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ELECTRIC Ebrahim Almubarak will be racing for glory on the world stage next year after storming to victory in the Middle East Finals of the McLaren Shadow Project … and then enjoying an unexpected day at the races.
The Bahraini gamer triumphed over 15 other hopefuls to secure the opportunity to represent the region in the 2019 world finals at the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK in January.
Held at The Avenues Bahrain last Friday, Almubarak won the live final in front of a large enthusiastic audience after coming through timed qualifiers and knockout rounds.
“It’s an incredible feeling to know that I won competing with the most talented drivers from the Middle East,” he said. “After many years, I finally felt that my countless hours of practicing paid off. I’m really proud that I’ll be representing my country at the finals in the UK.”
Following his victory he was also flown off by McLaren to enjoy the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday and added that he was ‘delighted’ by the invitation. “All my dreams came true at once I’m really impressed that the McLaren team made the effort to take me round the pit and explain things to me,” The experience was electrifying and I’m very thankful to McLaren.”
Almubrak has spent many years chasing his dreams, and is ecstatic that they have finally been realised. He explained: “Esports have been around for a many years but mostly outside the Middle East.
“I started to realise the potential of esports in 2008 when I saw an online event that allowed only the United States and European nationals to be invited to the finals. Despite not being a US or European citizen I managed to participate in the online events and succeeded in reaching the Top 100 globally, which I thought was a huge achievement and gave me more hope.
“I’m glad that now gamers from the Middle East can officially participate in global competitions such as the McLaren Shadow Project. I think esports gives you opportunities that you might not be able to get in real-life sports.
“I’ve been playing motorsports games since childhood and when I realised my potential in esports, I started to practice even more. In the McLaren Shadow Project Final, I felt the excitement and adrenaline that I believe is equal to real racing competitions.
“For anyone wanting to get into esports, my advice is to practice, practice and practice some more!
“I’d like to encourage more people in Bahrain to take up these opportunities in the future.”
The winner of January’s grand finals will compete for a seat in the team’s 2019 F1 esports team and also join the McLaren esports development programme where they will hone their skills and work with the McLaren Formula 1 team, which is partly-owned by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat.
Mohammed Jamal, also from Bahrain, finished runner-up in the competition, and Haitham Abdelkaber, from Egypt, took third spot after a hugely competitive final.
The McLaren Shadow Project Middle East comes as a result of a partnership between Bahrain-based Atyaf e-Racing and the McLaren Formula 1 team, with support from Tamkeen.
Faisal Alireza, co-founder and managing director of Atyaf e-Racing, said: “This has been a fantastic event and the competition will become a regular fixture on our national calendar.
“We are planning several events in the region in and we have enjoyed extending our relationship with the McLaren team and look forward to a fruitful, long-term partnership.”
In addition to the live final, the event featured a number of fun activities for visitors, including a retro-gaming display which allowed families and gaming enthusiasts to discover early games such as Super Mario Kart, and various old consoles and TV sets.
Visitors also enjoyed a free-to-play area to practice their skills on Xbox One and Forza Motorsport 7. Olli Pahkala, one of the world’s leading esports players and a member of the McLaren Shadow F1 esports team, was at the event to play against the visitors and share his know-how and experience in the world of simulation racing.
Afterwards, he exclusively told GulfWeekly: “I had an amazing time in Bahrain! The city is beautiful, and the people are very friendly and open which made the visit super nice.
“The sim racing scene is developing in the right direction in the Middle East, and these events are very important steps forward. All the drivers who attended left the event more motivated than ever to push themselves to the top tier in the world. I look forward to seeing them on track in the upcoming months.”
