Isa S. Al Khalifa poised to make his move

Manama : This weekend drivers in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East will experience the highest level of global motorsport, as the final race of Season 9 features as an official support race to the 2018 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

Each driver will be hoping to rise to the occasion, giving everything left in the tank, as each category title and the overall championship is still undecided. The final results of the region’s most professional motor-racing series will be decided in the last two races, witnessed by mass crowds under a global spotlight.

Bahrain’s Isa S. Al Khalifa will be hoping to make the most of the final two races in the championship, and close the gap as much as he can on Silver Category leader Magnus Oehman. Currently only 11 points away from a top three finish in the category, Al Khalifa knows exactly what needs to be done to finish his season on a high.

Speaking ahead of Round 6, Isa S. Al Khalifa said: “I can’t believe that we are already at this stage of the season, it’s gone so quickly. For me, this is the round that I look forward to most, as it’s an opportunity to race on the same stage as some of the best drivers in the world, and also on my home circuit.

“It’s great that the championship is still so close as that point, and most of the drivers still have at least a top three finish in their sights. Although last round was quite disappointing for me, I am determined to put in a strong performance in the last round of the season, and finish as high as I can in both the overall championship standings and in the Silver Category. Hopefully I will be able to take home some silverware in front of my friends and family.”

At the top of the championship standings, Oman’s Al Faisal Al Zubair will be heading into the final weekend of the season with fond memories of Season 8; winning his first race in the championship, securing the Silver Category title in his debut year and ultimately claiming his seat in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Al Zubair returns to the iconic Formula 1 setting as an established, more experienced driver, with two overall wins and eight podium finishes in Season 9. The 19-year-old needs a fifth-place finish or above in the next race to clinch the overall title. With championship rival Tom Oliphant not racing in Round 6 due to commitments in the UK, the Omani driver’s fate is firmly in his own hands.