After more than 12 months of competition, the 2021/2022 Red Bull Car Park Drift Championship series has come to an exciting conclusion with Egypt’s Hisham Al-Khatib crowned the “King of Drift” in the global final held in Jeddah. .
The stands were filled with thousands of fans who enthusiastically cheered their favorite riders among the 24 entrants from 18 different countries who competed at the Jeddah Corniche, the largest number of entries in the championship’s 14-year history.
And with drifting champions from Mauritius to Jamaica, passing through South Africa, Azerbaijan, the Gulf States and the Arab countries, the competition for the title has been unprecedentedly fierce, in a sport where the slightest mistake by riders can split gains and losses.
After the results of the first round were announced, Al-Khatib made a strong showing, but left his best performance until the final round, which brought together the top four riders, when he surpassed both Omani Haytham Al-Hadidi and Ahmed Daham, who represented Iraq.
Speaking after his victory, surrounded by drifting fans, whose faces were full of joy, Al-Khatib expressed great joy at winning the title. “I have worked hard to achieve this result for eight years, and I thank God that I have achieved it now,” said Al-Khatib, who just lost his world title after many years of winning at the national level.
He added: “Competing with these drifting legends was a great experience for me and I am very pleased with the result.”
A great spectator atmosphere was a hallmark of this year’s Red Bull Car Park Drift Championship Finals, when the Bride of the Red Sea hosted the world final for the first time at the unique Jeddah Corniche circuit, famous for hosting the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The unique atmosphere on the magnificent circuit that hosted the competition was not complete, except for special touches from the legendary figure of the Red Bull Car Park Drift Championship, Abdo Fegali, who described the world final held for the first time in Saudi Arabia, saying: “This event was it was like a dream from start to finish. The track was very fast and very technical.” He added: “Victory was within reach for any top eight rider as the level was high, but Hisham deserves credit for his great performance.”
Fegali concluded: “The love for the sport was evident to the spectators who eagerly followed every minute of the competition and I look forward to returning here and hosting Red Bull Car Park Drift again, as well as providing an opportunity for talented Saudi drivers. to take their place on the podium.
