BLACK FALCON enters two AMG GT3 to defend title at 24h Dubai

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24H Series – 24H Dubai 2019: Race Preview

Team BLACK FALCON will return to the Hankook 24H Dubai (10^th to 12^th January 2019) with two Mercedes-AMG GT3, looking to repeat their epic 2018 victory at the twice-around-the-clock endurance event. The team has a phenomenal record at the event, having already notched up four victories in Dubai since 2012, all achieved representing the Mercedes-AMG brand. 

The 24H Dubai first ran in 2006 and quickly became a classic fixture on the endurance calendar. Its early January date and almost exclusively balmy weather is the perfect way for international teams to open their racing season. A provisional 77 entries will take part in this year’s race, held on the 5.39km Grand Prix layout of the Dubai Autodrome. 

Team BLACK FALCON will enter a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the A6-Pro class of the race. The #2 AMG’s driver squad includes three of the four drivers who won in Dubai last year, Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia), Yelmer Buurman (Netherlands) and Hubert Haupt (Germany), who this year will be joined by Saud Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia). The second AMG, #3, will be driven by Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Ben Keating (USA), Manuel Metzger (Germany) and Luca Stolz (Germany). The two driver squads include five of the 24H Dubai’s eight most successful drivers: A. Al Faisal, Al Qubaisi, Bleekemolen, Buurman and Haupt have all scored multiple podiums and wins at the race.

Last year’s race involved a titanic struggle for the victory that went down to the wire, with the team’s pair of AMGs leading 369 of the 606 laps. This year is likely to be no different, such is the strength and quality of the entry. BLACK FALCON’s drivers will have to fight for every position on every lap; their mechanics and engineers will be on constant duty and have to do a perfect job as well to keep the cars running and in the fight for the fifth overall victory.

The opening practice sessions take place on Thursday morning, January 10th, followed by GT Qualifying at 16:15 Gulf Standard Time. Drivers have a chance to familiarise themselves with both the circuit and the opposition in darkness via a 90-minute Night Practice session at 19:00 GST that evening. A brief warm-up session on Friday morning gives the team a final chance to fine-tune the cars ahead of the race itself, which will go green at 15:00 GST. 24 hours later, at 15:00 GST on Saturday, the surviving cars will cross the line – and we’ll see whether BLACK FALCON’s experience and expertise pays off with another strong result. 

Live timing and streaming video will be available at 24hseries.com for all the main sessions. Further information about BLACK FALCON's performance is also available daily on the team's social media channels:

instagram.com/teamblackfalcon   facebook.com/teamblackfalcon             twitter.com/teamblackfalcon

24H Dubai, UAE: January 10th to 12th
Race Timetable (Local time / German time)

Thursday, January 10th
10:55-11:55 / 07:55-08:55 – Free Practice
16:15-17:00 / 13:15-14:00 – Qualifying *
19:00-20:30 / 16:00-17:30 – Night Practice *

Friday, January 11th
13:45 / 10:45 – Starting grid *
15:00 / 12:00 – Start 24H Dubai 2019 *

Saturday, January 12th
15:00 / 12:00 – Finish of the 24H Dubai 2019 *

* Livestream: https://24hseries.com