“Beirut isn’t on everybody’s bucket list”

Beirut. I guess it’s not on everyone’s bucket list of rallying adventures, but it’s most definitely been pinned firmly to the top of my list for a long time now. It’s not that I have a macabre interest in bombs, bullets, kidnappings and forced rides in the boots of taxis – anyway, as I quickly discovered, those days are well and truly in the past now. It’s actually for a couple of reasons that I’ve been keen to visit.

The first being my dear old Dad. he spent a fair amount of time in Beirut in the 1960s and, as we watched those news reports coming out of the allbut-destroyed city in the mid-1980s, he’d regale us with outrageous stories of decadence, joie de vivre and bonhomie. It was hard to reconcile the images we were watching with Dad’s enthusiastic reminiscence of the “Monte Carlo of the Middle East.” Since then, I’ve had a burning desire to visit this city apparently full of juxtaposition.

Throw in my love of all things rallying, and a longheld admiration for the legend that is Roger Feghali (13-time domestic champion) and you can see why I jumped at the invitation to attend this year’s 40th running of the Rally of Lebanon.

For those of you not familiar with the event, let me fill you in on a few things, starting with it being the only Tarmac event in the Middle East Rally Championship. The stages run incongruously through Beirut’s suburban roads in the mountains to the north and east of the city. The event was first held in 1968 and even during the dark days of the Lebanese civil war still ran on a regular basis. Stories of organisers commandeering tanks to deal with particular problems in the past are among many that make this event unique.

And then there’s that legend: Roger Feghali. He’s now won this event an incredible 13 times; he is the undisputed master of Lebanese Tarmac. And you know what, I genuinely believe that he could beat all-comers here in Beirut. If, one morning, Seb Ogier sees the light and realises that he has to do Rally of Lebanon before he hangs up his allconquering driving gloves, he’d be made more welcome than he’s ever been made at a rally in his life. But he won’t win it. not if he’s competing against Feghali. In some ways it’s a bit like the Mull Rally. It’s all about understanding the Tarmac and making the unique suburban elements of the road work for you.

So, what did I take away from brief my trip to Beirut? well, the Lebanese have an overwhelming sense of optimism, perseverance and positivity. These people have endured more than anyone can rightly expect to endure and have come out the other side full of hope and enthusiasm. From a sporting and a humanitarian point of view, we can learn a lot from their ability to forgive the past and look forward to the future.

I loved everything about my time there. In all my years of travelling I have never come across people as hospitable as the Lebanese. it’s taken me 47 years to get to Beirut, but I’ll be back soon.

And, no doubt, I’ll witness many more victories from the legend that is Roger Feghali.