Frijns aims to finish high in Bahrain

This weekend, Qatar resident Charlie Frijns will be preparing himself to race in the final round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, which features as an official support race to the 2017 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix.The staging of the final sixth round at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir should be a perfect ending to an incredibly competitive and exhausting season for all Porsche drivers.The outcome of the driver’s championship in all categories of the region’s most professional motor-racing series will all come down to the last two races and will now play out in front of mass crowds and global spotlight, being part of an official Formula 1 weekend.With expectations high, Frijns (205 points) has set himself the target of finishing as close to leader Ryan Cullen (238 points) as possible, and hoping that a possible slip up from the Irishman could hand him the championship title. With 50 points on offer over the two remaining races, Frijns will be hoping to claim maximum points to help him close the gap on Cullen and be in with a chance of winning the championship title for the first time in his career.Looking ahead to Round 6 this weekend, Frijns said, “This season has been another great learning experience for me. I always said that I needed to be more consistent with my results and for most of the season I was getting the results I needed.“I have probably driven some of my best races this season and have felt confident both on and off the track. The problem is that when you have another driver or drivers that are focusing on doing the same, you really can’t afford to take your foot off the pedal.“I am still in with a chance of winning the championship, I need to focus on my own driving in the last two races, and hope that I can take maximum points from the round and at least then I know I finished on a strong performance.“This is not the first time I have competed at the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix weekend, and it is such a thrilling experience. Everyone raises there game a bit more because of the occasion and I am hoping that with my experience of previous years I can use this to my advantage.”With 33 points separating the top two, any driver from third to sixth place still have a mathematical chance to finish in the top three.Walter Lechner, founder and manager of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, said, “We’ve seen a number of debutant drivers emerge, some that have never raced a Porsche GT3 Cup car in their lives. Others successfully moved from karting into professional GT racing for the first time. And of course some more experienced drivers, either returning to the series, or coming in from different parts of the world to test their skills on the Middle East’s best and most challenging racing circuits.”STANDINGS (TOP FIVE)1. Ryan Cullen  2382. Charlie Frijns  2053. Tom Oliphant  1984. Dylan Pereira  1695. Bander Alesayi  157