Rallying-'Mr Dakar' Peterhansel returns with Defender for 2026
Brands Hatch (England): Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT's Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and teammate Jens Klingmann delivered a sensational performance to win the second of the one-hour Sprint races at the opening round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Series at Brands Hatch in England on Sunday.
After finishing fifth in the first of the two short races, Al-Zubair and Klingmann delivered a masterclass in pit strategy to kickstart their season in the new series with outright victory in the Gold Cup category and sixth position overall in Sprint Race Two at the helm of the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Al-Zubair said: 'Starting off doing very minimal laps in the Sprint Championship was something to get used to. Brands Hatch is such a difficult track, and we didn't have much running time. There were a few red flags in practice. I think we did a total of 20 laps before we got into qualifying. It was not so easy.
'We started off with qualifying on the wrong foot. We finished fifth in class in the first race and then we won the second race. To jump so many people in the second stint and in the pit stop is something that we should be very happy of. It is good to get a start like this, and we can look forward to the rest of the season.'
Al-Zubair began the opening one-hour Sprint race from sixth on the Gold Cup grid but was not able to make headway through the opening laps. Arthur Rougier drove the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari to give the CSA Racing McLaren a brief lead, but Chris Lulham hit the front again in the Ferrari after the mid-race pit stop and driver change.
Klingmann took over from Al-Zubair with the sole target of moving up the field, and he managed to sneak ahead of James Kell in the CSA Racing McLaren following the driver changeovers after 23 laps.
Lulham continued to lead from Louis Prette in the Garage 59 McLaren as the opening Sprint race headed into its closing stages and on to the checkered flag. Klingmann held on to secure a fifth-place finish for the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW after 42 laps of racing.
Race Two took place in similar cool and overcast conditions in the afternoon. Klingmann took the wheel for the first stint and quickly settled into fourth place behind the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, the Sainteloc Racing Audi and the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi.
Full course yellows failed to prevent Klingmann from maintaining his position, but the damage was done at the driver changeover when the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT delivered the strategy to perfection and Al-Zubair hit the front.
The Omani continued to lead from the defending champions, Sainteloc Racing, and overcame another full course yellow to win Race Two with a margin of just under three seconds to Thierry Vermeulen and Lulham in the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 after 37 laps.
Al-Zubair and Klingmann carried out free practice on Saturday morning and ran the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW for 30 laps. The team carded a best lap of 1 minute 24.186 seconds that put them fifth of the Gold Cup runners. The Emil Frey Racing Ferrari topped the times with a tour of 1 minute 23.178 seconds.
Pre-qualifying was next on the agenda, but the Al-Manar Racing duo could only manage a best lap of 1 minute 24.720 seconds, and the bragging rights from the Gold Cup session went to the Garage 59 McLaren with a time of 1 minute 24.122 seconds.
Qualifying was split into two sessions, and Al-Zubair managed six laps in Q1. The Omani carded a best tour of 1 minute 24.626 seconds, and that put him in sixth in the stint, with Thierry Vermeulen winning Q1 for Emil Frey Racing with a lap of 1 minute 23.374 seconds.
Klingmann fared slightly better in Q2 and was classified fifth in the Gold Cup runners with a best lap of 1 minute 24.012 seconds, with Lulham winning the stint for Emil Frey Racing to claim pole position for the first of the two one-hour Sprint races.
