Latest news with #AhmadAlHarthy
Times of Oman
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Hard-fought ninth place at Spa for Al Harthy, Rossi, Van der Linde.
Team WRT trio Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde had to be satisfied with a ninth place result during round three of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Belgium on Saturday, 10th May, in an encounter where the pace of the No.46 BMW M4 was largely maximised. Aiming to mount a podium challenge ahead of the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, continuing the momentum from their fabulous second place at Imola in Italy last month, other than a speed-limiter glitch in one of the pit-stops the race went fairly faultlessly. Oman's Al Harthy raced very competitively from ninth on the LMGT3 grid during his two hour-plus stint. Making excellent early gains after a superb start, he ensured the team was in the best position possible as the No.46 car spent a good portion of the first 120 minutes in and around the top three. Following the system glitch at Al Harthy's second stop, an unfortunate drive-through penalty had to be served before Rossi and van der Linde then took the concluding parts of the six-hour race at the famous Ardennes track. Qualifying on Saturday went well for Al Harthy, ending the run seventh fastest and just half a second shy of provisional pole. Progressing the Team WRT entry into the all-important Hyperpole session immediately after, which Rossi contested, the Italian ended up ninth in the top 10 grid shoot-out. As usual, OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman supported Al Harthy took the start of the race and he made typically impressive early progress. Leaping into the top five and then staying there to lap eight, the Omani then climbed into fourth. Rising into the top three later in the opening hour, as the first 60 minutes of action reached its conclusion Al Harthy was in the lead of the class with pit-stops already taking place. Following his first pit-stop he held third in LMGT3 prior to a Virtual Safety Car period and remained in the podium battle midway through hour two before a full Safety Car interruption. Following the team's second stop Al Harthy found himself ninth in LMGT3 and into the third hour he climbed back into the top six and worked hard to undo the damage of the penalty stop before Rossi took over. Battling his way back to the tail of the top six by the end of hour three, when the Safety Car was again required, soon after he moved into second as further pit-stops were made. Rossi then pitted and rejoined in seventh, climbing up to third with just a couple of hours remaining as the Safety Car circulated once more. At the next pit visit van der Linde took his first race miles with roughly 90 minutes to go and although moving up from the top 12 to fifth, after a final stop with 40 minutes left the South African was 12th again and had to ultimately settle for ninth position. Ahmad Al Harthy said, 'We had a really mega start and a very good first two stints, the car felt really good and we managed to get quite a few places. After the first pit-stops we managed to go up to P2 and then P1 with amazing strategy, and some fuel saving as well, but unfortunately there was a glitch in the system at the next stop which resulted in us having to serve a drive-through for the speed limit. 'We managed to compose ourselves and come back, start hunting the places back, and really got the car in a respectable position before Vale took over – he and Kelvin did a great job. The pace of the car for this weekend was what it was, P9 in the end was the actual maximum we could have got out of the car. Spa being Spa, it was a very entertaining race and a very tough race. 'Realistically it was nearly a perfect race for us in terms of our driving performances and the strategy, even without the glitch in the system it wouldn't have made us finish any higher than we were this weekend. We've understood a lot from the car and that will make us stronger for the most important race of the season, the Le Mans 24 Hours. I'm delighted and excited to be going back to Le Mans again and representing Oman in such an amazing motorsport event.' Round four of the FIA WEC season, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will be contested over the weekend 14th/15th June at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France. TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps LMGT3 Race Result 1st Alessio Rovera / Francois Heriau / Simon Mann (Vista AF Corse / Ferrari 296) 2nd Dennis Olsen / Stefano Gattuso / Gianmarco Levorato (Proton Competition / Ford Mustang) 3rd Davide Rigon / Thomas Flohr / Francesco Castellacci (Vista AF Corse / Ferrari 296) 4th Ben Barker / Bernardo Sousa / Ben Tuck (Proton Competition / Ford Mustang) 5th Mattia Drudi / Ian James / Zacharie Robichon (Heart of Racing Team / Aston Martin Vantage) 9th Ahmad Al Harthy / Valentino Rossi / Kelvin van der Linde (Team WRT / BMW M4) 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
Times of Oman
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Oman's Al Harthy Belgium-Bound as FIA WEC Season continues at Spa-Francorchamps
Spa-Francorchamps, venue for some of Ahmad Al Harthy's most spectacular achievements in motor racing, welcomes the FIA World Endurance Championship for round three of the season this coming Saturday, 10th May, where the Omani aims to continue his and Team WRT's podium momentum. Fresh from a near-victory at Imola in Italy less than three weeks ago, where team-mate Kelvin van der Linde took the chequered flag a mere 0.3 seconds shy of the race win, the duo and fellow Team WRT racer Valentino Rossi are focused on trying to go one better at Spa. Imola very much marked the true start of the 2025 season for the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 entry with a spectacular performance – Al Harthy fastest by some margin in qualifying and Rossi then sealing pole position in Hyperpole. In the fight for victory throughout, an unfortunate penalty threatened to derail the squad's podium challenge but an outstanding final stint from van der Linde brought the BMW back through the order superbly to second place, a fraction from the win. Rocketing up the championship standings into the LMGT3 top six as a result, only eight points shy of the top three, the goal in Belgium is to continue the high level of performance in the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps to solidify their 2025 championship challenge. Not only that, there is a clear desire for some redemption too after an unfortunate retirement from last year's encounter at Spa. Contact from one of the Hypercar class Porsches midway through hour two ended the BMW's involvement while in the battle for the LMGT3 podium. Historically, of course, OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman supported racer Al Harthy has a strong affinity with Spa-Francorchamps having enjoyed tremendous success there. Unquestionably his career highlight at the track to date was Pro-Am class victory in the Total 24 Hours of Spa in 2019 in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, then known as the Blancpain Endurance Cup. All achieved from a pitlane start! Ahmad Al Harthy: 'We're all looking forward to continuing the FIA WEC season at Spa this weekend, Imola was an amazing event and really did kick-start our championship. Everyone at Team WRT did an incredible job, Vale and Kelvin were super quick as always and I was so happy with my performance in both qualifying and the race. 