Al Attiyah wins Cyprus Rally after thrilling finale

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 26, 2026

Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyah narrowly won the 52nd Cyprus Rally by 4.63 seconds over Cypriot Simos Galatariotis, securing his 10th win at the event and 21st Middle East Rally Championship title. The rally’s dramatic final stage saw Al Attiyah overcome a deficit despite lacking a spare tyre, highlighting his skill and cementing his dominance in the regional motorsport scene.

Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah secured a narrow victory at the 52nd Cyprus Rally on Sunday, edging out Cypriot driver Simos Galatariotis by just 4.63 seconds in a dramatic finish. The event, held from October 23 to 25 and organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association, marked the final round of the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Al Attiyah’s triumph earned him his 10th Cyprus Rally win and his 21st Middle East Championship title.

Galatariotis and co-driver Antonios Ioannou, competing in a Skoda Fabia, entered the final stage with a slim 3.6-second lead after winning three consecutive special stages, overcoming a minute’s deficit to Al Attiyah and his co-driver Candido Carrera. Despite damage to their vehicle sustained during the afternoon stages, they pushed hard in the closing stage. However, Al Attiyah, racing without a spare tyre, delivered a remarkable performance by completing the final special stage 8.7 seconds faster, clinching the win by one of the smallest margins in the rally’s history. The narrowest margin remains the 0.7-second victory by Galatariotis in 2018.

The rally featured 12 gravel special stages covering 183.92 kilometers within an overall distance of 657.74 kilometers. One special stage on Sunday was cancelled due to spectators not observing safety marshal instructions.

In the Rally3 category, Michalis Poseidias and Pambos Laos captured victory in their Renault Clio, marking Poseidias’ first podium finish in the Cyprus Rally. They overcame a nearly three-minute gap to last year’s local champions, Yiangou/Nicolaou in a Hyundai i20, who finished fourth after encountering several issues in the afternoon stages.

Turkish Cypriot duo Sukuroglu/Topcuoslu (Volkswagen Polo) finished fifth, having posted the second-fastest time on the penultimate stage. They were followed by Zenonos/Christofi (Ford Fiesta) in sixth place, who also recorded the second-fastest time on a Sunday stage.

Among other notable performances, Saudi Arabian driver Hamza Bakhashab, co-driven by Lebanese navigator Matar, set two top-three stage times on Sunday and finished seventh in a Skoda Fabia. Prodromou/Episkopou (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X) took ninth overall and topped the RC4 category. Jordanian crew Jweihan/Juma completed the top 13.

Of the 17 crews that started the event on Friday, 16 progressed to the second leg after Sioferos/Ilia (Peugeot 208) withdrew on the opening day. Two additional two-wheel-drive crews retired on Saturday: Manoli/P. Laos (Peugeot 208) and Stylianou/Makrides (Ford Fiesta).

Al Attiyah and Carrera won six special stages over the weekend, while Galatariotis/Ioannou claimed four. Another crew, Al Rawahi and Itu, secured victory on one stage before retiring early on Sunday afternoon.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.