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.
