DUBAI — Momentum continued for Al-Faisal Racing here this weekend as Race 2 of Round 5 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East saw the racing duo come away with two further trophies at the Dubai Autodrome Friday.
Coming from fifth position on the grid, Abdulaziz Al-Faisal got his second race of the weekend off to the strongest start possible, quickly moving up to fourth. He held his position until the third lap when he showed a powerful display of skill and precision to pass Al-Nabooda Racing’s Zaid Ashkanani of Kuwait. The remaining 10 laps at Dubai Autodrome went without incident for Al-Faisal, who finished in bronze position on the podium after his silver from Race 1.
For his younger brother Saud Al-Faisal, a newcomer to the series, Round 5 provided another opportunity to prove himself on the racing scene taking a second silver of the weekend after finishing in second place in the silver category. With just nine points separating him and his closest rival, Wolfgang Triller, at the top of the overall Championship standings in the bronze category, it is all still to play for as the season heads into its finale in Bahrain in just 2 weeks’ time.
“I started in position five on the grid after qualifying today which wasn’t great for me. I had a poor start to the race and didn’t get off the line quick enough, my brother overtook me initially which meant I really had to outbreak him in the first corner to stay ahead. I then caught up to Ashkanani and I could see he was struggling a bit with the grip on the track so I pushed and pushed and when I saw the opportunity I went for it and managed to get in front of him. I then had to focus on getting closer to the guys in front and really tried to close the gap. I tried really hard but couldn’t in front of Ryan and finished the race in third place. I am very happy with my performances across the two races and it’s been the best weekend of the season so far for me.”
Race 2 of Round 5 in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East was another nail-biting affair and with the drivers battling for positions early on.
For Ryan Cullen it was an almighty comeback after his spin out in Race 1, while Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Al-Faisal could celebrate a strong overall performance with his second podium finish in quick succession. Despite Kuwait’s Zaid Ashkanani missing out on the podium over the 14 intense laps, the young star is still well-placed for a top-three overall finish in the driver’s standings as the unique one-make series heads to Bahrain for the crucial and conclusive last round.
Regarded as the purest form of racing with all drivers competing in identical fifth generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cups, the unique one-make series consists of 12 races between November 2015 and March 2016. Season 7 concludes at the illustrious Bahrain International Circuit on March 4-5. — SG
