Al-Attiyah bids for win number 10 in Cyprus

Nasser Al-Attiyah will start next month’s Cyprus Rally, the final round of the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge, bidding to claim his 10th victory on the Mediterranean island.

The Qatari, who won the Cyprus Rally when it was included as part of the IRC schedule for the first time in 2010, has won nine rallies based in the country in the past, including the Middle East championship-counting Pafos International Rally, which took place back in July.

“I win nine times in Cyprus but I know the rally there is not easy and you also have a lot of good drivers from the IRC,” said Al-Attiyah. “But this is why I do it again. Also, it’s a nice rally.”

Al-Attiyah will drive an M-Sport Ford Fiesta S2000 for the same Autotek Motorsport squad that guided him to victory on the Cyprus Rally last November. Italian Giovanni Bernacchini will co-drive.

This year’s Cyprus Rally will be based in Pafos from 3-5 November and will use a combination of asphalt and gravel stages. Double points will be awarded.