Simply Abu Dhabi XX

5 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Ian Bickerton, ‘Bicks’, comments, “On the technical front, Dragon Racing has grown from a race team operation to a full service and development resource. This not only encompasses the engineering and development of its own fleet of race and track day cars but now services clients’ race vehicles. Dragon Racing is recognised by both Ferrari and McLaren as authorised partners to service and maintain both brands of track and race cars. During the summer months, a full Ferrari upgrade package was fitted to both Dragon Racing Ferrari 458 GT3 cars, bringing them up to the latest 2015 specifications including new suspension modifications and the latest electronic aids as developed by the Ferrari F1 team. This now makes these cars some of the most desirable and enjoyable race cars to drive. An internal development project was also completed on the Ferrari 458 Challenge cars with improved cooling to make the fleet perform better in the hotter climate that we experience here in the UAE. Additional aerodynamic modifications were also completed to further enhance the performance of the car and improve driveability for the less experienced driver. As you can imagine, the McLaren Sprint fleet were not left unattended. A decision by Dragon’s Chairman to develop one of the Sprint cars to mirror the looks and performance of the history-making McLaren F1 GTR Le Mans car was put into force with suspension and aerodynamic modifications as well as a period, iconic livery to further set the car above the benchmark. The yellow McLaren Sprint ‘Corn Car’ was fully developed and built in house by Dragon Racing, and the total manufacture and design was completed here in the UAE to showcase the depth of automotive skill and ability that is available in this part of the world. This project was so successful that further McLaren Sprint cars have had similar modifications and more of the iconic liveries, seen at past Le Mans, have been fitted. With its own internal skill set and the excellent manufacturing partners that we have gathered, Dragon Racing has become the region’s one-stop facility for running not only customer race cars but also the design and development of selective automotive projects. Our main Corporate Fleet is made up from the ultimate combination of Ferraris and McLarens.” Full Service Package