QATAR – Saudi Falcons' reigning champion Abdulaziz Al-Faisal will be looking to close the gap at the top of the table after finishing second in Round 9 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at Losail International Circuit recently. After starting third on the 15-car grid, Abdulaziz moved up a spot in the first lap but could not close the gap on his rival Al-Nabooda Racings' Clemens Schmid, who produced a flawless race to claim his fifth win in a row. The win helped Schmid extend his lead by eight points over Al-Faisal in the overall standings. An optimistic Al-Faisal said he was confident of success in Round 10. He said: “I am pretty happy with my performance. I started third on the grid and finished second. Obviously you want to win the race, but there is plenty to play for in the coming rounds. I have the belief that I can turn things around, starting in Round 10.” The fight for supremacy began with the top two being separated by Lechner Racings' Markus Pommer, who started second on the grid, while Al-Faisal began Round 9 third. Teenage rookie Charlie Frijns was the surprise package of the qualifying rounds as he started fourth, pushing Saudi Falcons' Faisal Bin Laden into fifth spot with Kuwait's Zaid Ashkanani sixth. In an action-packed night-time race, where three drivers were forced out of the race in the first lap, Schmid was never threatened by either Al-Faisal or Pommer as he accelerated his lead with each lap and marched on to claim his seventh victory in nine rounds by 7.815 seconds. With the top two sorting themselves out, Pommer and Bin Laden were engrossed in a battle to claim the third podium position. Starting second, Pommer lost his position in the early stages to Bin Laden, but regained it at the halfway stage of the 12-lap race. The battle to complete the top-six was just as pulsating with Al-Nabooda Racings' Karim Al-Azhari, Bin Laden, Bahrain's Mohammed Mattar and Kuwait's Zaid Ashkanani battle for positions. After Round 9 of the championship, Clemens Schmid is on top with 203 points. He is followed by Abdulaziz Al-Faisal with 195 points, and Karim Al-Azhari with 161 points. – SG
