Drivers from as many as 12 countries from around Europe and the Middle East, including UAE resident Bashar Mardini, will be on the grid when the new season of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East series gets underway next week.
The eighth season of the 12-race championship, which starts with the opening round scheduled for November 17-19 in Bahrain, will also feature 18-year old Omani Al Faisal Al Zubair alongside drivers from Qatar, Turkey, Austria, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom in what is the most international grid in the history of the series.
Many of these drivers will be making their competitive debut behind the wheels of identical fifth generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Walter Lechner, founder and organiser of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, believes the one-make series is a great platform to promote fresh talent.
“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,” said Walter Lechner, founder and organiser of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. “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.”
Mardini, who has made appearances as a guest driver in previous seasons of the GT3 Cup Challenge and also secured a class win in the 2016 Dubai 24 Hour race with Lechner Racing, feels ready for a “full season” andf is looking forward to the testing scheduled for this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“You just need to look at the quality of past champions to know this is a serious challenge for any driver,” he said. “I am looking forward to testing this weekend so I can analyse the competition and the speed I am up against.”
Schedule
Round 1: November 17-19, Bahrain International Circuit
Round 2: December 9-12, Dubai Autodrome
Round 3: January 27-28, Dubai Autodrome
Round 4: February 10-11, Yas Marina Circuit
Round 5: March 3-4, Bahrain International Circuit
Round 6 – April 14-16, F1 Support Race, Bahrain International Circuit
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