Al Saud qualifies for final round

Manama : Saudi Arabian driver Mohammed Al Saud showed fight and determination in qualifying the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East championship, getting quicker with each lap. 

The young driver, who will be aiming to close the gap on bronze category leader Mark Radcliffe, kept his hopes alive qualifying just two places behind Radcliffe for the first race and one place behind him for the second.

Speaking after qualifying, Al Saud said: “The whole atmosphere around Bahrain International Circuit is completely different to what I’ve experienced before, it’s my first time racing as part of a Formula 1 weekend and you can really feel the excitement both on the track and around the garages.

“My times today weren’t the quickest I’ve recorded this season but the track was quite difficult to drive, and took a while for the tyres to kick in. It’s a different format only having the one session to qualify for both races but I’m happy with the positions I’ve secured and will leave the rest up to what happens in the race.  I’m really looking forward to it.”

The session wasn’t easy; Porsche China Junior Daniel Lu lost his engine in the chicane leaving oil on the track during the final lap for most drivers. South African Saul Hack spun out as a result and drivers headed back to the pits with cautious moves. The fastest lap by each driver in the session decided Saturday’s Race 1 grid and their second fastest lap clocked for Sunday’s Race 2 grid.

With qualifying results showing just how close the competition is across all three categories, fans of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, Formula 1 and global motorsport will witness drivers battle it out in what is set to be a speculative season showdown.