Bahrain clinch team category
Manama : A faultless race saw 19-year-old Omani sensation Al Faisal Al Zubair wins Race 1 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East Round 5 in style. Taking maximum points in Round 6, which acts as the official support race to the 2018 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Al Zubair added his name to the history books as the winner of Season 9.
Team Bahrain also had cause for celebration, as they took home the Team Category prize. As their first team win of the season, it seemed fitting for it happen at their home track - Bahrain International Circuit.
The results for Bahrain didn’t just end there, 19-year-old Bahraini Isa A. Al Khalifa gave a season’s best performance in front of his home crowd, battling his way from fourth on the grid to finish on the overall podium in second. Team mate Isa S. Al Khalifa found himself in six-car battle for fourth throughout the race, but kept his composure to finish in fourth.
Speaking after his second-place podium, Isa A. Al Khalifa said: “It was an amazing race today. I started from fourth place on the grid, giving myself a good chance of staying close to the front runners early on. Charlie Frijns was in front of me and he didn’t have a great start, so I knew it was my opportunity to gain a position before the first turn. I went for it and it paid off. I pulled a small gap, the car felt good and I was comfortable throughout.
“On lap seven I notice that Geddie was struggling with the car, and was able to pass him late on to take a second-place finish overall. It’s an incredible result for me and for Team Bahrain, and to finish so strongly on my home circuit in front of my friends and family was an unbelievable experience. I cannot wait until tomorrow’s final race.”
Fellow team mate Isa S. Al Khalifa added: “It’s been such a good day for Team Bahrain, both myself and Isa Abdullah drove really well, and not only gained some vital points for the category title, but showed our home fans how much we’ve developed since driving in the same race last season. It feels great to take home silverware in the first race, and I’m hoping that tomorrow I can continue to close the gap on both Magnus Oehman and Khalid Al Wahaibi in the Silver Category and, who knows, the title may still be in sight after all!”
Starting on pole, Al Zubair was pressurised at the first turn by Scotsman Glynn Geddie, but fought for his position and took the lead. The safety car was deployed in lap one, due to Christoffer Bergström spinning out into the barrier, and prevented the Omani from creating a gap. That didn’t trouble Al Zubair though, who powered away at the restart to produce a five second lead and drive flawlessly until the chequered flag.
Al Zubair jumped on to the F1 podium, holding his trophy high over his head to a round of cheers from global motorsport fans at the circuit. He becomes one of four Arab drivers to win the championship, joining Kuwait’s Zaid Ashkanani, Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Al Faisal, and Bahrain’s Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa as local talent that the series has already helped develop since its inception in 2009.
Commenting on the race, Al Zubair said: “Honestly, I feel amazing. My start wasn’t the best and I allowed Glynn Geddie to get very close to me in the opening corner. I managed to pull more of a lead after the following three turns - my aim was to get as far out in front as possible and to not make any mistakes. Unfortunately, the safety car was deployed at that point, but I had a good re-start and pushed hard to re-gain the lead I had. We had the pace today and I crossed the line comfortably in first place.
It was a great day for the future of motorsport, as the podium was dominated by teenagers. 19-year-old Bahraini Isa A. Al Khalifa gave a season’s best performance in front of his home crowd finish second. Behind him in third finished Porsche Junior China driver Daniel Lu. In only this third race in the championship and at just sixteen-years-old, he gave Porsche fans a glimpse of what is to come.
Behind Lu, drivers were locked in a six-car battle throughout the race, which impressed the F1 crowd in Bahrain. Isa S. Al Khalifa maintained his cool to finish fourth, ahead of Scotsman Glynn Geddie and Dutchman Charlie Frijns in sixth.
Related Posts