MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup Wraps Up With A Memorable Celebration Of Regional Talent In Motorsports

The MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup 2023, hosted by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), wrapped up with a memorable display of talent, racing action and joyous celebrations. The championship was held from 14 December to 16 December where 165 drivers from 15 different countries in the MENA region participated. Marking the success of the championship, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said, “The fourth edition of the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup has been a resounding success. A huge congratulations to Morocco for winning the MENA Nations Cup and to the rest of the winners and to all participants from across the region. It is wonderful to see this event, which I founded in 2020, continue to grow. Events like these are aligned with the FIA’s new Karting strategy and are essential to our goal of doubling motorsport participation worldwide. We must also thank QMMF, its PresidentAbdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai and the CEO of the Lusail International Circuit Amro Al Hamad for their support and I look forward to attending next year.” 

The champions were awarded their titles in a vibrant closing ceremony. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai, President of QMMF and LIC, Amro Al Hamad, Executive Director of QMMF and C.E.O. of LIC, along with Valerio Lachizi, Secretary General for Sport at the FIA, presented the awards. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai said, “We are honored to host exceptional talent from the Middle East and North Africa at LIC’s karting track. The MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup empowers drivers in the region and provides a stage for them to display their outstanding skills. I extend my gratitude to all participating countries and talented drivers. I would also like to thank FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his efforts to empower the youth and develop talent through this championship. ” 

To mark exceptional performance and skills throughout the championship, three teams were awarded the “MENA Nations Cup” accolade from which Morocco won first position, United Arab Emirates ranked second and Qatar secured the third position overall. 

Team Qatar made its mark with victories in different categories, one of which being the RD1 Elite Sprint race where top three drivers represented team Qatar, Ahmed Fakhroo and Omar Aswat finished at P2 and P3 alongside Khalid Al Maraghi in P1.

The final day of the exciting championship featured pre-final and final sessions across all categories: Micro Max category (8 - 11 years) followed by Mini Max (10 - 13 years), Junior Max (12 - 15 years), Senior Max (14+ years), DD2 (15+ years) and finally, DD2 Masters (31+ years) respectively.

The final results of each category are as follows:

Micro Max: After an impressive performance in the qualifying and heat sessions, Nahil El Gahoudi (Morocco) won P1 in the final race followed by Atiqa Asif Mir (U.A.E) in P2 who also recorded the fastest lap of the race at 52.814 seconds. Finally, Tamem F.S. Mustafa from Palestine rose through the ranks and secured P3. 

Mini Max: U.A.E. dominated in the category with Faris Haroun and Darek Rivera taking P1 and P2 followed by Kamil Benchekroun (Morocco) in P3.

Junior Max: Zain Elhommossany (Egypt) clocked the fastest lap of the race at 47.962 seconds and won P1 alongside Sanad Al Hamawi (Jordan) in P2. Furthermore, Tameem Hassiba from Qatar delivered a consistent performance throughout the race and successfully secured P3 in the championship. 

Senior Max: Bader Al-Sulaiti from team Qatar secured P3 in a commendable performance during the race. He shared the podium with Georges Nassar (U.A.E.) and Kamil Rahali (Algeria) at P1 and P2 respectively.

DD2: In line with their performance in all heat sessions, Matthias Njeim and Christopher Njeim from Lebanon and Abdullah Al Rawahi (Oman) remained undefeated as they maintained their P1, P2, P3 positions respectively. The fastest lap was recorded to be 47.380 seconds by Omar Benhayoun from Morocco.

DD2 Masters: In the final category, Nadir Kabbage (Morocco) won P1 followed by Roger Feghali (Lebanon) in P2 and Faesal Mohsen Alyafei from Qatar in P3.

This year has proven to be a historical period for Qatar and the Lusail International Circuit, as they successfully hosted numerous regional and international motorsports events, reaffirming their unwavering commitment to the global motorsports community.