Poulsen fights from back to become UAE Formula Gulf 1000 champion
The young Dane overcame an incident-packed final round at Dubai Autodrome to win the Formula Gulf title in style
Dubai: Cato Poulsen is the UAE’s new Formula Gulf 1000 champion after he wrapped up a dominant year in an incident-packed final round at Dubai Autodrome on Friday.
After setting the fastest time in qualifying, the Danish driver started Round 13 from pole position alongside Campos Racing's 17-year old Gulhuseyn Abdullayev.
At the start, Baltazer Leguizamon made a barrelling dive down the inside from the back row into turn one. Leaving his breaking impossibly late he veered left at high speed and into Poulsen, who was pushed into Abdullayev, with both drivers forced into immediate retirement.
The lead was picked up by local driver Saeed Bintouq, who was kept honest by the close attention of young Italian racer Giulio Peroni. Leguizamon, who had sustained no damage to his car, managed re-join in third place. However Saudi driver Omar Gazzaz was having none of it and gave chase, overtaking the F4 Sudamerica Championship leader for third in the closing laps.
Leguizamon was excluded from the race results by the officials for causing a collision and failing to serve a drive-through penalty.
With his car repaired and ready for the final race of the season, Poulsen lined up on the grid in last position.
Cato Poulsen, third right, is flanked by Omar Gazzaz and Guilio Peroni
Abdullayev seized the lead immediately closely followed by Bintouq, Gazzaz, Peroni, with Leguizamon and Poulsen remaining within striking distance.
Poulsen’s rebuild had clearly not had an adverse effect on the car as he showed his championship-winning traits by working through to the lead by lap seven.
Abdullayev made an unforced error on lap 11 as he tried to pass Bintouq from third place going into the Club Link. The off left Bintouq in second with Gazzaz having to go on the defensive ahead of his rival Peroni for the Vice Championship position.
Leguizamon would finish fourth ahead of Peroni.
As a result of his championship win, Poulsen will test a Campos Racing Dallara Formula 3 car in Valencia, where he will be trained on their GP2 simulator. Omar Gazzaz has been invited to be a VIP guest of Gulf Oil International at the 2016 24 Heures Du Mans in June.
