Qatar team riders make history

The team, comprising Nasser al-Malki, Anthony West and Nina Prinz, installed themselves as early leaders and finished one lap ahead of the Suzuki Team Motors event AMT Assurances, with Guillaume Dietrich, Frédéric Moreira and Michael Savary as the riders. It was the first time in FIM history that a mixed gender line-up had won a race in all endurance competition. Penz13 Kraftwerk from Germany finished third, but are top of the standings with 58 points from two rounds in the Superstock category. Qatar Endurance Racing Team 96, however, didn’t have much luck. Comprising of Elena Rossel, Saeed al-Sulaiti and Sultan al-Kuwari, they struggled for most part of the race but retired after six hours because of engine problems. A total of 23 teams started the race but only 16 teams were able to finish. The Qatar team’s victory prompted Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) president Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah to seriously consider returning to the FIM Endurance World Championship. “We are seriously thinking about returning to the FIM Endurance World Championship. This victory is a reward for the efforts of our team,” said al-Attiyah. “I also hope that we at the FIM will be able to continue to develop these champions. It feels good to be in the middle of these heroes.” Qatar team riders thanked al-Attiyah for his continued support.  “I want to thank the QMMF for this great opportunity,” said al-Malki. “ I had a stomach problem this afternoon and I didn’t feel in perfect condition to give my best but thanks to my team mates Anthony and Nina, thy did an excellent job and pushed me to do well which helped us finish in first place. Germany’s Prinz was equally thrilled. “It feels really nice to have finished as the winners. I have been wanting to win something this season and now I did it. I thank my teammates Anthony and Nasser for their support. I enjoyed the race a lot and I thank QMMF for their support.” West, for whom endurance racing is a relatively new format, said the 8 Hours of Doha didn’t allow him to relax. “In normal races I can relax more but in the endurance race you don’t have any time to rest,” said the Australian. “I enjoyed a lot this race. My team mates did a great job without committing any silly mistakes. The whole team had to work hard. “I am cramping a little bit so I want to rest now and prepare myself for the nex tround of Moto2 in MotoGP Championship in Silverstone with the QMMF Racing Team”