Nasser Al Attiyah gets fired up for Abu Dhabi desert challenge

Off-road champion Nasser Al-Attiyah is getting to defend his FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup title at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

It looks to be a promising and exciting year for the duo, as they traded last year’s MINI for a Toyota Hilux for the six day race in the United Arab Emirates.

Toyota have been quite successful during the past  Dakar Rally with cars on the podium at four of the last five editions of the off-road marathon..

With double championship points up for grabs in Abu Dhabi, it’s important for Nasser to kick off the new season off to a flying start given the packed schedule he has on his hands for the year ahead.

It’s quite possible that Nasser will miss out in two 2016 World Cup races due to taking part in the men’s skeet shooting event at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio.

Nasser and co-driver Mathieu Baumel were in imperious form last season as they collected five races wins en route to securing a memorable overall triumph.

 A runners-up result in the Dakar at the beginning of the year was the most recent example of Nasser’s expert off road driving abilities and Mathieu’s eagle eyed navigational skills.

Both men will once again need to be on the top of their game if they are to make it a repeat of Nasser’s win at this event in 2008.

The action gets underway on Saturday, 2nd April with a prologue stage on the tarmac of the Yas Marina Circuit before nearly 1,500km of dune crossings in the Liwa Desert spread over five days.