Schmid wins second Porsche GT3 Challenge Middle East race too

Al Nabooda Racing’s Clemens Schmid sent a message to his rivals in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East this weekend, taking victory in both races at the season opener. Sheikh Hasher was impressive with dramatic late surge to take third place in Race 2.

GT3 Porsche Cup Challenge Middle East champion Clemens Schmid and Al Nabooda Racing will be the ones to beat again. Courtesy organisers

ABU DHABI // Al Nabooda Racing’s Clemens Schmid sent a message to his rivals in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East this weekend, taking victory in both races at the season opener.

After triumphing on Friday, the reigning champion again saw the chequered flag at the Bahrain International Circuit yesterday, finishing ahead of Kuwait’s Zaid Ashkanani and Skydive Dubai Falcons’ Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, who claimed his first podium in only his second race in the series.

“It has been a perfect start and sets me up nicely for the remainder of the season,” said Schmid, who won my 8.4 seconds.

“The conditions were tough with a slippery track, but I felt I was in full control of the race and accelerated from the field.”

In a comfortable race win for the Austrian, the real drama came with three laps to go, when Sheikh Hasher produced a number of moves to surge past last season’s runner-up, Abdulaziz Al Faisal of the Saudi Falcons, and Germany’s Hubert Haupt to finish third.

A day earlier, Sheikh Hasher finished fourth.

“It has been a brilliant weekend for me and the team,” he said.

“The conditions were really difficult, but I managed my tyres well. In the first five laps, I wanted to keep control of my position and then push the drivers in front of me.

“I saw the opportunity to overtake Haupt and Abdulaziz. It is amazing that I have my first podium and helped the team with valuable team-title points.”

The fight to complete the top six had multiple changes with some thrilling passing.

Schmid’s Emirati teammate, Karim Al Azhari, starting fifth on the grid, was in a fight to finish in the top six as Bahrain’s Mohammed Mattar, Skydive Dubai Falcons Saeed Al Mehairi and Christina Nielsen pushed the experienced Dubai-based driver all the way.

Suffering from the track conditions and for grip, Al Azhari dropped five places in the final four laps.

First Team Bahrain’s Mattar and then Denmark’s Christina Nielsen, who finished the race fifth and sixth, respectively, reeled in the Al Nabooda driver.

The action continued into the final lap as Al Faisal spun, letting Al Mehairi take advantage to secure seventh place.

The fifth of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East continues in the UAE, with Race 3 and Race 4 scheduled to take place at the Dubai Autodrome on December 12 and 13.

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