The eyes of the motorsport world have been on Qatar this week as the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) hosted the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup 2024 for the second time at the Lusail International Circuit (LIC).
With strong displays of regional talent and racing action, the championship – held from 19-21 December – welcomed over 150 drivers from across 16 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Marking the success of the championship, FIA President and Nations Cup founder Mohammed Ben Sulayem, said: “The MENA karting nations cup is an opportunity for us to showcase the best of our region. It brings global attention to MENA motorsport while offering young talent the honour of representing their nations.
“My congratulations to all competitors – the racing this week has been exemplary – an important step on their motorsport journey. With winners represented from across our region, it is clear the future of MENA motorsport is strong.
“Thanks to QMMF President Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai for hosting such a successful event, alongside the volunteers, staff and officials, who have dedicated their time and effort.”
Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President of QMMF and Lusail International Circuit, said: “We are honoured to host the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup 2024 for the second consecutive year at LIC. The MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup provides a platform and empowers drivers, especially the young emerging talent, to display their skills.
“We extend our gratitude to all the participating nations and the talented drivers. I would also like to thank the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his continuous effort to empower the youth through this championship.”
The champions were awarded their titles in a vibrant closing ceremony, and to mark exceptional performance and skills throughout the championship, three teams were awarded the “MENA Nations Cup” accolade with Lebanon taking first place, Morocco second, and UAE third.
The final results of each category are as follows:
Micro Max: The UAE dominated the category, with Ava Lawrence and Atiqa Asif Mir, both from the UAE, securing P1 and P2 with times of 17 minutes 39.551 seconds and 17 minutes 40.738 seconds, respectively. Nahyl El Gahoudi from Morocco claimed P3 with a time of 17 minutes 43.383 seconds.
Mini Max: Faris Haroun from UAE, secured P1 with a time of 16 minutes 56.733 seconds. He was followed by Joe Mourad from Lebanon in P2, clocking 16 minutes 59.712 seconds, and Saif Al Obaidli from Qatar in P3 with a time of 17 minutes 05.162 seconds.
Junior Max: Nathan Kappen from the UAE led the grid and secured P1, followed by Malek Mustafa from Palestine in P2 and Veer Chopra from UAE in P3, with times of 20 minutes 56.954 seconds, 21 minutes 08.364 seconds, and 21 minutes 08.499 seconds, respectively.
Senior Max: In the Senior Max category, Sanad Al Hamawi from Jordan claimed P1 with an impressive time of 20 minutes 58.907 seconds. He was followed closely by Anis Tazi from Morocco, who secured P2 with a time of 21 minutes 06.771 seconds, and Zain El Hommossany from Egypt, who completed the podium in P3 with a time of 21 minutes 07.033 seconds.
DD2: Christopher Njeim from Lebanon, Taha Hassiba from Qatar, and Souhil Khatal from Algeria claimed P1, P2, and P3, respectively, with times of 20 minutes 42.371 seconds, 20 minutes 43.037 seconds, and 20 minutes 45.762 seconds.
DD2 Masters: Sofiane Salhi from Algeria, Faisal Al Yaefi from Qatar, and Abdo El Feghali from Lebanon claimed P1, P2, and P3, respectively, with times of 20 minutes 48.947 seconds, 20 minutes 55.695 seconds, and 21 minutes 05.897 seconds.
R390 Endurance: Team Morocco secured P1 in the R390 Endurance category, followed by the UAE in P2 and Algeria in P3, respectively.
R390 Sprint: Lebanon dominated this category with Mathias Njeim (Lebanon) and Jad Al Awar (Lebanon) securing P1 and P2, clocking in times of 19 minutes 51.620 seconds and 19 minutes 55.099 seconds, respectively. Mahdi Kadri from Morocco secured P3 with a time of 19 minutes 55.272 seconds.
