Dubai: Atef Al Barwani edged teammate and nearest rival Ali Al Mansouri to win the 2015 Sodi World Series Ramadan Challenge in a tiebreak at Dubai Kartdrome on Monday.
Al Barwani was ahead of Al Mansouri by just three points heading into the dramatic season decider but, after Al Mansouri came fourth in the final and Al Barwani sixth, they finished the series level on 169 points apiece, prompting the tiebreak, which Al Barwani won by virtue of higher finishes over the entire four-stage series.
Both qualified to the final after the four heats saw 44 drivers battle it out for 24 places. Also at the sharp end of proceedings were Rami Azzam, Piers Pakenham-Walsh, Alexandre Silanine and Hussain Umid Ali.
From the start, those four drivers set the pace, with Al Barwani and Al Mansouri also in the mix. Early on there was little to separate the frontrunners, with the lead changing regularly. But around the half-way mark it was Azzam who started to edge away from the pack and stayed in front to take victory by almost four seconds.
Silanine was runner-up by quarter of a second from Pakenham-Walsh, but all eyes were on the title battle as Al Mansouri crossed the line in fourth, Umid Ali fifth and Al Barwani sixth.
“Finally it’s here after four years of waiting,” said Al Barwani. “This title has eluded me and it is one I have always wanted to win as it is a special time of the year for me. I dedicate the title to Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, who has made F3 Racing possible. I hope it’s the first of many for my team and I.”
Al Barwani won a fully funded UAE Rotax Max race meeting with Energy Kart Dubai and Al Mansouri earned a fully funded UAE Rotax Max race meeting with TonyKart UAE.
Meanwhile, Arnaud Bouf started the final with an 11-point lead over his closest rival in the SWS Masters Class and finished eighth overall on the night, top scoring in the category to seal the title ahead of Carsten Winter and third-placed Adrian Jones.
