ABU DHABI (WAM)
In a fitting finale to his F4 career Rashid Al Dhaheri, the UAE’s leading racer, set two pole positions and took two chequered flags in the two F4 Formula Trophy races at his home circuit.
The races were part of the Abu Dhabi GP weekend and, although the first race win was taken away from him post-race when due to the steward’s penalisation for and overtaking manoeuvre, he had dominated the racing weekend ahead of his step up to Formula 3 Regional.
Al Dhaheri will not compete in the last Formula Trophy race meeting, when the single-seaters return to Yas Marina on December 13-14, as he is handing over his Prema team car to another driver, so he can concentrate on preparing for the next challenge.
Al Dhaheri, however, will be leaving as the outright leader in the championship with a 27 points advantage over his nearest rival and would have been the clear favourite to take the title.
Al Dhaheri said, “I am so pleased for the team and everyone who has supported me over the years, that we could come back to my home circuit and to Abu Dhabi where I started my karting career and produce such great results.”
He completed two years of racing in the Italian F4 and Euro F4 series and will be remaining with Prema Racing Team, who he has been with since the start of his single-seat career.
They will be providing his car for next year’s Formula 3 Regional season, which will get underway in April on F1 circuits in Europe.