Alders stretches lead; Qubaisi dominates Masters category

Giti Tire completed its inaugural Middle East tour at the world-famous Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit as Dutch driver Joey Alders built up a 48-point lead over Jack Doohan after the weekend leg of Formula 3 Asian Championship.

Six more races remain in the series which encourages development of top young talent from all around the world, as Giti strives to “Power Up Tomorrow’s Racing Leaders” for Formula 2 and even F1 action in their future.

In Dubai last week, the F3 action was disrupted by highly unusual heavy rain, bringing out Giti’s rain tires and presenting the ultimate challenge of overcoming water and sand conditions on the track.

Abu Dhabi brought much more positive conditions, with the pristine Yas Marina track complimented by the mild and comfortable Middle East winter weather.

“I just wanted to finish and bring it home for the team. It’s good points to extend the gap in the championship and keep building from there,” said Alders after his Dubai races concluded during his successful Middle East action.

Abu Dhabi Racing’s UAE driver Khaled Al Qubaisi continued his impressive championship in the Masters category, by taking class wins in both races to round out the week with a perfect score of three pole-to-flag victories.

“It’s amazing! I really didn’t expect it to be so much fun and so exciting. The track here in Abu Dhabi is amazing, the competition is really, really great. You can learn a lot. Every session I go out, every lap, I’m learning more”, commented Qubaisi after one of his victories.

Alders now has a 48-point lead over Doohan, but Mazepin is now just a single point behind the latter. Competition for the Team title is also heating up, with BlackArts Racing retaining the lead but Pinnacle Motorsport now just 34 points behind and Hitech Grand Prix in third.

The battle for the 2020 F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA title — and all-important super license points — continues next month at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit with Races 10 to 12 on Feb.14-15.

Meanwhile, the Monster Energy Emirates Drift Championship 2020 returns to Yas Marina Circuit on Jan.24 as some of the world’s most talented Drift drivers compete in the first of three rounds of race action to see who will be crowned champion.

This year’s event will feature a host of talented drivers from all around the globe as they bid to come out on top in an event which tests their abilities in a unique way.

Motorsport fans attending the event will notice a new twist to the overall format, with the Monster Energy Emirates Drift Championship 2020 featuring two classes - Pro-Am and Pro.

The Pro-Am category is aimed at beginners who are attempting to improve their all-round abilities in the event, while the Pro class will feature a twin-battle knockout tournament as the best drivers in the business go head-to-head out on the track.

A top-class line-up is set to feature the likes of last year’s winner, Ahmad Daham, along with 2019 runner-up, Sh. Sultan al Qassimi. Haitham Alhadidi, a Jordanian driver who finished third last year, will also be involved, with competition bolstered by the inclusion of Dany Neville, Saudi-based Nicholos Solomon and Sh. Khalifa Sultan al Nahyan.

Neville, a Monster Energy athlete, may be familiar to some race fans in attendance due to the fact he is also a DJ and hosts a regular show on Virgin Radio DXB.

With so many brilliant drivers involved, and competition for the title set to be tight, the Monster Energy Emirates Drift Championship 2020 is shaping up to be a must-watch event at the world’s most iconic circuit.

Yas Marina Circuit will play host to all three rounds of this year’s event, with the second taking place on Friday 28 February, before the third and final round of action, when the winner will be crowned, is held on March 21.