German Karim Al Azhari wins first round of TRD 86 Cup

German driver Karim Al Azhari emerged champion of the inaugural TRD 86 Cup at the Yas Marina Circuit on Friday.

Ten UAE-based drivers lined up on the grid in the first ever, homegrown championship.

Al Azhari crossed the finish line in first place, pipping Emirati Shihab Al Faheem to ensure that race one of the opening round of the TRD 86 Cup was a tense affair.

It was not an easy win for Al Azhari, who started from pole position and completed the eight laps of the race in 22 minutes and 12.538 seconds, taking the chequered flag ahead of Al Faheem by just 0.576 seconds.

Dutchman Tom Verkooijen took third place, a great placement for the self-confessed 'rookie driver'.

Later that day, the drivers were back on track for race two, with the grid reversed from race one.

Continuing their earlier battle, competition was fierce between Karim Al Azhari and Shihab Al Faheem.

Following a head-to-head battle, first and second was a mirror image of race one, with Al Azhari storming through the field to claim his second victory of the day in 22 minutes and 07.368 seconds, again just beating Al Faheem by  the smallest of margins – a mere 0.579 seconds.

“It’s been a wonderful day of motor racing and I’m just so happy to have claimed the top spot in round one of the TRD 86 Cup,” said Al Azhari after the race. “The organisation of the event was first class, very professional and I’m just pleased to have the opportunity to race here. This was a very special day for me and my team.”

Runner up Al Faheem was delighted with his second place on the podium: “My weekend has been fantastic and very enjoyable. I am glad I finished round one of the TRD 86 Cup on the podium despite it being a very tough competition.”

Iranian driver Sam Taheri placed third in race two, with Dutchman Tom Verkooijen claiming the fourth spot. The finish order for the rest of the pack included Emirati drivers Ahmed Al Milaihi, Farhan Al Bastaki and Ahmed Junaibi, Sultan Al Rahoomi and Lebanese Edy Saaiby, while Indian Shibin Yousaf was forced to retire from the race early with only two laps remaining.

Speaking from the race, Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit, said: “Through our Yas Motor Racing Club, we wanted to bring an affordable and accessible motor racing series to motorsport enthusiasts in the community.

“It was great to see such exciting racing.  The drivers seemed to have the time of their lives and that’s what this championship is all about.”

Also running at Yas Marina Circuit was the Gulf 12 Hours endurance race. Formula 1 fans in the crowd were treated to the sight of former racing star Heikki Kovalainen walking the starting grid, his first visit to the circuit since 2011, when he drove for the Lotus F1 team.

Other exciting additions to the fourth edition of the Gulf 12 Hours included McLaren debuting its new GT 650S GT3, as well as Jorge Lorenzo, MotoGP World Champion in 2010 and 2012, joining Ferrari (Kessle Racing), who would unwittingly decide the winner later in the day.

The race lived up to its billing as a dramatic spectacle of glamour. A last-minute safety car episode, after Lorenzo spun his Ferrari 458 GT3 in the second round, forced a restart and this incident decided the course of the race.

Michele Rugolo, driving the AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT3, took advantage of the melee and drove hard to win after a total of 315 laps, claiming the chequered flag by a whisker, only 3.058 seconds ahead of second placed Bernd Schneider.

Schneider drove relentlessly to finish second for the incumbent champions, Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 team.

Schneider’s teammates were Khaled Al Qubaisi and Jeroen Bleekemolen. He drove over the finish line only 2.683 seconds ahead of Kevin Estre from Von Ryan Racing, who was driving the McLaren 650S along with teammates Alvaro Parente and Rob Bell.

Following the launch of the TRD 86 Cup race fans can now keep up with all the action on Yas TV, a new motorsport channel dedicated to following local motorsport. From December 15 you can view highlights from the weekend’s racing on Yas TV https://www.youtube.com/YasMarinaCircuit

For more information of the TRD 86 Cup, please visit: www.yasmarinacircuit.com or call 800 YAS (927).

To receive privileged discounts, make sure you register with the Yas Motor Racing Club by visiting https://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/en/motorsport/become-a-yas-club-member

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