This file picture shows T2 World Rally Champion Adel Hussein in action.
Qatar's T2 World Rally Champion Adel Hussein is confident of replicating his 2016 title-winning run in the new season.
The veteran rally star has signed another deal with Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co, the exclusive agent for Nissan in Qatar, for the second successive year.
Adel and his Nissan Patrol XE will feature in a total of 11 T2 World Rally Championship events around the world and in the 4 regional championships.
"It will be a more rewarding season for us compared to last year. This year we will have more races and not just rallying," Adel said when asked about his prospects in the new season.
"The support that I got from them (Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co) in 2016 was really very good for me," Adel said.
"Their support was one of the important reasons that I could go on do so well last season," he added.
"I enjoyed having that kind of advantage in the world championship. I am happy that we are together as a team once again in 2017," Adel said.
In what is considered as the toughest off-road championship, Adel clinched victories in Portugal, Abu Dhabi and Spain in the 2016 season.
Adel - competing in his first world championship - managed to finish second on the points table behind Saudi Arabia’s Yasir Saeidan.
Adel's TOK Sport team questioned the legality of Saidan’s car at the Rally of Morocco in October. TOK Sport team's protest was upheld at a recent FIA Court of Appeal hearing.
The Saudi driver lost the points he scored at Rally of Morocco and Adel was declared the FIA T2 World Champion.
It was Nissan’s Patrol on top of the championship for the second successive year following Denis Berezovskiy’s victorious run in 2015. After being crowned the world champion, Adel was quick to credit those who supported his cause in the 2016 season.
“I would like to thank the FIA for confirming me as the 2016 FIA T2 World Champion and a special thanks to Nissan Middle East, Saleh Al Hamad Al-Mana Co. and the QMMF for their support,” Adel said.
“I am very happy and am now looking forward to 2017 and a calendar that features an extra two events, where I hope to defend my title," he said.
"I expect the competition to be even stronger this year. The timing of the decision was particularly poignant for me with the new season set to start in Russia at the end of February," he said.
“I am the number one ranked T2 driver in the world and it is the perfect start to what I know will be another challenging year," Adel said.
Adel added he will be featuring in a social awareness campaign along with his sponsors Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co.
"We will also be running a few social awareness programmes with schoolchildren. We will do everything for the benefit of the society, we shall compliment each other," said the rally star.
"It is my pleasure to know that I am being made their Brand Ambassador in Qatar. I hope I can compliment this kind of appreciation they have for me.
"I am sure I will be racing many many races for Nissan and I will do my best to present the brand name in a positive way," he said with a smile.
