NFL | Page 7 GOLF | Page 8 USA’s biggest How prodigy To Advertise here sporting event Aditi Ashok is Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 kicks off with now the face of gala spectacle golf in India Wednesday, February 1, 2017 MOTORSPORT Jumada I 4, 1438 AH Rossi and Lorenzo GULF TIMES move up timesheets at Sepang test SPORT Page 9 QATAR INTERNATIONAL RALLY Qatar’s al-Attiyah heads fi eld for 2017 QIR ‘This has always been a special rally for me and one where I have a fantastic record. It is never an easy event and you have to drive sensibly...’ Competitors will be permitted to take a closer look at the special stages today during a crucial reconnaissance session. The competitive action takes place on Friday and Saturday. There will be 205.16 competitive kilometres in a route of 669.84km laid on by Rally Director Pedro Almeida and local Clerk of the Course Rashid al-Sulaiti. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah in action during last year’s Middle East Rally Championship. By Sports Reporter his fi rst victory in 2003, al-Attiyah has “Matthieu and I are looking Doha gone on to win 63 MERC rallies and 12 forward to getting back in the regional titles with fi ve co-drivers used car and starting our rallying to secure his Qatar successes. campaign off with a win.” asser Saleh al-Attiyah is the fi rm favourite to win the 2017 SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS easy event and the nature of the stages Qatar International Rally, After winning his fi rst Qatar event with here mean that you have to drive sensi- the opening round of the FIA England’s Steve Lancaster, al-Attiyah bly to avoid damaging the car. This year NMiddle East Rally Championship being secured fi ve successive wins with Ul- will be no diff erent, but Matthieu and I organised by the Qatar Motor and Mo- ster’s Chris Patterson, one win with are looking forward to getting back in torcycle Federation (QMMF), on Febru- Sweden’s Tina Thörner, four with Ita- the car and starting our rallying cam- ary 3-4. ly’s Giovanni Bernacchini and the last paign off with a win.” The local star continues to set the two with his current navigator Mat- Race organisers have planned six benchmark for regional cross-country thieu Baumel, with whom he secured special stages on day one (Friday, Feb- and special stage rallying and holds the last year’s MERC title and the FIA ruary 3), in a day that incorporates one traditional opening round of the MERC World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies. remote refuelling point and no serv- close to his heart. Al-Attiyah and Baumel will drive a icing of the cars. Remote servicing is Al-Attiyah has won the two-day Skoda Fabia R5 on this year’s Qatar In- permitted as part of a revised day two event through the deserts of the State ternational Rally, which is being held schedule that includes a further six of Qatar on an unprecedented 13 oc- under the supervision of QMMF Presi- timed tests on Saturday, February 4th. casions and is keen to bounce back to dent Abdulrahman al-Mannai and Ex- The event is based within the Losail winning ways after suff ering a disap- ecutive Director Sultan al-Muraikhi. circuit, north of Doha and the race cir- pointing and premature retirement “This has always been a special rally cuit will host administration checks, from the Dakar Rally earlier this month. for me and one where I have a fantastic scrutineering and media and rally fa- Beaten only once in the event since record,” said al-Attiyah. “It is never an cilities. Game on. Jordanian duo, Aref & Djiyerian, aiming for MERC 3 honours in Qatar While the likes of Nasser Saleh “The goal is simple and that is to finish calling out the notes for Aref on the al-Attiyah and Khaled Al-Suwaidi will be the rally in my Renault Clio and collect special stages. hoping to claim outright honours for valuable points towards the MERC 3 Last year, the pair excellent in the their home country in this weekend’s Championship. I want to win the title Jordanian national series and won the Qatar International Rally, a Jordanian this year and, with only five rounds RC3 class on three occasions at the crew will be striving to finish one of the this time, it’s so important that I finish Mount Nebo, La Storia and Jordan 3rd region’s most diff icult rallies in a near- in Qatar.” National Rally, netting fifth, fourth and standard road car entered in the FIA The MERC 3 Championship runs in sixth overall in the process in the three MERC 3 Championship. conjunction with rounds of the MERC rallies, although