Dubai: Al Nabooda Racing’s Clemens Schmid is looking to extend his lead at the top of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East drivers’ standings in the penultimate double-header of the season at Dubai Autodrome next weekend.
The Austrian leads the series on 190 points, six points clear of Zaid Ashkanani, with five wins, two second-place finishes and one fourth-place finish in eight of the 12 rounds to date.
Along with teammate Ahmad Al Harthy, Schmid recently also regained control of the team standings, where they stand eight points clear of Sky Dive Dubai Falcons.
“The competition is intense this season and both championships will be decided in the last race of the season,” said Schmid. “Right now it’s a great feeling to back on top again as a team, but we can’t afford to relax. We still have to push hard to stay there, but everyone in the team believes that first place is where we belong.
“I’m really looking forward to Dubai and hope that I can drive at my best and win both races. It’s very important for me to win there. From the team’s point of view we will be up against it because the Skydive Dubai guys know the circuit as well as anyone and are performing well. “But Ahmad is looking for a strong performance and together we’re aiming high.
“The target must be to get 48 points from each race with first and second places in both, but that will be very tough to achieve and we’ll be very happy with around 40. I really like the circuit and its a tricky layout. You need to find a good compromise between the fast and the slow corners. I think it’s the nicest track in the Middle East to drive. It’s our home circuit and the team expects a big performance from us. But I don’t feel under any extra pressure. I’m really confident that I can extend my lead in Dubai.”
The 12-stage series wraps up in Bahrain on April 18-19.
