Batelco Racing with team manager for the event, from left to right, Khalid Al Saei, Mohammed Mattar, Ramez Azzam and Alban Varutti
Three drivers Mohammed Mattar, Alban Varutti and Ramez Azzam represented the Bahrain team, lead by onsite team manager Khalid Al Saei under the supervision and guidance from regular team managers Ali Abbas and Osama Alsaad who were following up from Bahrain throughout the race.
The thirty three teams from all over the world that battled it out for the top honours, qualified to participate in the SWS Grand Finals through the SWS series of events which were held in their respective countries.
The Batelco trio claimed pole position in qualifying with only one second separating the top 22 times. Conditions varied during the course of the 12 hours of racing with temperatures as low as 8 degrees and at dawn a rain shower which added to the challenge for competitors.
With an hour to run, Varutti was sent out for Batelco’s penultimate stint with a 20 seconds lead over their closest rivals and preceded to edge away. With five minutes to go Varutti handed the Batelco kart to Mattar who crossed the line to take a famous victory for the Bahraini squad, with a full lap advantage over second place Time Attack and third place CER Racing – both French teams who count the RKC venue as their home track.
Batelco Racing, the current Dubai Kartdrome Endurance champions, continues to excel in the region and internationally. The team was place 2nd against a tough international line-up at the RKC 25 Hour Endurance Championship which took place in Paris last month and they look forward to participating in the remaining rounds of the European championship in France, Portugal and Morocco.