Current
FIA Middle East Rally Championship leader,
Khalid Al Qassimi will make his debut for the
BP Ford World Rally Team in Finland this coming weekend, when he drives the team's 'third car'.
The 35-year-old, who will use a 2006-specification Ford Focus RS WRC, will do four WRC events during the second half of the season and in addition to Finland, he will also compete on the Rallye Deutschland, as well as in Spain and Ireland.
The 2004 Middle East Rally champion is looking forward to the event and will be especially keen to do well, as it is his first with the M-Sport-run outfit following the tie up with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority [ADTA], which was announced at the start of July.
“As Abu Dhabi's first ambassador in the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Finland will be a momentous occasion for me,” said Khalid.
“Of course none of this would have been possible without the belief and support of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, whose initiative has resulted in our Scandinavian challenge.
“After all the preparations and testing, I can't wait for Finland to begin and for the world to see Abu Dhabi in WRC action.”
This will be his seventh WRC start, having made his debut at the top level in Greece in 2004. He will be co-driven by Nicky Beech.
![The BP Ford World Rally Team has announced that it has agreed a new 'partnership' deal with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority [Pic credit: BP Ford WRT / ADTA]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/346619.jpg)
