Reigning world champions Fazza 3 had a perfect start to the Class 1 season, overcoming an electrical problem to win the opener in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi led the race from start to finish, holding off teammates Mohammed Al Marri and Abdullah Al Mehairbi in Fazza 1 to complete the course in 47 minutes, 16 seconds.

The duo of Zafeen and Bin Hendi earned the maximum 40 points by winning both races on the weekend and Pole Position. The team showed it was the one to beat in the practice session by posting a 2-minute, 40-second lap—a full 6 seconds better than its nearest competitor.

In the first race of the event in Brazil, the Fazza 3 team was simply dominating. It finished the race 45 seconds faster than its nearest competitor, Fazza 1.

The second race was a little tighter for Fazza 3, which was hampered by electrical issues. It was the 10th time the team has won in 12 races.

“I am delighted with the result after the problems we had, but sometimes it’s nice to drive without the technology to test yourself,” Bin Hendi said in a press release. “This is a great start to the season and it sets us up perfectly for the next round in Arendal.”

Placing third overall on the weekend was the Italian team of Giampaolo Montavoci and Guido Cappellini in the Duemme-Foresti & Suardi. It was the duo’s first race together. In the first race, the team was forced to start from the back because of a weight-rule violation. It also jumped the start, which gave the team another penalty.

“It feels fantastic to be back on the podium after such a long time,” said Montavoci, whose last podium finish was in 2006.

The Class 1 tour returns to action July 16-18 in Arendal, Norway. For more, check out www.class-1.com.

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