Nasser Al Attiyah, World Rally Raid Champion
Nasser Al Attiyah has five Dakar Rally victories to his name. Add to that 19 Middle East Rally titles, a Production and WRC-2 title and two World Rally Raid championships, and it is clear that he knows how to pummel down a dirt track.
However, even the best need a break from competition. To escape the pressures of racing, Al Attiyah loves to hit the road.
“I like not to make plans. We drive to a town, have some lunch, search for a hotel. If there is a room available we stay, if not we keep moving.”
“For me, when I want to be out of motorsport, I take my family somewhere like Cyprus. An island takes me away from what I am normally doing. But I am always driving. Last year I went away with the family on a long trip across Europe. We started in Athens, and we made our way across Greece. Then we went through Albania and Croatia, which is very lovely. I like not to make plans. We drive to a town, have some lunch, search for a hotel. If there is a room available we stay, if not we keep moving.”
“Then we went to Italy. It’s my favourite for a long time. I love Lago di Garda (near Milan). My favourite hotel is there. I know the family who owns it from 1996. If you ever go to the West Garda hotel you just tell them you are a friend of mine.”
“I train a lot there for shooting. I am going there next month and I will spend one month in a training camp.” (That’s yet another skill of the talented wheel man, he’s an Olympic medalist in the shooting discipline, having claimed a bronze medal in the men’s skeet competition in London in 2012).
“From Italy we drove through France and then to Spain back to our place. We have a house there now. I have the Nasser Racing Camp near Barcelona where people from all over come to learn and train with us.”
At the camp, as he calls it, guests can take part in all manner of driving experiences, most of the off-road variety. You can take instruction from the racing legend, drive yourself in an off-road racer or sit shotgun and call out the instructions.
Nasser Al Attiyah has five Dakar Rally victories to his name. Add to that 19 Middle East Rally titles, a Production and WRC-2 title and two World Rally Raid championships, and it is clear that he knows how to pummel down a dirt track.