RAM Racing qualifies fourth for Dubai 24 Hours
Thomas Jaeger qualified RAM's new Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 in fourth, a position that puts the team in a strong place for the start of the 24-hour race.
Photo by: Eric Gilbert
Ram Racing will start the 10th annual Dubai 24 Hours from fourth on the grid in its new Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 with drivers Thomas Jaeger (DE), Adam Christodoulou (GB), Tom Onslow-Cole (GB) and Cheerag Arya (IN).
In the first of two qualifying sessions earlier today (8 January) Jaeger, Christodoulou and Onslow-Cole took turns in the 6.2-litre V8 machine, all setting times within the top five by the end of the hour.
For the second qualifying, a half-hour session limited to the top three classes, AMG factory driver Jaeger was selected to take part. With less traffic on the 5.39-km long track, the lap times dropped dramatically and the true pace of the GT3s was shown.
Fourth place is hopefully enough to keep us out of trouble at the start...
Thomas Jaeger
Demonstrating his speed and experience, Jaeger qualified in fourth, a position that puts the team in a strong place for the start of the 24-hour race.
"After today, I’m confident that we can get a good result this weekend,” he commented. “The team had no experience with the car before this race so it is an amazing achievement to be in the top four. The second row on the grid is a great place to be and we hope for a clean race tomorrow.”
Despite contesting the Dubai 24 Hours last year in the team’s Ferrari 458 GT3, this is the first competitive outing for the its new Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 and team principal Dan Shufflebottom is pleased with how the team has adapted so quickly: “The team has done a great job so far,” he commented. “We’ve out-qualified some very well-respected teams that have been running the Mercedes for a few years, so we’re understandably very pleased.
“Fourth place is hopefully enough to keep us out of trouble at the start and puts us in a strong position stay with the lead pack for the first stint, but it’s a long race and we have a lot more work to do.”
Dubai 24 Hours starts at 1400hrs local time tomorrow (Friday 9 January). Fans in the UK can watch the race from 09.30hrs GMT on Motors TV.
RAM Racing
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