Al Faisal ends campaign with 11th, 12th place finishes
MEXICO CITY (Mexico): Al Faisal al Zubair rounded off his inaugural Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup campaign with excellent 11th and 12th-placed finishes in the two races held in conjunction with the Mexican F1 Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.
The two impressive points-scoring finishes in Mexico City lifted the Omani into 14th place in the final driver rankings at the end of his first Super Cup and gives him a strong foundation on which to build his strategy to try and finish inside the top three in the Porsche Middle East Cup this coming winter.
“It was very good to end the season on such a positive note here in Mexico, especially after not so good qualifying,” said FZ Racing’s Al Faisal, who started both races from 17th positions. “Finishing P12 in race two and P11 in the first race was amazing and good points for the championship. We finished in 14th position in the championship.
“The target at the start of the season was to be in the top 15. Coming into this weekend, we were 17th and I knew I needed two strong results. Not only did I achieve my target, but I also improved more than I thought. I think it’s a really good way to end my first season in the Super Cup. It’s also a positive way to prepare for the start of the Middle East Championship.”
Germany’s Michael Ammermüller arrived in Mexico City with a threepoint lead in the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup standings over Norway’s Dennis Olsen and he extended that to five points heading into the final race after finishing second in the opening encounter behind the Australian Matt Campbell.
Second position in race two — again behind the Australian — was sufficient for the Bavarian to confirm the prestigious title for the Lechner MSG Racing Team.
Olsen started from pole but lost two positions on the opening lap. Campbell gained the lead and maintained that advantage from Ammermüller and Olsen through the subsequent laps, as Al Zubair consolidated 17th position before moving up to 14th through lap five.
The yellow flag was raised on lap seven after an incident involving Robert Lukas and Florian Latorre, who came together, and the incident was under investigation from race officials.
Al Zubair maintained 14th position at the restart on lap eight and a fascinating tussle ensued between Ammermüller and Olsen for second position behind Campbell.
Lukas spun out and Zaid Ashkanani spun on lap 10, as Campbell maintained his advantage ahead of the chasing group and Al-Zubair continued his progression through the field to 12th.