Al Harthy awaits for the '24 Hours of Le Mans' race
Now competing in LMGT3, the successor to GTE, the Omani's second season with Team WRT in the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 has been impacted by some misfortune but there has been celebration as well thanks to a fantastic second place — a mere 0.3 seconds shy of victory — at Imola in Italy in April.
Climbing to sixth in the LMGT3 standings at that point, having had to settle for 11th place during the season-opening event at Lusail in Qatar, a podium bid last time out at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium ultimately became ninth due to a pit-lane speed limiter glitch which resulted in a luckless penalty. While there have been frustrations with some of the misfortune, the overall pace and performance across qualifying and race conditions from the Team WRT entry has been outstanding and Al Harthy himself has been extremely satisfied with the level of his own personal performance thus far.
Supported as always by OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY), and Experience Oman, Al Harthy is very much looking forward to welcoming plenty of key partners to the 93rd staging of the 24 Hours of Le Mans later this week.
This year's race entry features a combined total of 62 cars across the Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3 classes, with 24 in LMGT3 alone — the biggest class of the three. The No.46 BMW LMGT3 will be battling competition from the likes of Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
AHMED AL HARTHY:
'Le Mans is always the biggest event of the year, not just in WEC but in motorsport as a whole, and it truly is an incredible honour to again represent Oman at such a prestigious, famous and historic race. It was the proudest moment of my career to climb the podium in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a couple of years ago on my debut in the race, truly an amazing moment to see the Omani flag fly.
'We're working as hard as we can to be back on the podium this weekend, and with Vale and Kelvin we're pushing as hard as ever to prepare as strongly as possible for the race. It's going to be an amazing week building-up to the race, I can't wait to get started.'
Free practice begins at Le Mans this Wednesday, 11th June, with qualifying then getting underway at 18.45 local time – the fastest 12 cars progressing to Hyperpole at 20.00 on Thursday, 12th June. In between these sessions there will have been two further practice runs. Hyperpole for this year sees the top eight progress to a second Hyperpole session to determine the first four rows of the grid.
More night-time practice follows before a day away from track action on Friday, 13th June. Warm-up for the big race takes place at midday local time on Saturday, 14th June, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans beginning at 16.00 local time. Follow everything at www.fiawec.com or www.24h-lemans.com
2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Driver Standings (after Rd3):
1st Ben Keating / Daniel Juncadella / Jonny Edgar, 44pts
2nd Alessio Rovera / Francois Heriau / Simon Mann, 40pts
3rd Arnold Robin / Finn Gehrsitz, 38pts
9th Ahmad al Harthy / Valentino Rossi / Kelvin van der Linde, 21pts
2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Team Standings (after Rd3):
1st TF Sport (Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R), 44pts
2nd Vista AF Corse (Ferrari 296 GT3), 40pts
3rd Akkodis ASP Team (Lexus RC F LMGT3), 38pts
9th Team WRT (BMW M4 LMGT3), 21pts
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
12 hours ago
- Observer
Dhofar International Arabian Horse Beauty Cup from today
MUSCAT: The Dhofar International Arabian Horse Beauty Cup 2025 will commence on Wednesday in the Wilayat of Mirbat, Dhofar Governorate, and will run until August 22. The event is jointly organised by the Office of the Governor of Dhofar and Dhofar Tourism Company, as part of efforts to enhance the governorate's position as a distinguished destination for hosting international sporting events. This year's championship marks its first international edition, following the remarkable success of the Dhofar National Arabian Horse Beauty Championship 2024. The event will feature the participation of more than 50 elite purebred Arabian horses, reflecting Dhofar's growing prominence on the regional and global equestrian calendar. As the Dhofar International Arabian Horse Beauty Cup 2025 kicks off in Mirbat, Omani trainer Tariq al Hashmi emphasised that the championship represents an important opportunity to showcase the quality of Omani Arabian horses and strengthen the Sultanate's presence on the global equestrian stage. Al Hashmi noted that the key qualities of a winning horse include body balance, a refined head and neck, graceful movement and confident presence in the show ring. He pointed out that preparing horses for such competitions is a challenge, as it requires balancing fitness with beauty, demanding both time and expertise. Al Hashmi expressed his aspiration to see Omani horses achieving top results internationally. He further highlighted that Arabian horse beauty competitions play a vital role in preserving Arab heritage and reinforcing cultural identity. Looking ahead, Al Hashmi expressed his aspiration to see Omani horses achieving top results internationally, while also contributing to the development of a new generation of skilled Omani trainers and breeders. The competition, accredited by the European Conference of Arab Horse Organisations (ECAHO), places Dhofar on the global map of specialised Arabian horse beauty contests, while supporting the governorate's aspirations to become a hub that brings together owners, breeders, investors and equestrian enthusiasts from around the world. The Dhofar International Arabian Horse Beauty Cup showcases Omani heritage, elevates the region's global equestrian status, and combines cultural pride with the breathtaking beauty of Khareef Dhofar.
