ABU DHABI — Saudi Falcons and reigning champion Abdulaziz Turki Al-Faisal won the 3rd and 4th rounds of the Porsche Cup Challenge Middle East on a day that saw two qualifying sessions and 2 races. The tight schedule brought up a new challenge and put added pressure on the drivers to maximize their efforts in a bid to finish high up the ladder. Abdulaziz took the challenge head-on. He scored two wins in style, forcing his main rival, Nabooda Racing's Clemens Shmidt to commit several mistakes in both races. Abdulaziz remained in control in both the races and scored 50 points to cap an epic weekend. Abdulaziz now leads the standings with 94 points followed by Shmidt on 78. Round 3 saw a massive fight between Abdulaziz and Shmidt up until the 12th lap where Shmidt dropped back due to a gearbox problem. Abdulaziz finished first ahead of Shmidt's teammate Karim Azhari and Kuwait's Zaid Ashkanani. Abdulaziz's teammate Faisal Binladen finished 6th, scoring 14 valuable points. Those points helped the team claim the team winner's trophy and brought them closer to the top of the championship standings. Round 4 began after a 3-hour rest, analysis and preparation. Abdulaziz started from the pole and remained in control throughout the race. Abdulaziz again forced his competitor Shmidt to commit mistakes and drift further behind. Abdulaziz scored another win of the day to close a successful weekend. Binladen finished 8th. Red Bull Athlete Abdulaziz was satisfied with the team's performance. He said: “We won both races and lead the championship. I will try hard to reclaim the crown. “I believe my participation in the races like Le Mans and the 24 hours of Dubai helped me improve a lot and gave a push to do better in such races,” he said, adding: “We know that the championship is still young and we should keep our focus on the bigger picture, since new competitors are battling for the top spot. I hope I can win both Dubai rounds next week.” Binladen was happy for Abdulaziz. He believes that time will help him improve and he wishes to have a better weekend in Dubai. — SG
