Saudi Arabia's Mashael AlObaidan managed to finish second in the "T3" category of the Hail International Rally and finished 12th in the overall ranking. The driver aspired to use this experience to prepare herself to take part in the 2021 Dakar Rally that will kick off from Hail in less than a month.
AlObaidan told Asharq Al-Awsat: "I am very happy with my participation in the Hail International Rally in Saudi Arabia."
"I thank God for coming in second place," she added, saying the four-day race was a thrilling experience during which she witnessed the beauty of the Kingdom.
"The residents of Hail accorded us with a warm welcome and the event was properly organized," she remarked, describing the race stages as both "different and fun" with drivers from all over the world.
Commenting on the terrain, AlObaidan said: "It was fun, beautiful and different. As racers, we enjoyed the terrain. We were unfamiliar with it beforehand and so discovering it during the race is part of the fun."
"I participated in this competition so I could take part in the world championship, as well as the Dakar Rally," she sated.
"The Dakar Rally is considered the most difficult rally in world," she remarked, noting that 50 percent of the participants only ever complete the event due to how challenging it is. On her future ambitions, AlObaidan said she wants to continue to race in rallies and make a name of herself until she makes it to compete in T1 events.
She thanked all her supporters, including sponsors, the media and fans. She also expressed her gratitude to sports authorities in Saudi Arabia for organizing major rallies in the Kingdom. Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah set the fastest time on the short final stage of the Hail Cross-Country Rally to secure a fifth FIA World Cup Drivers’ Championship title.
The final stage stretched only 148 kilometers, but it was decisive in determining the winner because it demanded the leaders to drive safely until they reached the finish line so that they can secure their victory.
Mathematically, Al-Attiyah had won the title after recording two stage wins earlier in the event, but he and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel pressed on to record three stage wins and a winning margin of 21min 51sec over the Russian duo of Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov. The success also marked their fourth FIA World Cup title together after three successive wins between 2015 and 2017.
