FAUTO TECH started the season with the 24H Series in Dubai held from 13 to 15 January. Despite hope for a top result in the 24-hour race, the strong performance of the duo of Porsches was denied a fitting result. The crew of the #961 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, which included the two Porsche Schweiz Juniors Dominik Fischli and Alexander Fach, were forced to end their race early. The five-man Brazilian #962 car had a better result slip through its fingers after a spin and subsequent damage.
“24-hour races are always tough, but this retirement is really bitter,” explained team principal Alex Fach. “After an unfortunate start, the drivers of the #961 recovered lost ground and caught up with the class leaders. I would have wished for the entire team to see the chequered flag and be rewarded for their great effort.”
Until the retirement due to a technical problem, Dominik Fischli, Alexander Fach, Peter Hegglin, Marcel Wagner and Jan Klingelnberg showed themselves to be in top form. The Swiss contingent already starred with fast lap times in the practice sessions and continued their pace in the race.
Even a collision followed by repairs at the beginning of the 24-hour race did not slow down the team. The drivers gradually made up for the laps they had lost at the beginning: from the bottom of the 992-AM standings, they moved up to fourth place.
Alexander Fach, who together with his teammate Dominik Fischli celebrated his debut in a 24-hour race, was disappointed after their night-time withdrawal: “Accepting this retirement is not easy. After the rocky start, we steadily worked our way through the field. By the middle of the race we had made up four laps to the leaders in the class – there certainly could have been more in it,” the Schwyz resident summed up.
For the #962 sister car, things initially looked more promising. Ayman Darwich, Eduardo Menossi, Leonardo Sanchez Secundino, Rouman Ziemkiewicz and Atila Roberto de Abreu stayed out of trouble and remained in fourth place in the 992-Pro class. Only a spin off the track, about four hours before the end, ruined the good run. “We really tried everything to repair the damage as best as we could so that we could still fight for positions. But at least we managed to cross the finish line – many others didn’t make it,” said the team boss after the finish.