Abu Dhabi: Team Abu Dhabi's Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup driver, Khalid Al Qubaisi, notched up his first competitive points this weekend in Barcelona, as his teammate, Britain's Sean Edwards, was denied victory after being penalised for a technical infringement.
The 33-year-old Emirati, who made his top-tier racing debut in last November's Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season finale at Yas Marina Circuit, put in a good display to finish 14th with a combined time of 27:10.851 — just over 30 seconds off the winning pace in the series' third round gaining two championship points.
"It was a great race for me. The start was perfect. Throughout the race I most of all tried to hold the speed and keep out of the collisions in front of me. I am very confident and absolutely happy. I was able to reduce the gap to the front constantly during the weekend," said Al Qubaisi, who broke into motorsports 14 years ago via karting in the UAE.
Bittersweet
However, it was a bittersweet afternoon for Al Qubaisi's teammate Edwards who, after clocking the day's fastest lap-times, was ruled to have caused an accident with fellow challenger and 2009 champion, Jeroen Bleekemolen — a penalty which cost him 25 seconds, dropping him to 12th.
Edwards' obvious disappointment was quickly allayed by the team's backer Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). "This is what the sport is all about — the ability to deal with set-backs and move on to future triumphs," said Ahmad Hussain, Deputy Director General, ADTA.
Edwards, nicknamed the ‘Rain Man' for his wet surface driving skills, was pragmatic: "We had a captivating fight in the race, which was great, and it was a shame that I collided with Jeroen, but he didn't leave any room. Unfortunately, my tyres lost grip, as I pushed a bit too early in the race. I have to accept this decision and now concentrate on preparing for the next race," said the 23 year old.
