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Khalid Al Qassimi back in the title race!

- Khalid Al Qassimi and Chris Patterson (DS3 RRC) took the points for second place at the Cyprus Rally, as they moved closer to the top of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship standings.

- The Abu Dhabi driver grabbed three stage wins at the event, which also counted towards the European Rally Championship, and will now fight for the title at the final round in November, held in Dubai.

Having finished on the podium at the first three rounds of the season, Khalid Al Qassimi and Chris Patterson held second position in the MERC drivers' standings ahead of this round, after opting to miss the Rally of Lebanon. In Cyprus, the Abu Dhabi driver was aiming for a good result at a rally which featured drivers from both the FIA MERC (Middle East) and FIA ERC (Europe) championships.

Third on the opening super special stage, Khalid Al Qassimi moved into the overall lead after racking up his first stage win on SS2, Kotsiatis (15.27km). Despite spinning on SS4, he stayed within striking distance of the leaders throughout day one.

On the second leg, the DS3 RRC crew had an improved set-up for the narrow, winding roads of the Mediterranean island. Covered at average speeds in excess of 105kph, the two quickest stages were won by Khalid Al Qassimi.

Fourth overall at end of the Cyprus Rally, Khalid Al Qassimi finished as runner-up among the crews competing in the Middle East Rally Championship, just 35 seconds behind the winner: "We had a good rally. In the more demanding sections, we had to look after the car and the tyres. The lack of speed and cool air getting into the engine compartment forced us to monitor the temperature. The reliability of our DS3 RRC proved to be a major asset. I tried not to take any risks to make sure we came away with the points. This result is important for the championship. Everything is now to play for at the final round in Dubai!"

The eighteen points scored in Nicosia mean that Khalid Al Qassimi's fate now rests in his own hands: victory in Dubai will hand him the Middle East Rally Championship title again, ten years after his first win.

"We all know how demanding the Cyprus course can be," added Marek Nawarecki, Citroën Racing Deputy Team Principal. "Having worked with the technical team to find the right set-up, Khalid Al Qassimi proved that he was capable of winning stages up against some of Europe's leading drivers. The priority was to score points for the championship. It was therefore a very positive weekend. He is now well placed to have a real go at the last rally of the season. The unwavering reliability of our DS3 RRC, on a course that once again proved to be difficult for many of our rivals, is the other source of satisfaction at the end of this round."

Cyprus Rally - Final Overall Standings

1. Yazeed Al Rajhi /Michael Orr (Ford Fiesta RRC) 3:04.14.4
2. Kajetan Kajetanovic / Jaroslav Baran (Ford Fiesta R5) +18.9
3. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari / Killian Duffy (Ford Fiesta RRC) +1:00.5
4. Khalid Al Qassimi / Chris Patterson (DS3 RRC) +1.35.7
5. Bruno Magalhaes / Carlos Magalhaes (Peugeot 208 T16) +2.53.3
6. Christos Demosthenous / Pambos Laos (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +7.14.0...

Middle East Rally Championship standings (after five rounds)

1. Nasser Al Attiyah 75 points
2. Khalid Al Qassimi 69 points
3. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari 66 points
4. Abdulla Al Kuwari 39 points
5. Abdullah Al Qassimi and Yazeed Al Rajhi 27 points