Dubai Autodrome's national race weekend serves up a treat of enthralling track action
The UAE national race weekend came to a thrilling end on Saturday with some close finishes and heartbreak.
In an action packed day at the Dubai Autodrome, Lechner Racing Middle East Porsche – shared by Wolgang Triller and Charlie Frijns – won the NGK 3 Hour endurance race which is a prelude to next month’s Hankook 24H Dubai. The pair completed 81 laps in the allotted three hours.
Second place went to the GDL Team Asia Porsche shared by Keong Wee Lim and Aaron Lim Say Joon, who were two laps behind the leaders.
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There was heartache for Lim Keon Liam and Bruce Lee, at the wheel of a GDL Team Asia Mercedes SLS GT3, who started from pole position and led early on in the race but were forced to retire with the end in sight.
Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi, made his family proud by winning the MRF Challenge Race 4 of the weekend, beating Alessio Picariello by a second and with Nikita Troitcki in third. Tatiana Calderon and Nerses Isaakyan rounded out the top five.
Earlier in the day, in Race 3, Picariello took top honours ahead of second placed Troitcki, Fittipaldi in third, Calderon fourth and Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey, in fifth.
Look who is here!:) #AdrianNewey along with his son @Harrison_Newey! @redbullracing #MRFChallenge @Dubai_Autodrome pic.twitter.com/4aPSnXa0hx
— MRF Racing (@MRF_Racing) December 16, 2015
Romain Lutter and Loffredo Ludovic shared driving duties on their way to victory in the Radical Middle East Cup race, ahead of Julian Griffin who drove solo to second place as did third placed Sergey Shalunov. Friday’s winner Richard Ardolino finished fourth with Mikhail Makarovskiy in fifth.
Meanwhile, Jordan Oon was unbeatable all weekend in Formula Gulf 1000 winning on Friday and doing an encore, claiming victory by over seven seconds from Cato Poulsen in the runner-up spot and Mashur Bal Hejaila in third.
It concluded the first half of the 2015-2016 track season at Dubai Autodrome, with action set to resume when over 50 teams and more than 400 drivers descend on the venue for the Hankook 24H Dubai from January 14 to 16.
