24H Dubai: Participation is already a success 🎥
CHANGES IN PLANS Not every one of the 50 or so teams named can take part in the Dubai 24 Hours this week as planned. Due to Covid 19 cases, TCR defending champion Autorama also had to reschedule. As in the teaser, there will be plenty of cars on the track, but few spectators in the grandstands because of the Corona measures. The 16th edition of the endurance race at the Persian [...]
As in the teaser, there will be many cars on the track, but only a small audience in the stands because of the Corona measures.
The 16th edition of the endurance race on the Persian Gulf traditionally marks the start of the 24H Series season. For the participating teams and drivers from all over the world - around 250 from 33 nations are expected - this race takes place under difficult conditions.
As in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, where practically the only FIA championship races outside Europe have taken place in recent weeks and months (Formula 1, 2, 3 and WEC), those arriving do not have to go into quarantine, but they do have to show negative corona tests before they are tested again on the spot for their state of health. And if a test is positive, they are put into isolation.
Two Swiss replace Italians sick with Corona
Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing, for example, learned that this could force some teams to change their plans. Two of the scheduled Italian drivers - Jelmini and Ferri - had to pull out due to Corona infections. Two of the mechanics who had arrived by Monday also showed symptoms and will have to be replaced at short notice.
Team boss Stefan Tanner acted quickly and found two drivers who, until a few days ago, had no idea of their good fortune to be competing in Dubai. Dario Stanco is the son of Tanner's former team partner, and Reto Baumann is a Swiss resident in the USA.
Like a Swiss national team
With Jasmin Preisig, Miklas Born, Yannick Mettler, returnee Jérôme Ogay and newcomer Gustavo Xavier, five more Swiss drivers will be on the defending champions' team. Mettler and probably Born as well will be fielding two of the three Volkswagen Golf GTI TCRs from Wetzikon. Tanner will not make the exact allocation until Wednesday after the test drives.
The TCR category in Dubai is similarly strong as the GT3 class, which is competing for overall victory. The main opponents of Autorama Motorsport, who celebrated a sensational debut in the Emirate two years ago with victory and the subsequent title win, include the compatriots of Topcar Sport, in addition to two or three Benelux teams.
Reinforcement for Bern Cupra team
Because the new Leon Competición, which has been in Uetendorf for some time, was by no means convincing with reliability in several private test sessions, the Bernese continue to rely on the Cupra TCR, which is actually getting on in years. Co-team owner Ronny Jost, Fabian Danz (European Champion 2019), Adrian Spescha and the German Patrick Sing receive driving reinforcement from the previous VW factory driver Benjamin Leuchter.
For Jost, this is the fulfillment of a long-cherished wish.
Ronny Jost: "Beni and I have been friends for years, but it never worked out that we would ever drive together. Following Volkswagen Motorsport's withdrawal, Leuchter remains a development driver and ambassador, but is allowed to drive other in-house brands such as Cupra."
Only one championship left
In contrast to the Corona year 2020, Topcar intends to start all races of the 24H Series 2021 with Danz as spearhead. After Dubai (and the 6H Abu Dhabi on January 22/23, which does not count towards the championship), this includes six events in Europe that have proven their worth in the past plus, as a new finale, a 24-hour race at Sebring (USA) in mid-November.
Unlike since 2018, there is also only one championship, to which all races minus one strike result count. The title 24H Series Champion of the Continents is awarded to the winning team from the GT and TCE categories with the higher number of points.
The 2021 24H Series championship calendar is unveiled in this action-packed teaser.
Three Swiss with ambitions for overall victory
Two GT3 teams with Swiss line-ups are also contenders for overall victory in Dubai. After a year with Audi Team WRT from Belgium, Rolf Ineichen returns to Lamborghini and Team Grasser Racing, as does Italian Mirko Bortolotti. The 24H Dubai is still missing from the Italian brand's palmarès.
After a one-season break, Adrian Amstutz is back in the mix. The former Blancpain Am champion previously drove for a British Lambo team and won with his Lucerne Canton colleague seven years ago in the Stadler Motorsport Porsche.
Daniel Allemann also knows how to win this marathon. The man from Solothurn also has the same teammates as in 2017 in the form of Germans Alfred and Robert Renault as well as Ralf Bohn. Herberth Motorsport is fielding no fewer than three Porsche 911 GT3-Rs and hopes to repeat this success in this way, having won several times at other tracks since then.
Live on the Internet
The 24 Hours of Dubai 2021 will start on Friday, January 15, at 3 p.m. local time (12 p.m. Swiss time). The entire race and the action on the practice days can be followed from January 14 in the livestream on the homepage and on Youtube. Livetiming will also be offered.