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Oman's Hamed al Wahaibi claims debut win at Hungarian Baja
VARAPALOTA, Hungary: Omani champion Hamed al Wahaibi has achieved a remarkable victory in his debut at the Hungarian Baja, a round of the FIA European Cup for Cross-Country Bajas. Driving a BRP Can-Am Maverick R for the RX Sport team, managed by Emirati champion Rashid al Ketbi, Al Wahaibi secured first place in the Side-by-Side 'SSV' category and an impressive fourth place overall. Al Wahaibi chose to compete in this event to gain more experience and prepare for future challenges, despite it being part of the European Cup and not the World Cup. In the early stages, Al Wahaibi took a cautious approach, not pushing too hard during the qualifying stage and the first special stage. As a result, he finished the first two legs in second place within his class. Oman's Hamed al Wahaibi claims debut win at Hungarian Baja However, Al Wahaibi then unleashed the car's full potential, showing his true speed. He overcame a 20-second deficit to win the second special stage and narrow the gap to just 19 seconds. He then took the lead in the third special stage and advanced to fifth place in the overall standings. Al Wahaibi maintained his strong pace, winning the final stage and extending his lead over home favourite Balazs Molnar to 17 minutes and 30.2 seconds. This victory secured his win in the Side-by-Side class and a fourth-place finish in the overall standings. Following the race, Al Wahaibi stated, "I am very happy with this result. We didn't face any problems, and I must thank the team, champion Rashid al Ketbi, and everyone involved for their exceptional and tireless efforts." He added, "The next rally will be in Portugal. Our goal is to continue gaining experience in this type of rallying and keep achieving strong results."
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
Junior tennis team begins Arab U14 Championship in Tunisia
MUSCAT: Oman's national junior tennis team will kick off their participation in the Arab Under-14 Championship, hosted by the Tunisian capital from August 17 to 23, with the participation of ten Arab countries competing for the title. The team will be represented by six players in both the boys' and girls' categories. The tournament officially begins today following yesterday's draw for the opening rounds. Over the past two days, our players have completed their preparations through intensive training sessions held on the tournament courts. In addition, the squad benefited greatly from participating in a joint training camp in Egypt, organised by the Oman Tennis Federation. The camp, which lasted three weeks, included a large group of Omani players from different age categories and featured numerous friendly matches and tournaments, providing valuable experience and technical readiness ahead of this championship. The national team's delegation for the U14 competition includes: Ahmed al Balushi (Head of Delegation), Mohammed al Dairi (Team Official), Sufiat Dube (boys' coach), Sergei Persikhin (girls' coach), along with players Moataz al Mazrouei, Abdulrahman al Rahbi and Azan al Busaidy, and female players Arin al Azkawi, Talia al Busaidy and Salma al Riyami. The ten participating countries are: Oman, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Junior tennis team begins Arab U14 Championship in Tunisia The matches will be played on clay courts at Marsa Club, presenting a new challenge for Omani players who are more accustomed to hard courts used in official competitions. Speaking about the preparations, Ahmed al Balushi, Head of Delegation, said, 'This participation is very important for our U14 players, as this age group needs such opportunities to gain experience and collect international ranking points. We aim to achieve advanced positions in this championship. The players have prepared well through the Egypt camp, which lasted nearly three weeks, where they were trained and guided by specialists at the Smash Academy.' He added that the championship is crucial for helping players earn ranking points that will serve them in future events. He praised the promising talent within this group and expressed hopes for their success, extending thanks to the Oman Tennis Federation for providing the necessary support and preparation, as well as to the Tunisian Tennis Federation for their cooperation and hospitality. Player Abdulrahman al Rahbi said, "I am very happy to participate in this championship, which brings together a strong field of Arab players. Everyone is striving to achieve top positions and earn ranking points. We are well-prepared after the long camp in Egypt, which gave us strong technical benefits. Now it is up to us to give our best, achieve good results and gain valuable experience from this competition. We hope all players will work hard to deliver their best in this important tournament."
