Liqui Moly Team Engstler enjoyed a perfect weekend with the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Luca Engstler (D) and team-mate Florian Thoma (CH) each won one race at rounds two and three of the TCR Middle East. In the opening race in Dubai, Engstler followed up his recent victory in Abu Dhabi with another dominant win.
The 17-year-old, who was fastest in practice and so started from pole position, led from start to finish, with Giacomo Altoè (I, Audi) struggling to put him under any pressure in second place. Third place went to Lorenzo Veglia (I) in another Golf GTI TCR, run by the Pit Lane Competizioni team.
In race two, it was Thoma who climbed rapidly from fifth on the grid to move into the lead by the end of the opening lap. The Swiss driver never looked back, as he went on to claim his first victory in the TCR Middle East series. Engstler came home third in this race. With 89 points to his name, he now travels to the season finale of the TCR Middle East in Bahrain (23/24 February) as the overall leader. Engstler leads second-placed Altoè by 14 points. As such, the young Volkswagen driver is well placed to win the title with the 350-hp Golf GTI.