Dubai: Rashid Al Daheri, known as the ‘Little Alonso,’ scored a hat-trick of wins in the Bambino class during the prestigious O-Plate Race Day at the Dubai Kartdrome last weekend.
On a challenging day for drivers, with strong winds blowing and a slippery track due to dust, the young Emirati racing prodigy was the class of the Bambino field as the day progressed Al Daheri simply got faster and faster. In the first Time Trial his best lap was 1:21.715, which was over two seconds up on his closest rival.
An hour later in Time Trial 2 he went around in 1:18.971 which was nearly three seconds faster than the next best, and in the final Time Trial he went even quicker with a best lap of 1:17.867.
With the three wins on the day he did enough to take home the winner’s trophy for his efforts, adding the Dubai Kartdrome Bambino O-Plate Championship title to his portfolio. With the three wins on Friday, combined with the two wins he scored at the Kartdrome in January, young Al Daheri has extended his winning streak in Dubai to five wins out of five.
Al Daheri makes no secret of the fact that he wants to represent the UAE in Formula 1, and the fact that he races with a suit and helmet identical to his role model Fernando Alonso shows his single minded intent.
Speaking at the end of the day at the Kartdrome, father Ali Al Daheri said: “Rashid showed composure and a focused mind, to tackle the windy and slippery conditions. With this performance, Rashid ends the season with many victories despite being among the youngest drivers competing in the UAE Bambino class.”
“Rashid has already taken the first strides towards his dream and now he is preparing to take a big leap as soon as he turns six next month. He will be travelling to Italy to participate in the ultra-competitive Italian Championship. All this is a just reward for his dedicated training, passion and commitment to his dream,” Al Daheri senior added.
