Qatar-based driver Charlie Frijns claimed victory in the second race of Round 2 of Season 8 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at the Dubai Autodrome with a near perfect performance. Both drivers from Saudi Arabia enjoyed podium finishes in the second race of the weekend, Bander Alesayi turned a disappointing start to Round 2 Saturday around with a win in the Silver Category. While young protégé Mohammad Al-Saud experienced his first podium finish of the championship, finishing third in the new Porsche GCC Rookie category. Speaking after the race Bander Alesayi said: "I am very pleased with the win in my category after Saturday's result, and I will continue to build on my position in the championship as we move into the New Year." Mohammad Al-Saud said: "I feel amazing after today's result. My first podium finish of the season and I am pleased considering this is my first time driving on the track." At the front of the grid and after waiting three years to win his first race, Frijns returned to the top step of the podium for the second time in the opening four races of Season 8. The Doha-resident started in race from pole position and dominated from the front of the grid to cross the line and take the chequered flag by the significant margin of 6.137 seconds ahead of Britain's Tom Oliphant who finished second. Championship contender and winner of the previous day's race in Dubai, Ryan Cullen of Ireland held onto the final place on the podium in third, managing to keep rival Dylan Pereira of Luxembourg at bay behind. Pereira finished fourth with UAE-based driver Bashar Mardini continuing to improve across his debut season in eighth position. For fans the second race in as many days in Dubai more than made up for the disappointment of the opening race which featured the deployment of the safety-car. The second race was clean and showcased Porsche GT3 Cup racing at its very best, delivering for fans the high-octane action that the region's most professional series has become known for. Just outside the main podium the top six positions were completed by Pereira fourth, Saudi Arabia's Bandar Alesayi in fifth and rookie star Al-Faisal Al-Zubair of Oman in sixth. Over the last two days Dubai has welcomed one of the biggest grids in the history of the series thanks to a host of fresh new faces making their full debut. Almost half of the drivers, to line up at the Autodrome were completely new to the grid, marking an exciting new chapter for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.
