Report: Lachlan Robinson finishes fifth for Team UAE in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals

28 October 2019

Report: Lachlan Robinson finishes fifth for Team UAE in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals

(Naples, Italy, 26 October 2019)

Lachlan Robinson emerged as the star performer for Team UAE in the 2019 Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) Grand Final at Circuito Internationale di Napoli, in Sarno, which took place on Saturday.

After a mass parade of the 360 drivers from 60 countries, it was down to business at a race circuit that has hosted some of the sport's biggest names including the likes Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi to name a few.

After the colourful formalities, it was down to business with six back-to-back finals for the various categories in the series.

Robinson, who was among the pace-setters all week, lined up 15th in among the top 36 Senior MAX drivers in the world.

The Dubai based schoolboy rose to the occasion as he proceeded to deliver an inspired drive, arguably the best of his career, to scythe his way through the field to finish fifth and with the leaders in sight. But he simply ran out of laps to take the big prize.

Speaking afterwards he said, "It was a tough race but we had good pace and managed to make our way to the front. In the end, I ran out of laps, but I am very happy to make up so many places."

Also in action on the day was Kyle Kumaran who impressed all week as he came to grips with unfamiliar equipment in his first appearance at the RMC finals. In the DD2 Final, he raised his game impressively to climb from 24th on the grid to 18th when he crossed the finish line.

Georgie Zouein made into the Junior MAX Grand Finals but was always up against it from 27th on the grid. He was involved in a melee which bent his steering column which dropped him to the wrong end of the field where he remained to finish 34th out of 35 drivers.

In the Mini MAX class, Harry Hannam started from the back of the grid and, in the end, managed to make up six places to finish 30th.

Micro MAX driver Adam Al Azhari started in 12th and remained there until the end, but not without a big fight with a dozen or so drivers in a pack chasing the leaders.

Al Ain Raceway Club director Guy Sheffield commented: "A fantastic performance by Lachlan who we can now be called the fifth-best Senior MAX driver in the world! He got stronger all week and if it were not for an incident during the Qualifying Race 3 on Thursday. But he was not deterred and thus enjoyed one of his best days in the sport.

"The common denominator among the five drivers in action on the final day was their fighting spirit. Kyle, Adam, Harry and Georgie did us proud and the experience of racing in such a prestigious event will serve them well in future. Finally, our participation in this great RMC Grand Finals was helped greatly by the support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council."

The Grand Finals take place on Saturday after a mass parade of the 360 drivers from 60 countries.