QRC General Manager Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid poses for a photo with the podium winners.
Doha: In front of a large crowd that filled the stands of Qatar Racing Club’s (QRC) dedicated drift arena, the opening round of the 2025–2026 Qatar Drift Championship (QDC) concluded with the participation of an elite group of drivers from across the Gulf region and beyond.
The event is being held under the patronage of QRC Chairman H E Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
The competition, which spanned two full days, began with the qualifying sessions on the first day. At the end of the qualifying sessions, driver Ahmed Al-Amri topped the standings with a total of 90.33 points, ahead of Salem Al-Sarraf, who secured second place with 86.67 points. Defending champion Ali Makhseed settled for third, just four points behind Al-Sarraf.
According to the results of the qualifying sessions, the drivers were placed into the tandem battle bracket, which took place on Friday and featured fierce matchups full of surprises.
On the left side of the bracket, Ahmed Al-Amri, the top qualifier, advanced to the second round after defeating his rival Saud Al-Attiyah, who had finished last season as runner-up in the National category.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Abu Rshaid prevailed over Mesiar Abu Sheibah in an exciting battle. Abdullah Al-Muhtasib also advanced after defeating Mubarak Al-Dosari, while Mazen Nasser moved on automatically following the withdrawal of Khaled Al-Shafie, who was forced to retire due to an accident during Friday’s pre-event tests.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Salem Al-Sarraf, second in qualifying, overcame Mohammed Al-Jaber, while Yasser Al-Shatir advanced after defeating Mohammed Al-Azmi. The third battle on this side saw Riyadh Al-Mabsali beat Bkhait Al-Hajri to secure his place in the next round. The final matchup of the first round produced a major upset when Mohammed Khorshid, who had qualified sixth, eliminated defending champion Ali Makhseed, earning the last spot in the quarterfinals.
In the second-round, both Al-Amri and Al-Muhtasib advanced to the first semifinal, with Al-Amri defeating Abu Rshaid and Al-Muhtasib prevailing over Mazen Nasser. On the other side, Salem Al-Sarraf moved into the second semifinal after beating Yasser Al-Shatir, while Riyadh Al-Mabsali claimed the final semifinal slot after winning against Mohammed Khorshid.
Based on the final results, Al-Muhtasib was crowned champion of the National category, with Yasser Al-Shatir finishing second, and Ahmed Abu Rshaid taking third place on the podium.
The two semifinal battles were breathtaking, showcasing exceptional skill and intensity that kept the crowd on edge.
The first semifinal brought together Ahmed Al-Amri, the top qualifier and champion of the season before last, with Abdullah Al-Muhtasib, who had qualified fourth and was newly crowned winner of the National category in this round. In this duel, Al-Amri asserted his dominance to become the first driver to reach the final showdown, where he would face Riyadh Al-Mabsali, who earned his spot by defeating Salem Al-Sarraf, last season’s overall runner-up, in the second semifinal.
Al-Sarraf went on to claim third place after overcoming Al-Muhtasib in the third-place battle.
All eyes then turned to the grand final between Al-Amri and Al-Mabsali, where both drivers delivered flawless and highly technical runs that captivated the crowd. However, victory ultimately went to Al-Amri.
QRC General Manager Sheikh Jabor bin Khalid crowned the podium winners.
