Al Zubair to race in Porsche Supercup after FZracing launch

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  • Big dreams: Oman racer Al Faisal Al Zubair (2nd l).

    Oman speedster Al Faisal Al Zubair’s red-hot career is set to go global after he used Tuesday’s launch of FZracing to announce his participation in the prestigious 2017 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

    Al Zubair, 19, will hit the track for the first time in the eight-race series which shadows part of the Formula One circuit on May 12, during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. He has rapidly ascended to this point after he claimed both the GCC Rookie and Silver championship titles in his debut season competing for the 2016/17 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

    Such auspicious displays convinced Walter Lechner, founder of Lechner Racing in 1975 and patriarch of the current Supercup champions, to bring the rising star under his umbrella as part of Lechner Racing Middle East.

    Speaking to Sport360° in his hometown of Muscat, Al Zubair could not wait to get started in Barcelona.

    He said: “Mentally and physically, I’m better than I’ve ever been. I’ve been running a lot, going to the gym a lot.

    “We’ve tested in Barcelona and I’ve had the Porsche Middle East experience. I’m very, very excited to start racing.”

    He added: “This is going to be a huge challenge for me and a big learning curve. It feels amazing to be on the right path to my dreams and I can’t wait for the first round to start.”

    Al Zubair finished fifth in the overall Middle East standings, helped along by a maiden victory in the support race for the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix last month. He also ended up second and seventh at the Dubai Autodrome in January.

    These results validated the decision to move away from single-seaters after a spell in British Formula Three. The Supercup will now see both his FZracing and native Oman gain wider exposure.

    “This is definitely one of the most important days for my racing,” said Al Zubair, who is also completing his A-Level education in London.

    “Basically, this is to set the targets for where my goals are when coming back to the Porsche Middle East next year – it sets the record straight.”

    A huge step-up in class awaits in a competition from which a top-15 finish in the standings has been targeted. But Lechner believed Al Zubair has the raw talent to prevail.

    He said: “Al Faisal is a perfect example of what the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East stands for.

    “I’m excited to see how Al Faisal will perform but there is no doubt that this is going to be a very challenging experience for him.”

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