As the 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup season heads into its final phase, the championship heads back to the Dubai Autodrome National Circuit for Round 7—with both titles edging closer to decision, but still very much alive.
Six rounds in, the story of the season has been that of pace, pressure, and sometimes unpredictability.
Harry Hannam has been the benchmark throughout the campaign. From the opening round at Yas Marina, where he established himself as a title contender with fantastic overtaking and race wins, he has carried that form consistently across the season.
By mid-season, Hannam had turned consistency into control—dominating Round 4 with lights-to-flag victories and building a decisive advantage in the standings.
Round 5 further reinforced that authority, as he repeatedly converted strong starts into wins despite safety cars and interruptions closing the field behind him.
However, Round 6 at Dubai Autodrome introduced a new twist. A late engine issue forced Hannam to start from the back of the grid for all races, handing a rare opportunity to his rivals.
That opened the door for drivers like Alex Novichkov, who has been consistently in the mix—to capitalise, with Novichkov securing pole position in a tightly contested qualifying session, his pace has become a real threat to Hannam and the rest of the grid.
While Hannam still appears to have one hand on the overall title, Round 6 proved that momentum can shift quickly in this championship.
Behind the overall fight, the season has been defined by intense competition across both classes.
Novichkov, Geshev, Daremas, and Feyzulin to mention a few have traded podiums and pushed Hannam at every opportunity, often separated by tenths of a second. Across multiple rounds, incidents, safety cars, and great racing have kept all drivers honest the whole season.
In the National Class, the title fight remains wide open. As noted heading into Round 6, as many as four drivers were still in contention—reflecting just how competitive the midfield has become this year. That is Feyzulin on 372, Chachava on 334, Khazzoum on 312 and Daremas on 297. But with double points available for Round 7, and still 2 races of Round 6 to be run (postponed from last event), it’s very much there for the taking.
Round 7 shifts to the tighter, more technical National layout—quite different from the high-speed GP and International circuits used earlier in the season.
This configuration typically rewards precision over outright pace, close lap times and increased overtaking opportunities.
The key question heading into Round 7 is simple: Can anyone halt Hannam’s march to the title?
If Round 6 showed anything, it’s that the field is ready to capitalise on any opportunity. With Novichkov’s qualifying speed and Geshev’s consistency, the fight at the front is not settled just yet.
Equally, the National Class battle could reach a turning point, with multiple drivers still mathematically in contention and every point now critical.
