ABU DHABI: Oman’s Al Faisal al Zubair will take his first steps into the world of endurance racing when he joins the HTP Motorsport operation to take part in this weekend’s ninth edition of the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The two-time former winner of the Porsche BWT GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East has been a front-runner in the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup all season and fancied a new challenge with his maiden assault at the esteemed Gulf 12 Hours.
Al Zubair said: “I am really excited to get the race weekend underway for the 12 Hours. I think we have a good line-up. The car is good and the team is strong. This will be my first race, so I cannot have too many expectations. I have never been in an endurance race and I have never raced this car. It will not be easy. But I am up for the challenge and I am excited that I can get a good result on my debut.”
HTP Motorsport is based out of Altendiez in the German Rheinland and has vast experience in numerous racing disciplines, including FIA GT and GT3 and ADAC F4 and GT Masters.
Al Faisal will join forces with Maximilian Gotz and Yelmer Burrman in a three-man team at the helm of a Mercedes GT3 AMG.
Gotz, 33, is an experienced endurance racer and has taken part in numerous races since joining HTP Motorsport in 2012, including wins at the 24 Hours of Spa, the 1000km at the Nurburgring and the Blancpain Sprint series.
Thirty-two-year-old Buurmann hails from the Netherlands and started out in Formula racing. He was third in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2013 and second in the FIA GT1 Championship the previous year. He has achieved outright victories in those categories, in addition to finishing second at the 2013 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
The race has attracted a provisional entry of 34 teams from as far afield as Germany, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, France, Slovakia, Georgia and the GCC.
After a briefing on Thursday morning, the action gets underway with three hours of permitted practice from 17.00hrs.
Three further short practice sessions will be permitted for the team drivers from 09.30hrs on Friday morning, before each of the three team drivers take part in their own 15-minute qualifying sessions between 1700hrs and 18.15hrs.
The actual endurance race is split into two six-hour sections on Saturday (December 14) with part one starting at 09.30hrs and the second half getting underway at 17.30 with the chequered flag scheduled for 23.30hrs.
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