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Team Bahrain had a mixed second day at the Dubai Autodrome as Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Al Faisal Al Zubair finished on top spot in races two and three of Round 3 of the Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
The Bahraini drivers drove an aggressive second race and it paid dividends for Isa A. Al Khalifa as he secured a sixth-place finish from a P7 start.
Ali Al Khalifa couldn’t capitalise on his P11 start, finishing the race in the same position despite some strong driving. Unfortunately race three was a different story with both drivers having to pit early due to mechanical errors.
He said: “I had doubts about the steering wheel from the beginning of the race but thought I would give it a try, everything looked OK until lap 13 where I couldn’t risk it anymore and decided to pit.
“It’s unfortunate because the car felt good up until that point and I was confident I would be able to gain a few places throughout the race.”
The current championship leader and Season 9 winner, Omani Al Zubair, took the first win of the day to secure victory in Race 2. Frenchman Simmenauer wasn’t far behind to take second, with Leon Koehler of Germany in third.
Zubair said: “It was a very good race and I am happy with first position. I managed to hold on for the win and that’s what counts.”
Simmenauer showed the crowds how practice makes perfect though. Having finished third in Race 1 and second in Race 2 this weekend, he closed Round 3 with his first ever win in the Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
The 18-year-old, who debuted in the series last season, provided welcome pressure to Al Zubair the championship leader.
Although Oman’s Al Zubair fought through the grid for wins in Race 1 and 2, Simmenauer finishing on the podium in both races.
The Frenchman used the confidence he’d built across the weekend to push hard in lap one of his penultimate race of the weekend, to jump from fifth to the lead in the first lap and he held firm until the end.
At the halfway stage of the season, with nine of the 16 race season complete, Isa A. Al Khalifa sits in 10th position (93 points) with Ali Al Khalifa in 12th (78 points). Al Zubair continues to extend his lead (217 pts) and is now 41 points clear in the overall standings ahead of Berkay Besler of Turkey in 2nd (176 pts) and American Michael de Quesada behind him in 3rd (164 pts).
The Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is back this coming weekend for Round 4 at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. (1st & 2nd February 2019).
The final two rounds will take place in Bahrain, with Round 6 an official support race to the 2019 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in March, the only regional racing series to do so.