they retired from the The opening round of the 2017 FIA and is for eligible RC3 or two-wheel MERC event in their home country. Middle East Rally Championship drive saloon cars that are as near to This week’s Qatar International Rally is (MERC) has attracted a 15-car field and a standard road-going vehicle as you being organised by the Qatar Motor and two of those 30 competitors are from could get. Aref’s car features uprated Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. suspension and all the usual safety based at the Losail international circuit. Asem Aref and Musa Djiyerian hold equipment but is massively lacking in Competitors complied with compulsory little chance of upsetting the local power, handling and traction com- registration and administration formalities drivers, but they have a very diff erent pared to purpose-built rally cars such yesterday and will be permitted to take a objective on Friday and Saturday. as the Ford Fiesta R5 or the Skoda Fa- closer look at the special stages today. “I am not unduly concerned about my bia R5 that run at the front of the field. The competitive action takes place pace and my stage times this week,” Away from the world of motor sport, on Friday and Saturday. There will admitted Asem Aref, a regular on the the Jordanian works in the world be 205.16 competitive kilometres in regional rallying scene for many years of finance, while his Amman-based a route of 669.84km laid on by Rally who made his regional rallying debut navigator is a regional brand manager Director Pedro Almeida and local Clerk back in 1995. in the drinks industry when he is not of the Course Rashid Al-Sulaiti. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, February 1, 2017 FOOTBALL ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE FOCUS Mkhitaryan Don’t change, Guardiola tells promises United Fernandinho AFP complain. But he’s not an aggressive Manchester, United Kingdom guy. He’s an honest guy. “He’s so important. We played a lot of games without him. So I’m happy fi ght on four fronts ep Guardiola has told “nice he’s come back. Of course, it’s impor- guy” Fernandinho he does not tant for us. So important.” Red Devils only England club with interest in EPL, Europa, FA Cup, League Cup need to change his “English” style of play, despite being sent ‘KEEP GOING’ Poff three times in his last six appear- City, who visit West Ham in the Pre- AFP Manchester, United Kingdom ances. mier League today, are getting back The Manchester City midfi elder to form after a tricky spell during De- has missed eight of the club’s last 11 cember and early January that cost enrikh Mkhitaryan insists matches because of suspension, hav- them signifi cant ground in the Premier Manchester United are tak- ing been dismissed against Borussia League title race. ing all four competitions Moenchengladbach in the Champi- Guardiola went as far as to say that they are involved in seriously ons League in November, then against City’s chances of winning the title this Has they struggle to cope with a de- Chelsea and Burnley in the Premier season had gone after they were beaten manding fi xture schedule. League. 4-0 at Everton on January 15. Jose Mourinho’s club is the only one He was sent off for two bookable of- Better performances have followed in England still retaining an interest in fences against Moenchengladbach, on each of the two weekends since, with a quartet of competitions — the Pre- saw red towards the end of the Chelsea a 2-2 draw at home to title contenders mier League, Europa League, FA Cup defeat on December 3 for shoving Cesc Tottenham Hotspur followed by a con- and the League Cup, in which they Fabregas over an advertising hoarding, vincing 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round win can look forward to a Wembley fi nal and was dismissed in the fi rst half of at Crystal Palace last Saturday. against Southampton next month. the victory over Burnley on January 2 Sergio Aguero, who missed the Pal- Their success means United could for a two-footed challenge on Johann ace game with a minor knock, is fully face as many as 67 games, should they Berg Gudmundsson. fi t again. advance to the fi nals of the other two Guardiola believes the sending off With new signing Gabriel Jesus set- cup competitions, and has led Mour- against Burnley was harsh — and thinks tling in after his arrival from Brazil- inho to criticise the English fi xture that the Brazil international is perfectly ian club Palmeiras at the start of the schedule as “nonsense”. suited to the English game.