June 12th, 2009: BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver Sheikh Khaled Al Qassimi made a strong start to the Acropolis Rally of Greece this morning, putting himself in contention for more World Rally Championship points this weekend. The emirati rally ace expertly guided his Ford Focus through the opening two stages to kick off the Abu Dhabi motorsport triple header weekend in fine style. Later this weekend, Team Abu Dhabi will also be revving into high-octane action at the Red Bull Air Race and F1 Powerboat Championships in Canada and Finland respectively.

Firmly on dry land, Al Qassimi had his own treacherous gravel roads to navigate to the east of Athens. The undulating and boulder-strewn surface meant that consistency was the key, with all competitors determined not to make a costly mistake early on the first day. The morning's opening two stages tested the drivers to their limits, with a slippery road surface combining with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius. Abu Dhabi based Al Qassimi, however, is more used to soaring temperatures than most and looks to have a great chance this weekend to earn more Championship points.

WRC leader Sebastian Loeb was first out of the Service Park this morning ahead of BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Championship drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. Meanwhile Al Qassimi enjoyed the better of the road conditions, with the first drivers having swept away some of the loose top gravel from the road. The emirati rally ace was just over thirty seconds down on Citroen's Danny Loeb after stage 1, and ended the morning just over a minute behind team-mate Latvala who leads the rally at this early mark.

"It was a difficult morning as we expected - the temperatures here are very high so we have to be especially careful with the car. We don't want to make a mistake early on and count ourselves out on day one. I'm happy with where we are at the moment, we can push on more later this weekend and hopefully help to give Team Abu Dhabi great results across land, air and sea." This weekend is a sporting occasion like no other for Abu Dhabi, with Al Qassimi leading the three way motorsport charge in his BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally. The Greek mountains will be in stark contrast to the Finnish waters and Canadian skies which play host of the full frontal motorsport assault from Abu Dhabi's finest sporting stars of rally, air racing and powerboat racing. "We are really excited about the weekend's action", said ADTA Deputy Director General Ahmed Hussein. "This is a fantastic opportunity for Abu Dhabi to bring sport to mass audiences right across the world, and the emirate is now proving itself as a true hub for international motorsport." Team Abu Dhabi will be led in the air above Windsor, Ontario by Hannes Arch, affectionately known as ?The Flying Falcon', while the eyes of the powerboating world will be on Abu Dhabi F1 Powerboat drivers Ahmad Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi, on the picturesque Lake Lesijarvi in Lahti, Finland.

The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team is an initiative of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority which is title sponsor of the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team, Official Destination partner of the World Rally Championship, and creator of the Abu Dhabi Junior Driver Development Programme.