Six
editions, six different champions. That is the tally of the FIA MENA Esports
Championship after Libya’s Mohamed Buhdeima etched his name onto the trophy as
its sixth winner, on a rain-soaked night at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps
that fans lived through inside The ARC Esports Arena at King Hussein Business
Park in the Jordanian capital, Amman.
اضافة اعلان
The
road to the title was not easy. For the first time in the finals’ history,
drivers took the wheel of a single-seater – the Dallara SF23 Super Formula car,
a temperamental machine that leaves behind anyone slow to understand it.
Shock in Canada
The
contenders were split across two groups for the semi-finals at Circuit
Gilles-Villeneuve, and the upset arrived early. Iraq’s Mohamed Hadi, the 2024
titleholder, started second in Group 1 before descending to 10th, 52
seconds behind the leader. Unable to adapt to the Super Formula car, he exited
the competition before its final stop.
At
the front, Lebanon’s Marvin El Murr made his mark, winning from third on the
grid and finishing 4.2 seconds clear of Buhdeima, while Oman’s Wassif Al
Kharusi completed the podium and set the quickest lap of the group.
Group
2 was a one-man show. Sami-Joe Abi Nakhle started from pole and led to the
flag, leaving Tunisia’s Karim Chouiref more than seven seconds adrift and
setting the fastest lap of the entire semi-final round (1:18.834). Algeria’s Mohamed
Kheireddine Kouadri took third, while Jordan’s Sham Abu Jabal thrilled the home
crowd by climbing from seventh to fourth to book his seat in the final.
A Decisive Call in the Closing Minutes
Then
came the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, bringing the rain with it. In
qualifying, everyone stuck with intermediate tires and waited. Only three
drivers read the track differently: Buhdeima, Chouiref and the UAE’s Mohamed Idris. In the last
minutes, as the circuit began to dry, they switched to soft tires and went on
the attack.
The
gamble paid off. Buhdeima snatched pole position with a 1:52.384, ahead of
Chouiref, less than a second back, and Idris in third place, while Abi Nakhle
could manage only fourth and El Murr seventh.
One Sky, Two Bets
When
the lights went out, El Murr provided the surprise, rocketing from seventh to
second with a stunning start, while Buhdeima held the lead with ice-cool
nerves.
But
the real story was unfolding beneath the cars. The Lebanese duo, El Murr and
Abi Nakhle, started the race on full wet tires, the rest of the field on
intermediates. Then the pit window opened. Half the 12-car field dived into the
pits and switched to softs. Abi Nakhle refused, staying out for two extra laps,
convinced the rain would not let up. When he finally pitted, he rejoined on
intermediates. At that very moment, the clouds parted.
Abi
Nakhle was by far the quickest on track and set the final’s fastest lap
(1:53.089), but pace alone was no longer enough. He finished fourth, just 5.8
seconds off the podium, while El Murr slipped back to fifth.
Cool Heads Win Titles
Buhdeima
did not make a single mistake. He crossed the line first, 6.1 seconds ahead of
Chouiref, who repeated his runner-up finish from the semi-final. Idris secured
the last spot in the top three with a spotless drive, turning his qualifying
gamble into a hard-won cup. Remarkably, Buhdeima had lost his semi-final heat
to El Murr, but on the night that counted, he knew exactly when to take a risk
and when to simply protect what he had.
The
competition was organized directly by Jordan Motorsport and Desert Fox Racing,
under the watchful eye of FIA officials, as part of the MENA Sim Racing Festival.
Buhdeima’s
next stop is Shanghai. There, on December 12, he will take the stage at the FIA Awards ceremony to
collect his trophy, the latest champion in a series that refuses to crown
anyone twice.
