With the on track racing activities on hold for an indefinite period, the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) will conduct the Qatar Online Racing Championship from this Sunday, April 5. The competition, open for Qatar residents only, is spread across three weeks, with races being held on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday of every week. The official game console for participation is Gran Turismo Sport on Playstation 4. The competitors are divided randomly into three groups (A, B & C), with the maximum number of participants in each group being 15.
The championship has attracted top stars from the Qatar Touring Cars Championship (QTCC) and QMMF’s sprint races. Ghanim al-Madheed, who won the QTCC 2K championship last month, and QTCC M240 class champion Abdulla Khelaifi lead the pack. Ibrahim Abdulghani, Hamad al-Sulaiti, Hamad al-Kuwari and Ali Emadadhi are the other leading drivers who are in the fray.
The races will start this Sunday for all three groups, each group separately. Each participant will be racing against others in his group for three weeks, with one race being held each week. The chosen car for every weekend will be announced two days before the start of the weekly competitions. The track on which every race will be held will be announced to all competitors one night before.
Races will be in the following format: 10 Minutes for practice, 15 minutes for qualifying and 25 minutes of racing. Points will be awarded only for the race results. No points for free practice or qualifying.
At the end of three weeks of racing, the top 15 competitors will be chosen and will take part in another, final week of racing. The top five from those races will receive cash awards. The winner will walk away with QR15,000 in prize money, while the runner-up and third-place winner get QR13,000 and QR10,000 respectively. The fourth-placed driver gets QR6,000 while QR5,000 will be awarded for the fifth-place finisher.
QMMF CEO Amr al-Hamad said the motorsport body came with this initiative to engage the fans as the coronavirus pandemic has forced residents to self-isolate themselves. “We wanted to continue activities for those interested in the sport but who cannot practice because of the restrictions over Covid-19. The online event allows participants to compete from home and be involved in a sport they love. It’s important to have this event to keep the momentum going at a time like this,” al-Hamad said.
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