Compétition

Senior MAX – Prefinals: Bishop and Kimber win in the night in Bahrain

Prefinal A: Bishop formidable at the end of the race
Sean Butcher (GBR) was neck and neck with Oliver Hodgson (GBR) ahead of Daniel Hauswirth (AUT), Lewis Gilbert (GBR), Adam Rahali (FRA) and Macauley Bishop (GBR). Hodgson took the lead on lap 4, with Butcher hot on his heels and the duo pulling slightly clear of Hauswirth and then Bishop and Rahali on the Briton’s bumper until Gilbert overtook him for P5. Butcher was back in 1st position at the halfway point, Hauswirth was 2nd and Bishop 3rd ahead of Hodgson, who was soon attacked by Gilbert. Kai Killaerts (BEL) was hot on Rahali’s heels and soon took P6 at his expense. But the Frenchman seized his chance to move back up to 5th on lap 10 before quickly dropping back to 7th. Gilbert moved up to 2nd position 4 tenths behind Butcher. Bishop suddenly jumped into 1st place on lap 12. Bishop did little to defend his P1 and took the lead while the battle raged between his three pursuers. Gilbert took 2nd place, 8 tenths behind Butcher and Hauswirth. ahali finished a brilliant 5th before being penalised 13th. Hodgson took P5, Matthew Higgins (GBR) was 6th and Rillaerts 7th.

Prefinal B: Kimber finishes strongly
Mark Kimber (GBR) overtook Kai Hunter (GBR) after an eventful first lap. Aron Krepcsik (HUN) was 3rd ahead of Theo Kekati (ARE) and Ethan Jeff-Hall (GBR), while the aptly-named Hunter regained the lead from Kimber and Jeff-Hall moved up to 4th before attacking Kekati for P3. Kimber was back in 1st place at the halfway stage, with Jeff-Hall closing on Hunter for 2nd place. But the situation quickly changed as Jeff-Hall took the lead on lap 10. Kimber then came back into the lead ahead of Kekati, Hunter recovered to 3rd, but Jeff-Hall was 8th. Kekati went into the final lap in the lead and won by 7 tenths before being penalised 15th. Kimber took P1 and Hunter P2 ahead of Krepcsik in 3rd. Jules Roussel (FRA) had made up 13 places to 8th and Alexandre-Benoît Bessac (FRA) 16 places to 26th.