Barnard resists Taponen for FRegional Middle East win in Dubai

Photo: FRMEC

Taylor Barnard bounced back from engine issues in the previous Formula Regional Middle East round to win race one of the weekend at Dubai Autodrome.

The PHM Racing driver started on pole alongside Mumbai Falcons’ Rafael Camara, who made a slow start and was passed on the pit straight by R-ace GP’s points leader Tuukka Taponen while Pinnacle Motorsport’s Mari Boya tried to get by on the downhill drop to turn one.

Taponen was able to get alongside Barnard there, but the outside line for turn one meant he was squeezed on the inside at turn two and had to settle for second. Many drivers cut turn two, and Camara lost third to Boya.

Barnard had to defend at the end of the back straight against Taponen, who was trying to get alongide anywhere on the track that was wide enough. He could not get past, and on lap two had Boya and Camara in his tow.

The top two then focused on pulling away rather than fighting, and ended lap five split by half a second but with a gap of 1.8 seconds to Boya. Soon it was Camara in third again as he dived past Boya down the inside at the end of the back straight.

It compromised Boya so much that R-ace’s Martinius Stenshorne was able to pressure him through the next corners, and they began the next lap side-by-side with Camara already comfortably clear.

Up front there was still a close battle, with Barnard defending turn one on lap seven. The gap between the top two never went beyond 0.8s, and on lap 10 there was another attack from Taponen in the second half of the lap which meant they entered lap 11 split by 0.159s.

Barnard weaved down the pit straight but could not prevent Taponen from getting alongside at turn one. There was no overtake, and the gap was back up to 0.487s by the end of the lap. The pressure continued until the end of the race but Barnard held on by 0.521s.

Camara finished a lonely third, Boya held off Stenshorne for fourth and Mumbai Falcons’ Ugo Ugochukwu prevailed in the fight for sixth.

Initially MP Motorsport’s Nikhil Bohra held the position, and on lap seven came under attack from Ugochukwu and PHM’s Brando Badoer. They did not get past though until lap 10. Ugochuku went around the outside of turn one, but Bohra got back ahead at turn three. They ran side-by-side through several more corners before Ugochukwu established himself in front, and then Badoer passed too at the end of the back straight as drops of rain appeared.

Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak demoted Bohra on lap 11, with James Wharton and Theophile Nael following him through. As even more drivers tried to get involved there was drama as Wharton struck trouble and retired in the turn one run-off, while Arvid Lindblad and Noah Lisle collided as they fought for position.

Bohra ended up back ahead of Nael in ninth, while Zachary David, Costa Toparis and Bruno del Pino all finished ahead of the squabbling Lisle and Lindblad.

Race results (16 laps)