Dubai is all set to enhance it's reputation as the sporting capital of the Middle East when the newly-formed Formula X championships makes its debut here in October.
Regout and De Poele, officials, technical staff and models with the prototype of the Formula X single seater. ©Gulf News |
Formula X will act as the stepping stone for up-and-coming drivers to make their way into international one-seater races like Formula 3, Formula 3000 or even endurance racing.
One of its unique advantages is that it easily converts a single seater car into a sports car in 30 minutes, which the organisers term as a 'Chameleon Car.'
The asset of Formula X is the quality/price ratio. A driver needs only to spend approximately $40,000 for a year, which is far less than the costs in comparison with the other series.
"Within that fee, Formula X will teach the techniques of driving race cars and handle all services pertaining to racing," explained Roy Homsi, General Manager, Middle East Sports Sponsorship.
"This will include handling Formula X cars, dealing with matters such as transportation, maintenance, tires, spare parts and gas in addition to providing necessary support in any country travelled to."
In Formula X, winning will be entirely dependent on the skills of the drivers as all the cars' specs are identical, with the same chassis and engines. Both the single seater, which is shaped like an F1 car, and the sports version, similar to Le Mans, have a four cylinder, two-litre, 200-horse-power engine in a 450-kilogramme car.
The cars, which are reliable, fast and rather easy to drive, can reach a speed of 0-100 in approximately four seconds and a maximum of 350 kilometres per hour.
Each Formula X race is of 45-minute duration with no pitstops.
Claude Chantala, Chairman, Formula X Group LLC, said: "The driver has to be totally dedicated to the task in hand."
The FIA International Formula X series consists of eight rounds, two of which are staged in one single track in order to be cost effective.
The first and the second rounds took place at Monza on May 8-9.
Japanese driver Shinsuke Yamazaki won the first round at Monza, while Frenchman Benjamin Poron clinched the top place in the second.
Dubai-based Lebanese-American Jean-Yves Mallat finished sixth and seventh respectively. However, his nine-point tally enabled him to take seventh spot in the overall standings.
The three other tracks to hold the races this year are Nurburgring on July 2-3, Silverstone on August 13-14 and Spa on September 11-12.
Apart from Dubai the Middle East series is likely to include Bahrain and Qatar, over six weekends from October.
Yesterday both prototypes cars were put to test by Eric van de Poele, a former F1 driver and multiple Le Mans champion, and Herve Regout in the shorter 2.6-km circuit of the Dubai Autodrome. It also marked the first time that a racing car has been tested at the Dubai Autodrome.
"Our objective is to discover a Middle East champion who will be internationally recognised as the first Arab to win a single seater motor racing championship and firmly place Dubai on the global motor-racing map," Bovy concluded.