A file photo of Saeed Al Hajri standing along side Rothman’s Rally Team car. John Spiller was the co-driver.
DOHA: Retired racing star Saeed Al Hajri, popularly known as ‘King of Dunes’, believes young Qatari riders and drivers can dominate at the international level.
“Considering the rich history we have in this sport and the amazing infrastructure we have in the country, there is no doubt that young Qatari riders and drivers can do extremely well at domestic and international level,” Al Hajri said in an interview yesterday.
“All these youngsters have to do is go for more practice and do more races around the globe. They have the talent and they have the sponsorship backing plus the crucial government support as well,” Al Hajri added.
The star of yesteryears, Al Hajri was speaking on the sidelines of Qatar International Rally which begins today.
Al Hajri is celebrating 30th anniversary of his winning the FIA Middle East Rally Championship — Qatar International Rally in 1984 with his favourite Porsche 911 SCRS.
He won the title wearing the colours of Rothman’s Rally Team, co-piloted by John Spiller. To celebrate the occasion, he joined hands with David Richards, the man behind Prodrive who prepared the Porsche 911, on the sidelines of this year’s edition of Qatar International Rally.
“I started rallying in 1978, at a time when this sport was new to this region, new to the country. I was fortunate to have a good team and sponsors, and enjoyed enormous support from my country,” Hajri said.
“It was a tough event in 1984 but my Porsche 911, the car which I loved always, gave me victory at the end. And I have successfully driven my 911 to many more victories” Saeed recalled.
When asked about his views on how he looks back at his illustrious career, Al Hajri said he was proud of his achievements.
“I have been following this sport for decades. Now we see the game evolving at such a rapid rate,” Al Hajri pointed out.
“We have world famous rallies taking place in Qatar. We get to see MotoGP races every season. We also have off-road events. Clearly, Qatar has moved ahead manifold in the world of motor sport. We have the amazing Losail International Circuit. The overall infrastructure is second to none,” he added.
In his impressive career to date, Al Hajri was the first Arab driver to score points in the European Rally Championship, the first Arab driver to score World Championship points, and the first Arab ever to win an International Rally outside the Middle East.
Al Hajri, firmly established himself as the Arab world’s No. 1 driver, by making a considerable impression on world and European rallying with the Rothmans Rally Team.
Gulf Champion in 1982-83 and 1983-84, Al Hajri also won the Middle East title in 1983-84 and the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in 1984 and 1985.
To date, he has achieved victories in 18 international rallies, the most recent one is an incredible 6th position in the world’s toughest rally, Paris – Dakar in 2002 and a successful finish in Transsyberia 2007.
In 1983, Al Hajri became the first Arab to score points in the European Championship when he finished fourth in the Rothmans Cyprus Rally.
Then in 1985 he became the first Arab to win World Championship points with fifth place in the Acropolis Rally (followed by a sensational fourth place the following year).
He is also the first Arab ever to win an International Rally outside the Middle East — the 1989 Cork International.
Al Hajri has driven successfully in Egypt, England, Scotland, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, France, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Italy and USA.
“We know that motor sport is big in the Middle East and Qatar is playing a proud role in the game’s development. This will become bigger in times to come,” Al Hajri said.
Al Hajri began rallying in 1978 and in 1982 joined the Rothmans Rally Team, driving an Opel Ascona to victory in the Qatar and Kuwait Rallies and second place in Oman, Dubai and Bahrain for the championships.
He retained his Gulf title the following year, but also added the Middle East Challenge and then the FISA Championships of 1984 and 1985 in a Rothmans Porsche 911 SCRS.
Al Hajri’s record overseas has been just as impressive: eighth in the French Championship Mille Pistes Really and fourth in Cyprus in 1983, 17th in the World Championship Lombard RAC Rally in Britain in 1984, fifth in the 1985 Acropolis and fourth in the same event in 1986.
He also finished eighth in the 1985 European Championship Scottish Rally.
In October 1985 he won the gruelling 10-day Rothmans Pharaohs Rally by a huge margin from many of Europe’s best desert Cross-Country rally drivers.
In 1986, Al Hajri’s best results in Europe included second place in the tough Galway International in Ireland, a brilliant fourth in the World Championship Acropolis Rally and third in the Limburgia Rally in Holland, beating the Dutch Champion.
He was also leading the tough Mille Pistes Rally in France when the engine of the Porsche blew up.
“Had I been racing in the present era, I would have managed to be far more successful in my career,” Al Hajri said with a smile.
“With the modern era of Internet, live TV coverage, presence of international and local media, clearly I would have been a different driver - of course, I could have made more money as well because of superb sponsorship support of big companies,” Al Hajri concluded.
The Peninsula
