Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the 14-times FIA Middle East Rally champion, turned back the clock, giving Sheikh Abdullah Al Qassimi a run for his money at the Sharjah Rally over the weekend.

Ben Sulayem, 53, who retired from the sport about 12 years ago, returned to familiar territory on Saturday at Al Qassimi’s request as the latter is keen to promote the sport among the youth in the UAE.

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The record-holding Middle East champion, who is also FIA vice president and president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, drove alongside long-time friend, colleague and co-driver Ronan Morgan, the pair also bringing their Ford Escort WRC out of retirement for the event.

The Ford Escort WRC lasted tasted victory at the 1999 Jordan International Rally before it was retired.

Sheikh Abdullah, who won the rally, paid tribute to Ben Sulayem for a stirring comeback, saying: “Mohammed was much faster on the technical sections, and it was as if he had never been away.”

The Sharjah resident, who is also founder of the Emirates Motorsports Club, was partnered by Ghaby Khoury in a Mitsubishi Evo 9 for the second round of the UAE Rally Championship.

The pair had a winning margin of 45 seconds over Ben Sulayem.

A time penalty accounted for 30 of those seconds, and but for mechanical problems in the 20-year old Escort it might have been a different story at the finish on Saturday.

Oman’s Khalid Al Manji and Saif Al Aisiri in a Subaru Impreza took third place, while the top six was completed by two more Omanis, Faisal Al Rashidi and Walid Al Rashidi in another Subaru, Emiratis Ali Mater Al Ketbi and Rabab Al Tajir in a Nissan Patrol, and Saudi Arabia’s Ibrahim Al Mohana with the UAE’s Rashid Al Ketbi in another Nissan Patrol.