Dubai: Two-time Dubai champions Duller Motorsport look unlikely title defenders as Proton Competition took the lead in the Toyo Tires 24-Hour Dubai endurance race was flagged off at the Dubai Autodrome on Friday.
The Australian entered VIP Pet Foods Porsche RSR took pole position in Thursday's qualifying. And as the lights turned green they immediately came under attack from the Oktanas Racing Team Porsche and the Proton Competition Porsche who set the early pace and gradually pulled away in tandem at the head of the field from the VIP Pet Foods car.
The Austria-based Duller Motorsport, meanwhile, have travelled without their race-winning car and this has put them in an awkward position in starting the defence of their crown.
Amazing victory
"The new car is not as good as the champion race car that we have come without this year," admitted Dieter Quester, one of the team drivers.
"If we look at things seriously, I would say that it is going to be very difficult and perhaps nearly impossible to finish first for the third straight year," Quester stated.
Duller Motorsport snatched an amazing victory to make it two out of two at the same venue last year edging out perennial leaders Konrad Motorsport at the very end of the day-long race.
The performance of the new car reflected during qualifying on Thursday when they ended in 16th place, nearly eight seconds adrift of top qualifiers Proton Competition in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR.
