Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Muscat: A fresh grid filled with a host of new drivers from across the world of motorsport will compete in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East when the eighth season of the series gets underway in Bahrain on November 17.
The diverse range of drivers hail from as many as 12 different nations across the Middle East and Europe, making the line-up for the new championship the most international in the series history.
The region is well represented with newcomers, such as local rising star 18-year old Al Faisal Al Zubair of Oman and UAE resident Bashar Mardini, both expected to descend upon Bahrain International Circuit this coming weekend for official testing alongside drivers from Qatar, Turkey, Austria, Sweden, Germany and United Kingdom.
The opportunity to test ahead of the 12-race series will be critical for many of the drivers who will not only make their competitive debut behind the wheel of powerful Porsche 911 GT3 Cup but also their debut around the Sakhir track in Bahrain, the host of the season’s first two races.
The 18-year old Omani is set to make his debut this season after showing his driving talent through karting and British Formula 3. Al Zubair represents one of the key pillars that the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East stands for -- a regional platform for young talented drivers to prove themselves in a professional racing environment.
Talking ahead of the testing Al Zubair said: “This is a massive step for me in my racing career, and one step closer to my dream of racing and competing at the highest level possible. There will be so many experienced drivers to compete against. But I am confident I can show my ability and prove that regardless of my age I deserve a place on the grid. I tested with Lechner Racing a few weeks back and they were happy with my skill levels. This fills me with confidence.”
Walter Lechner, founder and organiser of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said: “To have so much driving talent is an incredible opportunity to grow the sport and speaks volumes for the prestigious reputation this series has earned over many years. It’s developed into the perfect platform to accelerate driving skills and gain valuable race experience hence the influx of newcomers, all of which are very welcome.”
“The championship is now a proud beacon for the motorsport in the Middle East and I’ve no doubt that the exciting combination of new and experienced racers will see our most competitive championship yet. The race for the title is certainly wide open.”
Another of the sportsmen preparing to take on the championship this season is UAE resident Bashar Mardini. Bashar is certainly no stranger to regional motorsport, having been a guest driver in previous seasons of the GT3 Cup Challenge. He also secured a class win in the Dubai 24 Hour race with Lechner Racing earlier this year.
With experience across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Mardini is hopeful of adding to the championship.
He said: “Although I’ve sampled a taste of the Porsche performance and the GT3 action as a guest, I’m now ready for the full season. You just need to look at the quality of past champions to know this is a serious challenge for any driver. I am looking forward to testing this weekend so I can analyse the competition and the speed I am up against. I am sure many of the drivers are thinking the same but that’s all part of motorsport.”
Mardini and Al Zubair will be joined by Turkish racer Salih Yoluc. Despite having only two years of professional racing behind him Yoluc comes into the championship with a wealth of experience, competing in the Blancpain-GT-Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, the British GT Championship and the 24 hours of Dubai where he took a class win in 2015. In 2016 he has already scored victories in the GT3 ProAm class of the International GT Open and the GT3 Le Mans Cup.
The series debutant said: “I have achieved so much over a short period of time and being able to compete in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is another great step for me in my racing career. I have seen and heard a lot about the standard of the series whilst competing in Europe so I am looking forward to getting used to the car and my surroundings during testing then making sure to get my speed to where it needs to be for the first race.”
All drivers will compete in identical fifth generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, with the regional one-make series consisting of 12 races between November 2016 and April 2017.
2016-17 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East race schedule:
Nov 17-19, 2016: Round 1 at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain.
Dec 9-12, 2016: Round 2 at Dubai Autodrome, UAE.
Jan 27-28, 2017: Round 3 at Dubai Autodrome, UAE.
Feb 10-11, 2017: Round 4 at Yas Marina Circuit, UAE.
Mar 3-4, 2017: Round 5 at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain.
April 14-16, 2017: Round 6 F1 Support Race at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain.
