Navigator Michael Orr has received a ringing endorsement from driver Khalid Al Qassimi as he prepares for his 100th start at world championship level in Portugal this week where they will take part in a Team Abu Dhabi Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
The 37-year-old from Northern Ireland co-drove for Al Qassimi when the pair won the Middle East Rally Championship crown in 2004, the same season that Orr helped Niall McShea capture the Production world title.
Following a break when Al Qassimi worked with Nicky Beech and Orr partnered Antony Warmbold and Matthew Wilson, they were reunited for the 2008 season and have competed together ever since.
“Michael has been an inspiration to me during my three years in WRC; he brings so much experience and knowledge to every event and I hope I can repay his hard work with a strong performance,” said Al Qassimi. “Like all teams we’ve had our highs and lows, but we are always behind each other and he has been a huge pillar of support throughout my entire career.”
Orr began navigating in road rallies in his native Northern Ireland in 1990 and is convinced he and Al Qassimi can produce a strong result on Vodafone Rally de Portugal, which they start on the back of a test in the country on Monday.
“It’s a huge honour to reach 100 events at the sport’s highest level and it’s always interesting working with Khalid,” said Orr. “We’ve got better with every round and every season since we linked up in the WRC and we’re hoping to maintain that on what is always hard, rocky and punishing terrain. These Portugal stages push teams and cars to the max, but they are similar to surfaces and passes you find in the Middle East - they are not new to either of us.”
In addition to Al Qassimi’s Fiesta, Team Abu Dhabi will also be entering Majed Al Shamsi and Bader Al Jabri in a brace of Subaru Impreza WRX STis in the Production Car World Rally Championship section of Rally de Portugal as part of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s Junior Driver Development Programme.
Credit: World Rally Championship (www.wrc.com)
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