Rashid Al Dhaheri wins race and championship at the World’s greatest karting race in Macao

The young Emirati racing driver took the lead from the start and remained in front every single lap for a resounding victory

Macao – 10th December 2019: The world-class karting circuit in Macao was the theatre for the last major race meeting of the season – the track bears a striking resemblance to another famous street circuit, Monaco. This is widely-regarded as a must-win event for the best up-and-coming talent and the route to single seater racing cars, Macao has rapidly become the most prestigious race track of all.

The win capped off a successful year as a superb final race was a fitting end to a season where the young Emirati achieved four international Championships and multiple podiums. The course of this year makes Rashid the most successful Mini driver on the podium for the year 2019.

As has been the trend for much of the racing season, Rashid exceeded expectations in Macau to achieve an outstanding performance throughout qualifying to place him on the first row and ultimately win this prestigious last race. Since qualifying on pole position on Friday, it was clear that Rashid will be very competitive over the weekend. On Saturday, he was the author of a great round of heats allowing him to start the final from the front row. In the final on Sunday, a great start from the young Emirati put him in the lead from the first curve and he never looked back while achieving the best lap during the race in 00”55”37. The 11-year-old Emirati secured himself the first place making him an unrivalled champion as this conclusive win allowed him to increase his lead at the Macau International Kart Grand Prix Championship in the x30 cadet category and secure the 2019 title. This makes it two in two with Rashid also gaining a first-place finish at Macau in the previous 2018 season.

The feat of making an impressive new pole position on such a demanding track was such an outstanding result Rashid pinned this victory as much on his team as he did on himself saying: “I have no words to describe how I feel today. To start the last race of the season off on the front row and to win in Macao is a fantastic feeling. I am happy and proud to fly the UAE flag in Macao that is one of the world’s most prestigious racing tracks. I want to thank the team for their full commitment and support this season, the title is a collective victory. We all should be proud of what we achieved today together. Next year, we will continue to work hard together and keep up the momentum”.

Reaching the end of his first season with the Parolin Team, Rashid has shown why he is special according to Fausti Ippoliti, team principal and ex-Formula 3000 champion, who said: “Rashid is stepping up his performances since he joined the team. Macao’s intense weekend reflected the whole championship season during which Rashid demonstrated a broad scope of his considerable potential and showed his great tenacity. In motorsport and more especially in karting, performance is all about adaptability to changing racing conditions and as shown this season Rashid has carried this out so well. If Rashid continues to perform that way, and I am convinced he will, then he is set to have a glorious motorsport career ahead of him”.

Now Rashid and his team are looking forward for the next year’s new season to win new titles that will open him the doors of the single-seater racing cars’ categories.

Marco Parolin, Parolin Racing Kart Team Principle said: “We are extremely pleased to conclude our racing season with a victory in Macau. This win was the cherry on top of Rashid’s sensational season. He has proven to be competitive in different conditions this year, showing a great ability to adapt to any circumstance. We will soon start to work in order to prepare another successful season in 2020.” 2019 has been a stellar season for Rashid, which has seen him achieve a great deal including 2019 World Series Karting Super Master Champion and World Series Karting Euro Series Champion, both in the Mini Series category, in a season where he also won the ROK Cup Italia and countless other victories. This all in his first season with Parolin Racing Kart.