
Drive DMACK ARG
1
2015 Nasser Al-Attiyah Ford Fiesta RRC MON SWE MEX
1
ARG
POR
1
ITA
5
POL
Ret
FIN AUS
1
FRA 1st 112
Škoda Fabia R5 GER
4
ESP
3
GBR

ERC results

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Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pos. Points
2014 Qatar World Rally Team Ford Fiesta RRC JÄN LIE GRE IRE AZO YPR EST CZE CYP
Ret
VAL COR NC 0
2017 Autotek Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5 AZO CAN GRE
Ret
CYP
1
POL ZLI RMC LIE 8th 45
2018 Autotek Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5 AZO CAN GRE CYP
4
RMC ZLI POL LIE 23rd 16
2019 Autotek Motorsport Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 AZO CAN LIE POL RMC CZE CYP
1
HUN 8th 39

Dakar Rally results

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Year Class Vehicle Position Stages won
2004 Car   Mitsubishi 10th 0
2005   BMW DNF 0
2006 DNF 0
2007 6th 1
2008 Event cancelled – replaced by the 2008 Central Europe Rally
2009 Car   BMW DSQ 3
2010   Volkswagen 2nd 4
2011 1st 4
2012   Hummer DNF 2
2013   Demon Jefferies DNF 3
2014   Mini 3rd 2
2015 1st 5
2016 2nd 2
2017   Toyota DNF 1
2018 2nd 4
2019 1st 3
2020 2nd 1
2021 2nd 6
2022 1st 2
2023 1st 3
2024   BRX DNF 1

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 DC Points
2015 Campos Racing Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 ARG
1
ARG
2
MAR
1
MAR
2
HUN
1
HUN
2
GER
1
GER
2
RUS
1
RUS
2
SVK
1
SVK
2
FRA
1
FRA
2
POR
1
POR
2
JPN
1
JPN
2
CHN
1
CHN
2
THA
1
THA
2
QAT
1

16
QAT
2

14
NC 0

Complete World Rally-Raid Championship results

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(key)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 Pos. Points
2022 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1 DAK
1
ABU
11
MOR
3
AND
2
1st 169
2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR DKR Hilux T1+ DAK
1
ABU
Ret
SON
1
DES
1
MOR
15
1st 205
2024 Nasser Racing Prodrive Hunter T1+ Ultimate DAK
Ret
ABU
149
PRT
145
DES
244
1st 202
Dacia Sandriders Dacia Sandrider MOR
146

Complete Extreme E results

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(key)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points
2022 Abt Cupra XE Spark ODYSSEY 21 DES
8
ISL1
9
ISL2
DSQ
COP
3
ENE
1
6th 46
2023 Abt Cupra XE Spark ODYSSEY 21 DES
1

9
DES
2

4
HYD
1

10
HYD
2

8
ISL1
1
ISL1
2
ISL2
1
ISL2
2
COP
1
COP
2
16th 20

References

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  1. ^ Al-Attiyah clinches first Dakar Rally title
  2. ^ Evans, David (2 January 2024). "How Sir Jackie Stewart helped shape a five-time Dakar winner". DirtFish. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Competitors – Nasser Saleh Al Attiya". Merc-fia.com. 20 December 1970. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  4. ^ "The Peninsula Newspaper".
  5. ^ "World Rally Championship – Statistics". Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  6. ^ "World Rally Championship – Drivers & Teams – Nasser Al-Attiyah". Wrc.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  7. ^ Barry, Luke (22 November 2023). "The rally title decided by a committee meeting". DirtFish. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  8. ^ Archived copy Archived 3 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Dakar Rally 2009 – Naser Al-Attiyah Disqualified". Motorward. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Rally dos Sertões 2009". Webventure.com.br. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Breaking news". Dakar. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  12. ^ Al-Attiyah claims first Dakar win
  13. ^ "Al-Attiyah wins Dakar Rally". Al Jazeera. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Red Bull Content Pool".
  15. ^ "Qatari driver Nasser al-Attiyah wins fourth Dakar Rally title". Al Jazeera. 14 January 2022.
  16. ^ Brunsdon, Stephen (15 January 2023). "Al-Attiyah wins Dakar Rally for the fifth time". DirtFish. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Nasser Al-Attiyah Rally Raid Champion again". www.speedweek.com. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Cross-Country - João Ferreira and Filipe Palmeiro earn hard-fought victory in mini JCW Rally Plus at Portugal's 37th Baja Portalegre 500". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  19. ^ Barry, Luke (26 October 2023). "Al-Attiyah joins Prodrive as team-mate to Loeb". DirtFish. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Dakar legends team up for ABT CUPRA XE's Season 2 title challenge". Extreme E. 3 February 2022.
  21. ^ Wilde, Dominik (29 June 2023). "Loeb to make Extreme E return at Island X Prix". RACER. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  22. ^ Wilde, Dominik (28 November 2023). "Tambay joins Abt Cupra for Extreme E finale". RACER. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  23. ^ Dakar 2010
  24. ^ "08.30.04". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008.
  25. ^ "Vincent Hancock wins gold in skeet". ESPN. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  26. ^ "Olympic medal for WRC star Al-Attiyah". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Middle East Rally Championship
Champion

2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Middle East Rally Championship
Champion

2005–2009
Succeeded by
Preceded by Production World Rally Championship
Champion

2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

2011
Succeeded by
Preceded by Middle East Rally Championship
Champion

2011–2022
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by World Rally Championship-2
Champion

20142015
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dakar Rally
Cars Winner

2022
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Inaugural
World Rally-Raid Championship
World Champion

2022
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for   Qatar
Beijing 2008
Succeeded by