“The car was perfect and the setup was perfect, but not having the confidence in the beginning was tough. Believing that the car will turn and trusting that it will come back if it slides is key.”
Come race day number two then, Faisal had an entirely new ball game. The competitive stirrings had broken the surface, and focus was now on shaving lap times and soaking up mileage in the GT3 cup car. Fitness and stamina may need a bit of work he admitted, but clearly Bahrain was still unfinished business.
And could so easily have stayed that way.
In race two Faisal fluffed his start, rapidly dropping four places as a result. His chances had taken a heavy hit straight out of the box.
Or so the paddock thought. Remarkably – and the man himself has watched the video six times to make sure he’s not dreaming – Faisal would quickly regain those four places and take another for good measure. Having spent most of the first race re-acquainting himself with the brakes (and remembering that, actually, he did not have ABS), Faisal was on a march to the sharp end.
A march that saw him go one-on-one (briefly) with GT3 specialist Karim Al-Azhari. Though Faisal and Saudi Falcons Racing would eventually give best to Al Azhari and Al Nabooda Racing on the day, both (and indeed double Bahrain race winner Clemens Schmid) are set firmly in the Falcons‘ sight with so much of the season left to run.
Faisal’s main fight though was up against Team BuzaidGT‘s up and comer Zaid Ashkanani. A dive here, a dig there and a couple of door panel-to-door panel moments ensued throughout the second race, but a late-braking move around the outside of the Porsche saw Faisal steam through into fifth in the closing stages of the race. He never looked back.
For Faisal, jumping back in the car had been a tough challenge, but one – given his delight at fifth place and victory in the Silver Cup class in race two – that ultimately could be the start of bigger things to come.
“Today I’ve been out on-track and just shaving time. And I believe it paid off. Sometimes fate doesn’t help you but if it does, why can’t we get a one-two in Abu Dhabi? You never know.”
There’s an oft-used expression batted around motorsport paddocks: you’re only as good as your last race. As Faisal Binladen left the Bahrain International Circuit, this was especially pertinent.
