MEDIA INFORMATION
PETROLINA CYPRUS RALLY
October 23rd–25th, 2026
FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), Round 5
For immediate release
Tuesday, October 27th, 2026
HAMZA BAKHASHAB FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN THE MIDDLE EAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP WITH STRONG SHOWING IN CYPRUS RALLY FINALE
NICOSIA (CYPRUS): With the support of Jameel Motorsport, Saudi driver Hamza Bakhashab secured the runner-up position in the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) following an impressive performance in the demanding Petrolina Cyprus Rally at the weekend with the continued guidance and support of his father Abdullah Bakhashab.
Despite going off the road on the sixth special stage, Hamza recovered strongly to finish seventh overall and second among the registered MERC contenders, behind newly-crowned champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah.
The achievement also marks another proud moment for the Bakhashab family, as Hamza follows in the footsteps of his father, who won the Middle East Rally Championship title in 1995.
Hamza said: “Thanks to the continued support of Jameel Motorsport and the guidance of my father, I have been able to gain valuable experience and make great progress throughout this season.
“Cyprus was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed driving these stages. They were unlike anything I had experienced before, and that made the rally even more exciting for me.
“Of course, going off the road on SS6 and not being able to complete the stage was disappointing, but that’s part of rallying. We managed to get back out and finish the rally, and I’m taking away a lot of valuable experience from this weekend.
“With the Saudi Rally cancelled, we end the season as runners-up in the Middle East Rally Championship. It’s a result I’m really proud of, especially considering that our main goal coming into this season was to learn and develop as much as possible. We’ve made great progress this year and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Hamza and his Lebanese co-driver Joseph Matar began cautiously on the slippery gravel tracks winding through the Troodos mountains in Cyprus. They held eighth position after the opening stage at Ayios Epifanios and climbed to seventh on the next timed test at Kapouras.
Another strong showing through the Kourdali stage enabled Bakhashab to reach the midday regroup and service in Nicosia in seventh overall and third among the MERC title contenders.
His confidence began to grow as the first day progressed, and the Saudi safely negotiated the re-runs of the Ayios Epifanios and Kapouras stages, moving from seventh to sixth position in the general classification.
However, a mistake on the final stage of the day saw him leave the road and incur time penalties, dropping him back to eighth overall before the start of day two.
Stage seven was cancelled by rally officials, but Bakhashab returned to a competitive pace through the eighth and ninth special stages, setting the fifth and fourth fastest times respectively. He remained eighth overall at the midday return to Nicosia.
A third fastest time in SS10 lifted Bakhashab into seventh overall, and he moved up to second among the MERC entrants following the retirement of Abdullah Al-Rawahi.
Another third fastest time in the penultimate stage consolidated his seventh position before the points-scoring Power Stage finale at Stavrovouni.
The Saudi driver collected additional MERC points for his performance on the Power Stage, confirming seventh place in the general classification, second among the MERC competitors and the runner-up position in the 2026 FIA Middle East Rally Championship Drivers’ standings.
Organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association, the Petrolina Cyprus Rally took place over 12 gravel special stages covering 183.92 competitive kilometres, within a total rally distance of 657.74 kilometres.
Ends