FIA GT3 - Dubai - Wednesday
A Frustrating Start
© Mark Howson

With track action due to start on Thursday morning, Wednesday at the Dubai Autodrome should have seen the teams setting up at leisure, with the formalities of scrutineering being the main focus of the day. Alas for the British teams, the leisure was of the more enforced variety.

Although the cars and equipment had arrived at the huge Jebel Ali container port, UAE customs officials were not in a hurry to release them to the waiting teams. As a result, several teams ended up spending the morning in the rather impressive Emirates Mall before heading back to the circuit mid-afternoon.

There is only one topic of conversation in Dubai, and that is ‘construction’ (a separate report on the city will follow in due course); and the Autodrome finds itself at the heart of a building site that stretches from horizon to horizon, much to the amazement of RPM boss, Robin Mortimer. “We were here for the 24 hour race in January, and there was just desert around the circuit. All of [the new construction] has sprung up since then!”

There is very much an ‘unfinished’ feel to the circuit, despite the fact that it has been fully operational, and hosting international races, for a couple of years. Wherever you looked, you could see activity, and the feeling was akin to the activity in the village at Le Mans during the test weekend – it’s hard to imagine that there will be a Motorsport festival here in just a couple of days.

For drivers and crew alike, the afternoon consisted of waiting around and talking. A couple of the missing containers arrived at about two o’clock, but it would not be until four that the first cars arrived.

With no indication as to the container’s contents, an expectant crowd gathered at the doors; and when the cars were revealed to be Tech 9’s Porsches, a loud groan was heard from the assorted Viper, Ascari and Jaguar teams.

But the groans were quickly echoed by Phil Hindley’s men as it became apparent that all was not well with the cars.

The first indication was a crack on the rear bumper of the first car, but a closer inspection revealed that the situation was serious. The extrication of the cars was prolonged and careful, but the report an hour later confirmed the worst; “We’re down to one car,” said Hindley. “The cars hadn’t been strapped down correctly and they’ve moved around in the container. Both cars have been damaged at the front and rear, but there is serious damage to the exhaust system of the white car, so we’ve decided to withdraw it and focus on the other one.

It’ll be an all-nighter for the boys; not the best of starts, really.”

The dark arrives quickly in this part of the world, and the light was long gone before the next four containers arrived. Unfortunately, none of the lorries had the necessary crane onboard and so the blue boxes stayed off the ground.

One contained the Damax Ascaris, and Robin Ward’s team climbed aboard to check them over; this time, all looked fine. The next turned out to contain the bulk of RPM’s equipment, and it was soon decided to hand-ball it off. Pitcrew, drivers, and drivers’ dads all chipped in to help; a forklift was soon drafted in for the heavier stuff.

It was eight o’clock before a suitable lorry arrived to unload all the containers, but by this time the DSC contingent were heading away from the circuit (aboard a taxi whose driver spent most of the terrifying ride ignoring the repeated imploring of his screen to slow down due to his going too fast) and so will catch up with news tomorrow.

With scrutineering officially over, the FIA issued a bulletin advising that an extra session would be held in the morning for the delayed cars. Robin Mortimer was not expecting to see his hotel bed on Wednesday night; he was probably not the only one.