Georgie Zouein capped a strong day for Sodi ME Racing Team by winning his race in the opening round of the  UAE Rotax Max Challenge.

At Al Ain Raceway, Zouein was in fine form behind the wheel. 

After claiming pole position by six tenths of a second, Zouein ens-ured he was on the top step of the  podium again, although not in the manner he would have liked.

During the closely-fought race, a dramatic accident happened in the last corner as Diaraf Keinde went for a move resulting in the clerk raising the flag. With Zouein leading the race, he took victory but was disappointed not to see the chequered flag.

“I didn’t  know what the red flag was for. When I came back I saw Diaraf’s kart upside down and was really worried. 

“After I found out he was fine, I realised I had won the race. I would have preferred seeing the chequered flag because that is where I was heading and no one was going to stop me.”

– Elite squash – A sport for the body and soul in the UAE
– On the Radar: Pakistan v England, Arabian Gulf League
– UAE: Where to watch the Rugby World Cup

Fraser Rose also took a podium in the junior category. 

In a thrilling final, there were several position changes but Rose showed his speed to claim third place behind Pasqual Pook.

“We worked very well as a team with all of the drivers having very good camaraderie and good team-work ethic,” said Rose.

Jan Richtermeier, who lost a few positions but battled to get sixth position, added: “All in all it was a day with some problems when catching up on the racers in front of me, but I had a good pace.”

Racers will have more than two weeks to fine tune their preparations for the third round at Al Forsan on October 30.