Mahmoud Tannir feels a first win of the season in Dubai this weekend will give him the perfect confidence boost as he looks to get the defence of his UAE Sportbikes title off the ground.
Tannir’s start to the new season has been far from ideal after a crash in round one was followed by the second round being washed out by rain.
Round three takes place on Friday alongside the Dubai Motorsport Festival races, and the Lebanese rider is eager to take out his frustration on the Autodrome track.
“I wouldn’t say that I am going to be more aggressive than usual, but my mindset is very focused and I want only one thing and that is to win,” he said.
Despite crashing out in the very first race of his title defence, Tannir managed to claim second spot in the second race of the opening round.
Last year’s rookie champion Surya Raja seized an early lead in the championship with two wins and Tannir, winner of 12 of 14 races last season, accepts he may have a tougher challenge on his hands this time around.
But he said: “I think things will become clearer after the weekend. “At the moment I am not thinking about second place – I am only thinking about first.
“It will be good for confidence. The crash didn’t help but this is what we do. We need to get the ball rolling again with a win and that will give everyone in the team confidence.
“It will give everyone a psychological boost and give us all, including me, reason to look forward with optimism.”
Follow Tannir’s progress on his official Facebook page www.facebook.com/mahmoudtannirofficial.
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