Spa, Belgium: Team Abu Dhabi's Sean Edwards was in commanding form at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, snatching his first Porsche Mobile 1 Supercup win in emphatic fashion.
Having qualified in pole, the 23-year-old Briton threw down the gauntlet to the chasing pack. From the start, Edwards made light work of the legendary 7-kilometre high-speed Spa-Francorchamps track, which is notorious for its limited overtaking opportunities and sharp corners, including the famous ‘Eau Rouge', a blind curve which tests driver courage to near breaking point.
Rain-drenched
As cool as the overcast weather, Abu Dhabi's wet-track specialist was clearly at home on the rain-drenched circuit, finishing a dominating seven seconds ahead of second placed and current series leader, Rene Rast of Germany.
"Before the race, I was sure we would win, it was all about sticking to our strategy. The whole team did a great job.
"When you start with a perfect car from pole position, the rest is easy," joked Edwards, nicknamed the ‘Rain Man'.
Edwards originally won the Barcelona leg in May, only to fall foul of a harsh time penalty which cost him victory.
He snatched second place in Budapest earlier in the month, and was eager to take a win before the season wraps up in Monza, Italy on September 12.
Tough test
The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed team's rising Emirati star, Khaled Al Qubaisi, was less comfortable on the slippery Spa-Francorchamps, and despite not adding to his five-strong championship points haul, the 34-year-old put in a steady display to finish 23rd.
"I knew the track from testing and my time in the Porsche Sports Cup and it was always going to represent a big challenge. Spa is a very difficult track.
"It didn't help that I am still getting used to these mixed weather conditions. Other than that, I am ok with my performance.
"For me, the most important thing is to finish and gain more experience," added Al Qubaisi, who is contesting his debut season in the world's most exclusive one-make car series.
