Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar, reigning FIA Baja Champion, did a decent run in this years Dakar before missing out on some waypoints because of technical problems, that later on made the organisers exclude him and Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner from the rally. However, besides rally raid Al-Attiyah is also a very experienced competitor in the PWRC – and now he want’s to come back there. Currently he is negotiating with Skoda with the aim to do the full PWRC championship 2009 in a Skoda Fabia Super2000.

Nasser has previously been co-driven by different people – but this time Tina Thörner would be his choice. Tina is a unique profile and her co-driver career started already in 1990. She has gone with different drivers in both rally raid and WRC, including legendary names as Ari Vatanen, Colin McRae, Jutta Kleinschmidt and this years Dakar winner Giniel DeVilliers.

So, let’s hope that Al-Attiyah, Thörner and Skoda get their pieces together. To start in Norway is too late, but for PWRC you can exclude two events of the year – so that’s not a problem. To see them going into the PWRC could make up for a decent fight and comparison with Thörner’s countryman Patrik Sandell – who drives Skoda for the Red Bull Team. Taking into account that also Flodin competes in the PWRC with the Uspenskiy Rally Team, it would mean three Swedes able to fight in the PWRC top.