Al Nabooda Racing launch their bid for a third successive team triumph in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East on Friday as Clemens Schmid and Ahmad Al Harthy look to give their new partnership a winning start at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The defending champions are in a confident mood for the 2014/15 season, with racing Friday and Saturday at the home of Bahrain’s Formula One grand prix where they have dominated GT3 Cup races since entering a two-car team in the series in 2012.
Al Nabooda Racing have clinched team honours in each of the eight rounds staged at the circuit during the past two seasons, with Schmid scoring six individual victories.
Schmid, the 2012/13 Porsche GT3 Cup individual champion and the runner-up last season, has impressed during the recently completed Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series and is relishing a return to action in Bahrain as he targets a hat-trick of team championship wins.
“I’m really excited about the new season,” he said after sitting out last weekend’s pre-season testing in Bahrain where Al Harthy caught the eye, setting the third-fastest lap time.
“I saw the test results and it seemed that Ahmad was right on the pace from the beginning. He won a Porsche GT3 Cup race in 2011 before the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, so he’s obviously a really good driver and it’s good to have him on board. I think it will be a great season.”
Asked about his hopes for the weekend as he teams up with Schmid for the first time in Al Nabooda Racing colours, Al Harthy said: “Two wins, two poles and two fastest laps would be great – but seriously, let’s wait and see.
“As a team we have to be realistic. Some race weekends can go perfectly, but it’s going to be a very competitive season and some times we will have to accept the points we get and move on to the next round.”
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