In the UAE Touring Car Championship, consistency and speed are paramount to getting the best results. One of the top finishers in the class 1 group, Khalid Al Mutawaa looked to be set to win his class early on but ran in to some mechanical problems in a couple of rounds which relegated him to a 2nd overall finish for the season.

Driving the TAM/House of Portier Seat Leon Cupra R, Khalid drove fast and consistently throughout the season in what had become a one-make series of sorts. Having one of the best and most professional teams backing him up, Khalid was atop the podium in many occasions throughout the season.

Khalid's driving style is aggressive but smooth as I witnessed during some fast laps at the Yas Marina Circuit aboard a Yas Aston Martin GT4. His performance during the last season was excellent and he was able to keep the pressure on his rivals at every single round. In the hotly contested class 1 of the UAETCC, Khalid kept in contention till very near the end.

Soft spoken yet confident, Khalid shows true professionalism at all times. Like other consumate racecar drivers, he very aware of his position and acts like a true ambassador for his team and sponsors. Even at the launch of the Yas Racing School where he assisted the organizers as an instructor for the day, Khalid kept his suit on the whole time, showing off the team's branding with pride, despite the hot temperature for the day.

For the coming season, Khalid is still unsure of what will happen. He shared with us that he wants to move up in to the GT class and rub fenders with the top drivers there. But that still remains to be seen as the team is still in the planning stages for their season assault. As for Khalid, he is sure to give the drivers of whatever class he ends up driving in a tough time. And based on his past performance and his continued push for improvement, a championship for him is just around the corner.