Jeffrey Schmidt to line up in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East
The last chequered flag has just fallen, but Jeffrey Schmidt’s season continues. While many of his fellow drivers have gone off on their winter break, the Swiss driver will line up with Team Al Nabooda Racing in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, as was officially announced by the team at a press conference. “I’m happy and proud to compete with Al Nabooda Racing,” said a delighted Jeffrey. “This is a great opportunity to rack up lots of kilometres on the racetrack over the winter.”
This will not be Jeffrey’s first appearance in the Middle East. The Swiss driver gained valuable experience with the Porsche Cup racing car last winter, acting as a driver coach and benchmark driver in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. The 21-year-old did a superb job of implementing experience gained during 2015 in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Formula 1 support series and in the Porsche Carrera Cup, in which he secured two wins and third place in the championship.
The Swiss driver will now contest his first full season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, and working with Al Nabooda Racing almost guarantees success; Al Nabooda not only runs the largest Porsche centre in the world but also the most successful team in the history of the racing series. Over the past three years, the team has won the team championship twice, finishing the 2014/15 season second overall.
The seventh season of this Porsche one-make cup kicks off from 19th to 21st November 2015 at the Bahrain International Circuit. Racetracks in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are also on the programme before the grand season finale is held back in Bahrain, March 4th-5th, 2016. Two championship races will be contested at each of the six race weekends.
Schmidt’s team-mate at Al Nabooda Racing will be Zaid Ashkanani. The Kuwaiti secured the drivers’ title in 2013/14 and was runner-up last year. The Swiss driver and his team-mate will contest the season’s twelve races in a brand new Porsche GT3 Cup racing car, which is the perfect combination as far as K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles, is concerned: “With Jeffrey and Zaid, we have the strongest driver pairing since the team was first founded. We are optimistic about the upcoming season and believe that they can win both team and drivers’ titles.”
Jeffrey is starting the season with precisely that objective in mind. “Obviously, I don’t enter any series just to compete. I aim to win and ultimately secure the championship,” said Jeffrey. “I have a lot of experience with Porsche and love the GT3 Cup car’s performance, but our main objective is to win the team championship again for Al Nabooda Racing, and I intend to do that along with Zaid.”
The 2015/16 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East race schedule:
19th – 21st November, 2015 Bahrain International Circuit
04th – 05th December, 2015 Reem International Circuit
22nd January, 2016 Yas Marina Circuit
29th – 30th January, 2016 Dubai Autodrome
19th February, 2016 Dubai Autodrome
04th – 05th March, 2016 Bahrain International Circuit
