The three UAE drivers from the H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Racing Drivers Academy, Hasher Maktoum, Mohammed Al Kamda and Faisal Al Redha, had a strong start to the Formula Campus Race Meeting in the Free Practice and Qualifying sessions.
The second Race Meeting started on Friday on the 3.1 km Ledenon Circuit in the French city of Nimes. The UAE drivers continued their remarkable progress and demonstrated good results.
In the free practice session Faisal Al Redha succeeded in setting an impressive 3rd fastest time that was only 0.6 seconds slower than the pole setter. Mohammed Al Kamda made good use of his track time to post the 11th fastest time of the session while Hasher Al Maktoum could not manage better than 17th.
Saturday witnessed two very closely contested qualifying sessions. In the first session Faisal was sixth, Mohammed was 11th and Hasher 17th. In the second session the UAE team managed to get better results as two of the three drivers were in the top 10 positions. Faisal was fourth quickest followed by Mohammed in 9th position while Hasher was 17th.
“We witnessed a great fight in the qualifying sessions. Fourth place is my best result so far and I am very happy with that. We are training very hard and our results are improving gradually. I am very confident about tomorrow’s race and hope I can give my country the first win.” said Faisal Al Redha. Besides the good performance, the had another reason to celebrate. It was hasher Al Maktoum’s 21st birthday and the Formula Campus drivers celebrated the event at the diner of the Ledenon circuit.
The H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Racing Drivers Academy, the first of its kind in the UAE aims to select and train young UAE drivers and give them the ability to race and compete at the highest international level. It will deliver a comprehensive approach to educating and training UAE nationals and provide them with all the training and support to enhance their racing skills.
LA FILIERE organises the French Formula Campus Renault Elf championship, with 7 weekend meetings and 14 races. This championship will start in mid April and finishes in October.
About the Dubai Autodrome
Dubai Autodrome is the region's first fully integrated motor and motorsports facility. The Autodrome is a state-of-the-art complex featuring an FIA sanctioned 5.39 km track, ultra-modern 7,000-seat grandstand, hospitality suites for corporate guests and parking for up to 10,000 cars. There are six track permutations, while three can work simultaneously, which gives unparalleled options for track users.
The complex, which is a part of the Union Properties development MotorCity, includes a racing & driving school, a CIK-approved go-kart track and is ideal for concerts and corporate entertainment. Dubai Autodrome also acts as a social destination and tourist attraction for overseas visitors.
