Formula BMW Asia Thrills the Crowds in Bahrain as Al Khalifa Takes Victory.
Sakhir, Bahrain - The Formula BMW Asia field gave Bahraini motor racing
fans a taste of what is to come this season with an extraordinary 10-lap
opening round which saw local hero Salman Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-
Rain), 23, take victory after a brilliant drive. Series newcomer Charlie-
Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus), 19, impressed in his very first outing
coming in second, while BMW Junior, Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus), 20,
took the final podium spot, both of whom are Rookie Cup entrants.
A jubilant Al Khalifa was thrilled with his well-deserved win: "To win a
race you have to keep your concentration and stay away from mistakes. I
hadn't realised that I was able to concentrate that hard for that long, and
now I understand how crucial this element of racing is."
Charlez, who sat in the Formula BMW for the first time only yesterday, was
pleased to be on the podium and will definitely be one to watch this
season, while Patrizi downplayed his disappointment at finishing third
having led the race several times.
Al Khalifa didn't have the best start from pole, and Patrizi was alongside
him almost immediately. The Australian youngster took Al Khalifa on the
inside of turn one, and the battle commenced, with the Bahraini piling on
the pressure as Patrizi tried to build up a margin. Lap four saw Al
Khalifa regain the lead after a skilled and superbly-executed overtaking
manoeuvre, but the situation was dramatically reversed when he was
pressured into a mistake and Patrizi reclaimed the lead, opening up a two
second gap.
Patrizi looked comfortable to take the win, but Al Khalifa held on and,
when the Team Meritus driver made an error on lap seven, victory in Round 1
was his.
It was a successful day for local drivers and Hamed Al Fardan (Team
Meritus) took fourth place after an eventful drive, which saw him almost
airborne after taking an excursion over a kerb. He also set the fastest
lap of the race, adding to the pride of local supporters.
In the Rookie Cup, 15-year-old Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) put in an
impressive performance to finish third behind Charlez and Patrizi.
Round 2 of Formula BMW Asia will be held tomorrow morning (Sunday, April 3)
at the 5.4km Bahrain International Circuit.
-bmw.asia-
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