Action in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Series continues at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on May 16-18.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Alcaraz, Swiatek pass tough French Open tests
PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz fought past American Ben Shelton in a tight four-set match to reach the French Open quarterfinals on Sunday, while Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina and keep her bid for a fourth straight title alive. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Reigning champion Alcaraz clinched a 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory after three hours and 19 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to book a last-eight berth for a fourth straight year. Alcaraz will take on Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals, after the 12th seed saw off Australia's Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. 'Today I fought against myself in the mind,' he said. 'In some moments I was mad, I was thinking not very good things. But I'm really happy that I didn't let the bad thoughts play against me... I tried to calm myself down and keep going.' The four-time Grand Slam champion saved three set points in a dramatic opening-set tie-break before clinching it himself on his second. He crucially then saved six break points in a marathon first game of the second set, before going on to win it courtesy of a break in the eighth game. American 13th seed Shelton deservedly got a set on the board to extend the match, but Alcaraz quickly bounced back with an early break in the fourth. The second seed saw a match point come and go in the ninth game of the set, but he quickly brought up another one on his own serve and took the opportunity with a trademark forehand winner. Lorenzo Musetti continued his rich vein of form with an impressive 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 success against Danish 10th seed Holger Rune in the night session. The Italian eighth seed, who reached at least the semifinals in clay-court Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, will face Frances Tiafoe in the last eight. American 15th seed Tiafoe booked a place in his first-ever French Open quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over unseeded German Daniel Altmaier. Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek, who has been struggling for her best form and has not reached a final since winning the title last year, was in serious trouble when trailing 2-0 to Rybakina in the second set. But the 24-year-old dug deep to clinch a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman to win four straight Roland Garros crowns since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. The Pole will next face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who knocked out 2024 losing finalist Jasmine Paolini, in the last eight on Tuesday. Swiatek is now on a 25-match winning streak at the French Open and boasts a remarkable 39-2 win-loss record in the tournament. Rybakina had won both of her previous career meetings with Swiatek on clay and the Kazakh dominated the opening set, hammering 12 winners past her bewildered opponent. 'Well it was tough you know, first set I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner,' said Swiatek. 'I needed to do something to get back in the game, but with her playing like that I didn't feel like I had much hope.' Rybakina broke in the first game of the second set as she threatened to run away with the match. But Swiatek impressively turned the set around with a run of five straight games. The fifth seed was one game from defeat when trailing 5-4 in the deciding set, but she managed to end Rybakina's resistance and held her nerve to serve out the match. Svitolina made the quarterfinals for the fifth time with a comeback 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 win over Paolini, saving three match points in a dramatic opening clash on Court Philippe Chatrier. The former world number three, who has never made a Grand Slam final, will be bidding to reach a first Roland Garros semifinal when she faces Swiatek. 'I still cannot believe that this match finished my way,' said Svitolina. World number one Aryna Sabalenka needed eight match points to wrap up a 7-5, 6-3 win over American Amanda Anisimova. The three-time Grand Slam champion reached her 10th successive major quarter-final, where she will face Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. 'I want to get this win after Rome, so I'm happy to face her (Zheng) in the quarters,' said Sabalenka, who lost to Zheng in the Italian Open last eight last month. Zheng secured a quarterfinal place with a hard-fought three-set victory over 19th-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova. The Chinese eighth seed extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to 10 matches, winning 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Asharq Al-Awsat
11 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Verstappen One Point from a Race Ban After Clash with Russell
