Car issues bedevil home favourites Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon

Mechanical woes end up costing Abu Dhabi side key laps

Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi of Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon takes a celebratory ride after finishing in third place at the 24 Hours of Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Bernd Schneider had called it before the race even started. The veteran German said on Wednesday that a fast car was not enough to ensure victory at the Dunlop 24 Hours of Dubai: “We will need luck also.”

On Saturday, at a bustling and busy Dubai Autodrome, it was clear the luck and reliability that had followed Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon for the best part of two years had waved goodbye.

Khaled Al Qubaisi, the Emirati driver who won here in 2012 and 2013 and also led his team to victory in the Gulf 12 Hours last month in the UAE capital, was unable to celebrate the “great hat-trick” of Dubai wins he craved, instead settling for a third-place finish.

Al Qubaisi, along with Schneider, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Andreas Simonsen, had taken an early lead in their Mercedes SLS, despite starting from second position. Yet, as the sun went down, problems arose. First, at about midnight, the car experienced an electrical fault that cost them 18 laps, then came exhaust issues, then more technical problems, then – finally – retirement.

“Of course we’re disappointed not to win because the No 1 car was going so well before we had our problems,” he said. “The car was a winner. It was in a league of its own, just blasting away before things started to go wrong.”

Al Qubaisi and Bleekemolen – both registered to race for two teams – instead switched their focus to Black Falcon 2, the silhouette car.

“To be honest, it’s a consolation for the team,” Al Qubaisi said. “It is not what we came here for, but considering all the problems we had during the course of the race, even with the second car, third place is a good result.”

The second Black Falcon car had its own problems, including a faulty anti-lock braking system and a jammed door, which cost the team 10 laps.

Al Qubaisi crossed the line with a five-lap gap to the leaders Stadler Motorsport. He is already looking to get back in the car and put this weekend behind him. “We definitely want to keep this team together,” he said, “and hopefully we’ll back next year to win again.”