THE iconic Yas Marina Circuit welcomed local and international driving talent yesterday (Friday), as the region's highly competitive Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East prepares to heat up the UAE for the final time this weekend. After back-to-back rounds in Dubai, drivers and their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars made their way to the capital to continue the exhilarating racing series. Marking the final round in the UAE this season in style, drivers will negotiate the full Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix circuit for the first time, handling 21 terrific turns over 5.54 km. With Season 8 shaping up to be the most tightly fought contest yet, every race, corner and second is vital to each drivers overall standing in the series. Facing the challenging Yas Marina Circuit and Formula 1 configuration, the races this weekend are a turning point in the season for all drivers. Saudi driver Bandar Alesayi will be focusing on claiming as many points this weekend as possible, as he continues his fight for the top spot in the silver category and edge closer to the top of the overall championship standings. Currently sitting only 7 points behind Omani driver Al Faisal Al Zubair, a strong performance this weekend could see him move into a very promising position ahead of the two remaining rounds in Bahrain. After finishing second on the podium here at the Abu Dhabi circuit in Season 7, Alesayi will be hoping to draw on his experience and knowledge of the track to gain an advantage over those competing here for the first time. Speaking ahead of Race 1 and after qualifying in 8th place on the grid, Bandar Alesayi said, "I have very high expectations for this weekend. Yas Marina Circuit is a track that I know well, my pace is usually very strong here compared to the other circuits, and I am hoping for a good result overall. "I felt good out on the track this morning and racing the full configuration makes a huge difference to me, it has a lot more technical turns which helps to keep the concentration high. I hope to get a good start in Race 1 and will be fighting for another overall podium spot and maximum points for the weekend." Walter Lechner, the owner of Lechner Racing, and founder and manager of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, is looking forward to seeing how the drivers react on the formidable track: "For a lot of the drivers here this weekend it is another new track for them to contest with, they have all been working hard to get used to the layout as quickly as possible. Yas Marina Circuit is always a challenging round, one of the highlights of the season and also one where the drivers tend to raise their game." Talking about the championship as it stands, Lechner added: "We are at a very interesting stage of the season, this weekend could determine which way the championship is going to go for the remaining rounds, Ryan Cullen could extend his lead out in front or we could see another surprise in results." Topping the championship standings and after extending his lead in Round 3 at Dubai Autodrome, Ryan Cullen will be hoping to put even more points between him and Qatar-based driver Charlie Frijns, who current sits in close second. With only 20 points separating drivers from third to sixth place, the addition of guest driver Charlie Eastwood, a Porsche Carrera Cup driver from the UK, will make securing maximum points in Abu Dhabi even tougher. The international grid of 17 drivers representing 12 different nationalities will be out in force this weekend. Professional, amateurs and rookie drivers from Ireland, Norway, Germany, Luxenberg, Sweden and Turkey will face stiff opposition from local drivers representing the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Fans can experience the action of Round 4 from the stands at Yas Marina Circuit on Feb. 10-11, 2017. Race 1 took place place under the lights at 6 p.m. yesterday (Friday), with Race 2 at the earlier time of 3.15 p.m. today (Saturday).
