Neck pain no barrier for Al-Attiyah

Nasser Al-Attiyah says he has no intention of calling it quits on Philips Rally Argentina despite reporting a painful neck.

The Qatar World Rally Team star said the problem had contributed to his high-speed spin on stage two after he lost concentration as a result of the pain, which he suggested was the legacy of his participation on a five-day cross-country rally in his homeland last week.

“On stage two I had a big spin and damaged the front,” said Al-Attiyah. “After the engine stopped and did not want to work so we had to reset everything to continue. The last stage was really long and we really had to finish but it’s not easy because I am really in a lot of pain from my neck. I have been working with my physio here but every corner I feel very bad. But I must continue this rally.”

Al-Attiyah is 10th overall after three stages. He arrived in South America eighth overall in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia following his career-best fourth place on Vodafone Rally de Portugal at the start of April.