United Autosports Commits To December’s Gulf 12 Hours Event

• Team commits to Abu Dhabi race with two McLaren MP4-12C GT3s

• Strong showing by top teams contributes to return

• Sensational podium on début after 12 hours racing for UK-based team


Following on from yesterday’s inaugural Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and its sensational podium position, United Autosports can confirm its entry in the second running of the event.

In a move from this year’s January slot, the next Gulf 12 Hours will be later this year in December 2012. The exact date has yet to be announced.

The Anglo-American team confirmed its entry in this inaugural event back in October and remained committed to being on the grid with one of its Audi R8 LMS cars, in which it last night was in the lead battle up to a finish line sprint.

Although the event is still very much in its infancy, United Autosports joined world-class, international teams such as AF Corse (Italian), Kessel Racing (Swiss), Autorlando (Italian) and Aylezo Motorsports (Malasian) on the starting line in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Team owners Richard Dean and Zak Brown have been so impressed with the track, organization and competition that they have, without hesitation, agreed to enter the team’s two McLaren MP4-12C GT3s for the next fixture.

Above: United Autosports will return to Abu Dhabi in December with two McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“It’s a difficult job getting an event up and running from nothing so I applaud everyone involved. It’s been professionally run - the venue is out of this world, and to have high-class competition such as AF Corse and Kessel Racing has been great.

“We [United Autosports] love doing one-off events like this and others such as Macau, Daytona 24 and – only last week – the Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours. This event’s got the potential to be right up there with the best of them, especially with this fantastic circuit as host.

“We will have had the 12C GT3 for a full season by December and I’m sure I’ll have no problems in filling the driving seats.”

Andrea Ficarelli (IT), Director Driving Force Limited, Organizers of the Gulf 12 Hours
"For us, this first race is to 'break a wall'; to move it from being a project to an established event. So now everyone can see that this event is something real and it has all of the qualities to become a major event in endurance racing. Even if the number of teams for the first race has not been very high, the quality has been very, very high and it is the first sign of the potential of this event."

“We are aware that there is very strong interest from teams to come here and this confirmation that United Autosports will run two McLarens in December is exactly what we were hoping for and we obviously welcome it. We have had top teams from Italy, from Switzerland and the Anglo-American team United Autosports, which all contribute to making the event even more international.”

Above: One of United Autosports' McLaren MP4-12C GT3 cars in the

Live Action Arena at the Autosport International Show in the UK earlier this month

Autosport Show photo credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography