Round 4, Gulf Radical Cup, 2024/25 Season, Yas Marina GP Corkscrew Circuit
This was a much anticipated event on the 16-turn 4.572 kms Corkscrew circuit. It uses the majority of the GP layout but turns sharp left at Turn-4 instead of heading down to the hairpin that precedes the long back straight. The twisty downhill track that intersects the back straight is named after the famous Corkscrew turn at Laguna Seca. Whilst shorter circuits make for close racing and difficult overtaking, this weekend would prove particularly tough as the grid was filled with some highly competitive international racers who wanted to make their mark on this prestigious UAE championship.
GulfSport Racing (Radical UAE) was also running Round 4 of their Gulf ProCar series which included Ferrari 296 Challenge and Porsche 992 Cup cars so lap times in the Saturday morning qualifying session were interesting. The best Radical SR3 lap was 1:46.816 and the fastest ProCar was a 510bhp Ferrari 296 with a 1:47.739.
One of the attractions for the 7 teams and 23 drivers entered was masses of track time. It started with a 3 hour track-day session on Thursday evening, which saw more than 30 drivers doing a combined total exceeding 1,000 laps, followed by another 3 hour test on Friday morning, the official 30 minute test, a 20 minute sprint quali session then 2 x 20 minute Sprint race, 15 minute Enduro quali and the 45 minute Enduro. A total of eight and a half hours if you are fit enough to handle it.
Of note, this was the largest grid ever assembled for a round of the Gulf Radical Cup since its inception in January 2006 largely due to teams and drivers seeing the opportunity for great value / high quality seat time in the warm winter weather of the UAE. The established GRC regulars were joined by Robert Greenwood and Chris Preen from the UK, Stanislav Novikov (RUS), Illia Sidorov (RUS), and Watarai Taichi who joined Kiyoto Fujinami and their Japanese ‘Seven x Seven’ team owner Bankcy.
Sprint Qualifying.
With just enough time for 10 laps in the bright morning sunshine it was perhaps not surprising that the two-time Super GT GT300 Champion Kyoto Fujinami claimed pole position for the first Sprint race with a very quick 1:46.816. Ian Aguilera was second on 1:47.133 with Watarai Taichi third on 1:47.145. Local champions Usmaan Mughal and Alim Geshev finished the session in P4 and P5 respectively showing just how high the bar had been raised by these three professional racers.
Sprint Race 1.
Given the number of champions and previous race winners on the grid this first race of the weekend was always going to be tough. In fact everyone wanted to see if a 18 year old hotshot from Mexico, who won both of the previous Sprint Races could now beat a double GT300 champion from Japan.
As the 25 minute race started it was Aguilera who got to turn 1 first, with the two Japanese drivers right on his tail. As the laps rolled by Fujinami was able to pass the leader to lead the pack. However shortly after that track limit penalties started to show up, for both Fujinami and Aguilera. But with Yang and Geshev still part of the train of cars, would they be able to hang onto the their positions?
As the chequered flag came out and after penalties were applied for track limits the top ten points scorers were Alim Geshev with the win, then Jack Yang, Kiyoto Fujinami, Ian Aguilera, Watarai Taichi, Chris Preen, Usmaan Mughal, Peri Deremas, Alex Novichkov and Amir Feyzulin.
Sprint Race 2.
The grid for Race 2 was set by the second best lap times from the Quali session which saw the two quick Japanese drivers, Taichi and Fujinami on the front row with Aguilera and Yang on row 2, and Geshev and Mughal on row 3. This was surely going to be one of the closest sprint races ever seen at the Yas Marina Circuit.
As the race started it was Alex Novichkov who got away fastest and lead into turn, followed by the rest of the pack. With Geshev and Lowe making partucualry good starts. Watarai and Fujinami got poor starts and dropped back, but were charging hard to get back up the field.
But as they were doing to, disaster struck and both were handed 5 second penalties for formation lap infringements, this was too reversed for Fujinami post race, but hampered the chances of a podium for Watarai.
While Novichkov had a sterling effort he was not able to hold off Aguilera, Geshev and Fujinami.
Mid way through the race the safety car was deployed to deal with an incident on the south circuit side of the track, but just for a couple laps before a last lap single dash to the flag.
So at the end, after the penalty was applied for Watarai it was business as usual for the young Mexican hotshot Ian Aguilera with local champion Alim Geshev just over 2 seconds behind followed very closely by Fujinami. Alex Novichkov gained valuable points in P4 followed by Chris Preen, Usmaan Mughal, Jack Yang, Watarai Taichi, Peri Deremas and Bankcy all of who scored points.
Enduro Qualifying.
The Sunday morning session saw 23 Radicals, 18 of them being the very latest SR3XXR model which has only been available since February 2023. It was also interesting to see BTCC driver Bobby Thompson, Jack Yang’s driver coach and co-driver in the two-driver Enduro race, setting some quick laps. The American Ben Curry would also be sharing with his driver coach Nigel Greensall.
Just 3 laps in, with Aguilera, Mughal and Chris Preen at the top of the timesheet the session was red flagged when Ilia Sodorov stopped in Turn 1. The session restarted with 5 minutes left for the drivers to do their best.
The last timed lap of the session was completed by Mughal who put in a staggering 1:47.144 for Pole, just .325 ahead of Fujinami, Aguilera, Yang-Thompson, Taichi and Preen who all lapped within 1 second.
Enduro Race.
After penalties were applied from the Quali session, Aguilera was gridded back on P10 and Alim Geshev on P17. As pole-sitter Mughal had won the previous Enduro race he would face a 20 second success penalty added to his 45 second mandatory pitstop, Aguilera would have 15 seconds added and Geshev 10.
But it was UK Radical racer Chris Preen who took the lead from P6 which he held until lap 6 when a red flag interrupted the race due to the #4 car of Andrew Lowe suffering an onboard fire between turns 11 and 12.
After a long break for track cleaningthe race restarted and the top 10 were Preen, Fujinami, Aguilera, Mughal, Yang-Thompson, Deremas, Strijder, Novichkov, Geshev and Greenwood although, the fastest man on track had been Watarai Taichi who had started from the pit lane and was up to P18. The young Mexican took the lead on Lap 10 and Geshev was also making good progress now up to P7.
When the pit lane opened at 26 minutes to go, it was Mughal and Yang who pitted first followed by 7 cars. Over the next few laps everyone was able to make their stop, and by Lap 17 the top 10 was now Preen, Fujiyama, Deremas, Yang/Thompson, Aguilera, Novichkov, Geshev, Taichi, Strijder and Mughal; the pitstop success penalties clearly having a big effect on Mughal, Aguilera and Geshev.
On Lap 19 there was a problem at the end of the back straight which required the Safety Car. Unfortunately it came out in the middle of the pack and didn’t pick up the first 4 drivers and so the race finished under the Safety Car with Chris Preen (Valour Racing) taking a well earned victory. Sharing the podium with him was Kiyoto Fujinami (GulfSport Racing) and Ian Aguilera (RAW Motorsports).
Bobby Thompson finished in P4 ahead of Peri Deramas, Alim Geshev, Alex Novichkov, Usmaan Mughal, Watarai Taichi and Joel Strijder who all scored valuable points.
Round 5 will take place on 22nd and 23rd February in Abu Dhabi.
