2017 Hankook Dubai 24 Hours: Preview Practice and Qualifying

The twice around the clock desert classic, boasting a huge 93 car entry list for 2017 was set to be a hit. Stars of the racing world to be part of the annual season opener of the motorsport season….the Dubai 24hrs.

I am heading out to Dubai for the very first time, I’m really not sure what to expect but I can just tell you that I’m thoroughly excited to be travelling for the first of hopefully many Dubai 24 hour races…

The motorsport season doesn’t really have an off season anymore, a mere month ago racing was taking place just an hour away on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, but the 11h of January officially started the racing season with the beginning of the support races programme also from Creventic in the form of the 24H Protoseries. That gap used to be a few months now its just a few weeks due to the continual development of interest in motorsport around the world especially in countries like the UAE.

The 2017 Hankook Dubai 24 hours will mark the 12^th edition of this race. With every edition it has grown in stature to its pinnacle last year with a entry list of 100 cars. This years falls just shy with a 93 car entry list, all shipped weeks ago in shipping containers from Rotterdam arranged by Creventic the series organisers. Just because the entry list fell short of last years doesn’t mean the field is lacking in talent, from Ex Formula 1 drivers to a current Factory LMP1 and a former WEC champion making his GT3 drive debut.

Thursday was the first of the official practice sessions, two separate sessions for D1,A2,A3,CUP1, TCR & SP3-GT4 and the other for A6, SPX, SP2, 991 & 997, for those of you not familiar with the Creventic series these class names title the different specifications of race cars however put them all together and you achieve a large grid with a plethora of vehicles.

In the A6 Group Practice (effectively GT3) Mirko Bortolotti in the No.963 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 set quickest a time late in the session of 1:58.306 followed by Jeroen Bleekemolen just 0.581 seconds behind and the Optimum motorsports Audi R8 LMS taking third quickest overall.

Final Practice before qualifying and it’s all change once again, Manthey Racing set the pace in final free practice, Mattero Cairoli laid down a lap of 1:59.095 in the two hour long session, not quite beating Bortolotti’s FP1 time. Most consistant so far being Optimum motorsport with their Audi R8 LMS setting the 2^nd quickest time only 0.225 seconds slower than Cairoli.

Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini finished the top 3 followed by No.7 HB racing Lamborghini and Black Falcons Mercedes AMG GT3 rounding out the top 5. Going into qualifying, the Porsche is looking extremely strong, with the Lamborghini’s consistently being a the top for all open sessions and free practice sessions too. Dubai Being is a Mercedes stomping ground though so you cannot write off either of the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon Mercedes AMG GT3’s with the experience that team has. The final contender so far to me looks like Optimum Motorsport too, being in the top 5 in both FP sessions and the quickest Audi R8 LMS beating Last years team of WRT.

Qualifying

Qualifying like practice to make it fair for the drivers is split again in to 2 separate sessions to create space to actually set some real quick times. 5:15Pm local time on Thursday qualifying started in dusky conditions when the temperature’s begin to drop.

The Mercedes AMG GT3 of Team Abu Dhabi Black Falcon No.2 piloted by Jeroen Bleekemolen took pole with a time of 1:57.705, set very early in the session. No.963 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Hurracan GT3 will be second on the grid, down to Mirko Bortolotti’s 1:57.822.

Herberth Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R will be starting 3^rd, 4^th will be Optimum Motorsports Audi R8 LMS and rounding out the top 5 is Maro Engel with the Black Falcon No.3 AMG GT3 starting 5^th.

A6-AM pole position was taken by the No. 17 IDEC Sport Mercedes AMG GT3 who starts 16^th overall.

No.204 Vortex V8 claimed the SPX pole position with a time of 2:01.895 set by Arnaud Gomez and in the 991 class, Race:pro Motorsport took the pole Honours in their Porsche 911 GT3 cup car.

2pm Local time, 93 cars are set to take the Green flag for the 12^th edition of the Desert classic, one of the toughest endurance races in the Motorsports calendar…..