Hitting the halfway stage

The symbolic halfway stage is expected to be a major motivator for the Middle East’s top racers as they prepare to sprint to the finish, and the top honours that await, in the region’s most professional and most competitive racing series, the Porsche GT Cup Challenge Middle East.

Saudi drivers Bandar Alesayi and Mohammad Al Saud have both achieved a number of goals already this season. Bandar Alesayi is certainly no stranger to this championship and is out to show the rest of the grid this season that he has the knowledge and experience to compete right up there with the front-runners.

Bandar has made the podium in his category in almost every race this season, featuring in the top three overall in Race 1 of Round 3 in Dubai. Currently in sixth position in the overall driver’s standings Alesayi will be focusing on collecting as many points as possible over the remaining rounds, and continue to climb further to the top of the championship standings.

Speaking at the hallway stage of the championship, Bandar Alesayi said: “I have really enjoyed myself so far this season, and looking forward to pushing hard over the remaining races.

“There is always room for improvement in this championship, which is why I always keep coming back for more. I know I have the speed to challenge for the front positions and I proved that in the last round. I am hoping to achieve more overall podium positions in the coming rounds and finishing as high as possible in the championship standings.”

Fellow countryman and series debutant Mohammad Al Saud, has shown real potential in the opening rounds of Season 8. The young driver is new to the championship and the GT3 cup car, with the main focus this season to gain vital driving experience in a competitive environment.

Al Saud’s efforts have seen him reach the podium twice already this season in the Porsche GCC Rookie category, both highlights coming in ound  and Round 3 in Dubai. The Saudi Arabian driver will be hoping to feature on the podium again before the end of the season.

Speaking ahead of Round 4 in the championship Al Saud said: “The championship has been a great learning experience for me so far. I came into the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, as I really wanted to develop my professional racing career. I have never competed amongst drivers of such a high level, and it’s great for my progression to be involved in a competition of this kind.

“I said from the very start of the season that I will be focusing on getting used to the car and the tracks, and if I manage to reach the podium and win some silverware along the way, then this will be an added bonus.”  

After a pulsating opening three rounds of race action already Season 8 has all the hallmarks of a classic with a grid full of exciting new local talent perfectly balanced in amongst international stars and seasoned veterans, all racing their hearts out on some of the world’s most exciting circuits.

Right from the first lights out in Bahrain at the end of last year, the competition has been enthralling with only the most recent round at Dubai Autodrome giving any breathing space to the drivers at the top of table.

Ireland’sRyan Cullen (140 points) sits in pole position of the driver standings by just17 points but with a possible 50 on offer in the upcoming Round 4. Secondplaced Charlie Frijns (123 points) will be confident he can repeat his earlySeason 8 form and challenge for a title which has eluded him for a number ofyears.

In thesilver category the halfway stage of the series’ eighth edition sees Oman’s AlFaisal Al Zubair (99 points) just 7 points ahead of his nearest rival, BandarAlesayi (92 points) of Saudi Arabia, while in Bronze it’s just 5 points betweenthe top racer Isa S. Al Khalifa (72 points), and Magnus Öhman (67 points) insecond.

It’s these close rivalries that have defined the series one which takes huge pride in developing the region’s drivers through a highly competitive formula backed by elite engineers and race technicians and driver coaches who have helped train many of the Middle East’s best known racers.

As the series looks ahead to racing on the full Grand ri configured track at the Yas Marina Circuit, Walter Lechner, founder and manager of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said: “This season has been incredible so far and it’s very exciting to think we’re only at the halfway stage. From the first moment it has been thrilling and each round has added more to the storyline of the season.

“It will be very interesting to see how the drivers approach the second half now. There’s no doubt it is a psychological barrier and some get a boost from clearing it, for others the nerves start to sink in and the sight o the finish line can make them lose focus. We’ll be working with both these mentalities to help them drive their best in the coming rounds and that will e or the enefits o the fans as it should mean a very unpredictable but exciting second half of Season 8.”

Following Round 1 in Bahrain and Rounds 2 and 3 in Dubai, Round 4 will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, on Friday and Saturday.