Qatar’s WTCC driver Abdullah Al Khelaifi
Qatar’s WTCC driver Abdullah Al Khelaifi is thrilled ahead of his debut in this year’s TCR Europe series for the first time, saying he is doing all he can to take in the ‘steep learning curve’ in his young career.
The TCR Europe is seven-stop car championship that begins in April and ends in October.
“I am looking forward to this summer’s activities. It is the most competitive series in the world after WTCR. That’s a great opportunity for me to participate and learn from the drivers and on those tracks,” Al Khelaifi, 29, said.
“More than half of the tracks where this series is contested are part of the motor sport world. It will be a great learning curve for me, a steep learning curve. Hopefully, I can manage to learn as I go along and long-term I can compete using that experience,” he added.
Al Khelaifi said he had time to get ready mentally and physically for the series opener on April 27 and 28.
“This series will start with the first round at Hungaroring, a race track in Mogyorod, Hungary, at the end of April. That will be great. Before that - perhaps two weeks before the race - there will be a test session for me in order for me to get into shape. That would also be an opportunity to meet my team and team officials ahead of the first round,” Al Khelaifi said.
The Qatari driver said making a debut at TCR Europe is part of his long-term ambitions.
“My long-term goals are ambitious. I started from WTCC. Basically I always want to go to the highest level of competition which is the WTCR. We had some rounds here in Qatar. My goal, eventually, is to reach WTCR,” Al Khelaifi said.
“I want to represent Qatar if we have one round here. Hopefully I can inspire the youth to follow this event and I want to spread the motor sport mentality among the youth of the country. Eventually I will retire but we want to see new faces and new talent. I am sure we will get better drivers than me or they will do more than I would ever accomplish. I started rather late. The younger drivers have a better chance to learn more and faster. They develop faster. Hopefully I can inspire people with what I do,” he added.
“One thing I learned from QTCC is that I never better myself unless I have some competition. If I am leading comfortably then I don’t develop at all. So this gives me great motivation. I know I won’t be competing for bigger things in PCR but I know I have higher goals so from different competitors and that will push me harder so that I become better,” he said.
“Still there is some debate on the car most probably it will be Cupra TCR. It is a great drive. There is another possibility of ODTCR RS3. For now, it is the Cupra.”
When asked about his races this year in Europe, Al Khelaifi said: “There will be one round in Hungary, one in Poland, one round in Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany with a round in Austria. It’s the opposite of our season here. Once we wrap things up in Qatar, they start the season over there. We finish by end of March and they will start by end of April. It will continue until end of October. By then I will come back and compete locally.
He added: “I can’t believe that I am going to feature in this championship. This was not on the table until last week. So it is unbelievable. It was only talks and there was nothing certain. I am going to enjoy and push myself and get maximum points.”