Formula One world champion Max Verstappen is one penalty point away from a race ban after being punished for driving into Mercedes rival George Russell during Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. In addition to a 10-second time penalty, dropping the Red Bull driver from fifth to 10th, stewards handed Verstappen three penalty points on his super-license. That took his tally to 11 for a 12-month period, with 12 points triggering a one-race ban. Two of those points expire at the end of June but there are two races before that. The Red Bull driver had clashed twice with Russell at the restart following a late safety car period at the Circuit de Catalunya. The pair made contact first at Turn One when Verstappen, who was defending fourth place on hard tires against a rival on quicker softs, was pushed wide but stayed ahead. He was then told by Red Bull to hand back the place. Stewards noted Verstappen "was clearly unhappy with his team's request. "At the approach to Turn 5, Car 1 (Verstappen) significantly reduced its speed thereby appearing to allow Car 63 (Russell) to overtake," they added. "However, after Car 63 got ahead of Car 1 at the entry of Turn 5, Car 1 suddenly accelerated and collided with Car 63." 'INTENTIONAL RETALIATION'? The incident, as well as an earlier clash with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, triggered accusations of road rage and a return to the "Mad Max" days of old, before Verstappen's four world titles. "It looked like a very intentional retaliation. Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn One," said Mercedes' 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg on Sky Sports television. "That's something which is extremely unacceptable and I think the rules would be a black flag, yes. If you wait for your opponent to bang into him, that's a black flag." McLaren's Lando Norris, who finished second, watched a replay in the cool-down room and commented: "I've done that before in Mario Kart." Russell told reporters he did not know what Verstappen was thinking. "It felt very deliberate. It is something I have seen numerous times in sim (video) racing and i-racing and never have I seen it in a Formula One race so that was something new," added the Briton. "It is a shame because Max is one of the best drivers in the world but maneuvers like that are totally unnecessary. It lets him down and it is a shame for all of the young kids looking up to us, aspiring to be Formula One drivers. "It is something you see in go-karting but never in F1. It doesn't make sense to crash into somebody and risk damaging your own car and risk a penalty. And he could have come back to fight for the podium." Verstappen, who had accused Leclerc of ramming into him, accepted the two had different opinions. "I'll bring some tissues next time," the Dutch driver said when told of Russell's concerns.
Arab News
16 hours ago
- Arab News
Oscar Piastri wins in Spain with McLaren one-two, Verstappen demoted
BARCELONA: Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two on Sunday to forge 10 points clear of teammate Lando Norris in the title battle. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport The Australian's win, by 2.4 seconds, was his fifth in nine races this season and McLaren's seventh. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the podium after passing Max Verstappen's Red Bull six laps from the end following a safety car period that triggered the main talking point of the afternoon with the champion demoted from fifth to 10th. 'It's a nice way to bounce back from Monaco. A superb weekend,' said Piastri, who finished third last weekend in a race won from pole by Norris. Verstappen, who made four stops in total and ended up on the slower hard tires against rivals on softs, collided with Leclerc and twice with Mercedes' George Russell after the safety car restart. The angry Dutch driver was given a 10-second penalty added to his overall time for the second Russell collision that was clearly his fault. He and Leclerc also faced a post-race investigation for their clash that could lead to further sanctions. 'I tried to push him to the left, there was a bit of contact but fortunately no consequences,' said Leclerc. Verstappen claimed the Monegasque had rammed into him and should have given back the place. Russell finished fourth after eventually being let through by Verstappen, who reluctantly did as his team told him. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg finished a surprising and morale-boosting fifth for the future Audi team after passing Ferrari's seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap. Hamilton was a disappointing sixth, Isack Hadjar seventh for Racing Bulls and Pierre Gasly eighth for Renault-owned Alpine. FIRST POINTS Home hero Fernando Alonso scored his first points of the season with Aston Martin, who had only one car on the grid due to Lance Stroll's withdrawal through injury after Saturday's qualifying. Piastri led away cleanly at the start with Verstappen seizing second from Norris while Hamilton and Leclerc moved up to fourth and fifth as Russell lost out. Hamilton let Leclerc through on lap 10 of 66 after the two Ferraris had run nose to tail. Norris took back second place from Verstappen on lap 13, the Dutch driver making no attempt to defend against the quicker McLaren and pitting in the next lap for fresh tires. Verstappen took the lead again on lap 23 after Piastri pitted, with Norris making his first stop on lap 21 and coming out behind the Red Bull, but that lasted only until Verstappen pitted for a second time on lap 30. He came in for a third stop on lap 47 but Norris pitted the lap after to defend second place. A safety car deployment on lap 55, after Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli beached his Mercedes in the gravel, bunched up the field and triggered a rash of stops. The McLarens came in together for fresh tires, double-stacking, and resumed ahead of Verstappen who questioned the switch to a set of hards but was told that was the only option available.
