Qatar-based Frijns hopes to move up the standings

Qatar-based driver Charlie Frijns had a slow start to the season but has managed to pick up enough points over the opening three rounds of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East to keep his title hopes alive.
As the competition reaches the halfway stage of Season 9, drivers are preparing to take on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on February 2-3, 2018.
Frijns is 11 points short of where he was at this stage in Season 8 and hopes to make up the deficit at his favourite circuit this weekend. Currently third with 32 points behind championship leader Tom Oliphant, and with a total of 50 points on offer from each race weekend, closing the gap on the title chase will be the first thing on Frijns mind going into Round 4.
“Season 9 has been very stop and start for me so far, and just when I think I am finding some form, I don’t get the results I was hoping for. Making the most of the points in each race weekend is so important when chasing the championship title, because usually it only comes down to a few points at the end of the season, which is even harder to take,” Frijns said.
At the top of the overall standings, Briton Oliphant is only six points clear of second-placed Omani driver Al Faisal al-Zubair.
With only 32 points separating the top three drivers in the Gold category, 14 points separating the top three drivers in the Silver category and a mere 13 points separating the three podium-placed Bronze category drivers, the championship is too close to call, and even closer for drivers pushing for the title.
“This season has been a pivotal one in my career. I came to the Middle East for the first-time last year and although I thought I drove well, I didn’t manage to win a race, and finished the season 13 points outside of the top three. I went back to the UK, worked hard and came back into Season 9 with a goal of at least winning two races. Now, to be at the halfway stage with three race wins already under my belt, and sitting at the top of the championship standings is a huge achievement, and one that I need to work even harder on now to maintain,” Oliphant, who has secured three race wins and three runner-up finishes so far this season, said.
With Oliphant due to skip the final round in Bahrain due prior commitments in UK, al-Zubair, pushing for a championship title in only his second season of competition, knows he has one round extra over the British driver.