SAUDI Falcons duo, Abdulaziz Al-Faisal and Faisal Binladin, is looking for improvements in Dubai when the region’s most professional racing series, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, comes to the Dubai Autodrome on Dec. 12 and13.
Last season’s runner-up Abdulaziz was looking for a strong start to the fifth season and was in good shape going into the opening race having ranked as the quickest driver in practice. But he was left disappointed by finishing fifth and eight respectively, struggling to find the ideal setup of the new car.
Speaking ahead of the Dubai rounds, Al-Faisal said: “I was hugely disappointed with the outcome of the races and have to start all over again at the Autodrome. We need to find another setup that will work well and galvanize our season. Schmid is in outstanding form but I believe that by finding the right methods I can challenge him at the top of the championship.”
Meanwhile, last season’s Silver Michelin category champion Faisal Binladin had a slow start in his quest to challenge for the top three in the championship standings, finishing ninth and eleventh.
Binladen said: “We had high hopes going into the Bahrain weekend but we need to find the right setup in Dubai. We have a very strong field this season with drivers who have the capabilities of challenging for honors, so we have to be on our game in qualification and race action. Hopefully we will have everything right for the coming weekend.”
Reigning champion Clemens Schmid got the defense of his championship off to a perfect start, by securing two victories in the opening weekend of the fifth season at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
A world-class grid featuring 20 cars and drivers spanning eleven nations, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, will face a challenging track in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The Dubai Autodrome has a combination of high-speed straights and technical corners covering 4.3287 km.
Walter Lechner, manager of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said: “The opening weekend justified why this is the region’s best racing series. We saw action in both races, which were packed with drivers’ battles throughout the grid. In Bahrain, Clemens Schmid showed once again that he is quick but I am very much looking forward to seeing how the new drivers, especially Hasher Al-Maktoum perform in front of his home crowd. Abdulaziz and Faisal will come back strongly, as they are both great drivers,” added Lechner.
The opening races in Bahrain saw a notable debut from Skydive Dubai Falcons Sheikh Hasher Al-Maktoum, who finished fourth in his first ever race and third in Race 2, to cap off an impressive weekend. He will be looking to showcase his undoubted potential in front of his home crowd.
Al-Maktoum said: “There will be nerves driving on home soil and also pressure to replicate what I did in Bahrain. But I am confident in my own ability and will show my fans that I and Saeed Al-Mehairi can fly the UAE flag proudly for Dubai.”
Kuwait sensation, Zaid Ashkanani, who finished second in both races, goes into Round 2 looking to reproduce the performances he showed in the opening weekend and fight for top spot.
He said: “It was a massive achievement to finish second in both races. The pressure is on to repeat those feats and continue fighting for the top spot from Clemens and Abdulaziz. They are title winning drivers who have been in this position before and they are not making things easy for me. I am ready for the challenge and will put all my energy into the next round.”
Round 2 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East will take place on Dec. 12 and 13 with Race 1 on Thursday at 4:50 p.m. and Race 2 on Friday at 4:40 p.m.