'What can you say about Spa that hasn't already been said? It's an incredible track, one of the best in the world, and we have enjoyed so much success there over the years. I've always loved racing at Spa, the track is an amazing challenge and it's one of those places were I have always seemed to go well. After being so close to the win at Imola, we're aiming to fight just as hard again this weekend.' Practice at Spa begins on Thursday, 8th May, with the opening two sessions ahead of session three on Friday, 9th May, and then qualifying at 14:40 local time – Hyperpole following straight after. On Saturday, 10th May, the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will begin at 14:00 local time. Follow live at 2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Driver Standings (after Rd2): 1st Ben Keating / Daniel Juncadella / Jonny Edgar, 44pts 2nd Arnold Robin / Finn Gehrsitz, 33pts 3rd Gregoire Saucy / James Cottingham / Sebastien Baud, 27pts 6th Ahmad Al Harthy / Valentino Rossi / Kelvin van der Linde, 19pts 2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Team Standings (after Rd2): 1st TF Sport (Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R), 44pts 2nd Akkodis ASP Team (Lexus RC F LMGT3), 33pts 3rd United Autosports (McLaren 720 S LMGT3 EVO), 27pts 6th Team WRT (BMW M4 LMGT3), 19pts
Times of Oman
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Oman LNG partners with FIA World Endurance championship racer Al Harthy
Muscat: International racing driver Ahmad Al Harthy is delighted to welcome Oman LNG as the newest member of his prestigious partner portfolio, confirming a key association ahead of this weekend's second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Al Harthy, who is proudly flying the flag for Oman once again in 2025 in the globe's biggest motor racing series of its kind with Team WRT and BMW, has agreed an important partnership with Oman LNG – which was established by Royal decree in 1994 for the production of liquified natural gas. Based in Qalhat, near Sur, Oman LNG prides itself on corporate social responsibility with a major focus on integrity and professionalism, values all shared wholeheartedly by multiple FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 podium finisher Al Harthy. Additionally, the Omani – who is partnered with Italian global sporting icon Valentino Rossi and South Africa's Kelvin van der Linde in the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 in FIA WEC – shares Oman LNG's guiding principles around teamwork, accountability, respect and empowerment. Through the new partnership, Oman LNG will reach a global audience as Al Harthy races across the world from Europe to Brazil, the USA to Japan, Notably, of course, the season finale in November will take place in Bahrain in the Middle East. Helping to promote the company's work internationally, Oman LNG joins a prestigious group of partners associated with Al Harthy. Hamed Al Naamany, Chief Executive Officer Oman LNG, said: 'Oman LNG is proud to partner with Omani motor racing champion Ahmad Al Harthy as he represents the Sultanate on the global stage. This partnership reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting national talent and promoting excellence in sports. 'As Ahmad competes in the prestigious FIA World Endurance Championship across key international arenas, we stand firmly behind him and look forward to seeing the Omani flag fly high through his remarkable achievements.' Ahmad Al Harthy said : 'I'm really delighted to be partnering with Oman LNG, this is an incredibly important new and prestigious partnership with great synergies between us – not least the focus we all place on integrity, teamwork and corporate social responsibility. We will be racing in some key markets for Oman LNG where the aim will be to share and enjoy some great successes together.'
Times of Oman
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Imola six-hour race next for Oman's Al Harthy as FIA WEC resumes
Following a break of just over six weeks since the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship in Qatar, the global challenge resumes this coming weekend, 19th/20th April, in Italy for the 6 Hours of Imola – where Ahmad Al Harthy is aiming to bid for his first podium of the year. Producing excellent pace in qualifying and race trim during the championship curtain-raiser in late February, the Omani and Team WRT team-mates Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde were on course for a very strong result. Unfortunately, an issue with the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 had a negative impact on the pace they were able to run during the second half of the 10-hour encounter and the trio had to ultimately settle for an 11th place finish. Knowing, from the early race pace performance in Qatar, they have a car and set-up capable of challenging for the podium, this weekend's six-hour race at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari will be seen as a fresh start to the squad's 2025 season. Imola, of course, was a very happy hunting ground for Al Harthy and Team WRT last year where a genuine bid for LMGT3 victory was only dashed by a late penalty. Nonetheless, Al Harthy, Rossi and then team-mate Maxime Martin still secured an excellent second place result. Repeating such a performance this time around will be the focus for the No.46 squad, and the power of the challenge will be boosted by the tens of thousands of fans expected to pack the grandstands in support of their home hero Rossi. As always, Al Harthy has unstinting support for his FIA WEC campaign from his prestigious partners OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman. Ahmad Al Harthy: 'We can't wait to be back racing this weekend and we're all really looking forward to returning to Imola, the scene of our best result last season in FIA WEC. Last year's race was amazing, we had great pace and were very close to actually taking our first LMGT3 win. There's no reason we can't be just as competitive this time around, we're all going to be pushing very hard to fight for the podium. 'The main aim is to bounce back as strongly as we can after Qatar, things were going well and I was very happy with my triple stint at the beginning. Unfortunately the issue we had with the car meant we couldn't take the fight to the other teams later on, but this weekend is a fresh start in many ways and we're all determined to kick-start our championship.' Free practice at Imola begins with two sessions on Friday, 18th April, ahead of session three on Saturday, 19th April which precedes qualifying at 14.30 local time – with Hyperpole following immediately after. The 6 Hours of Imola will get underway at 13.00 local time on Sunday, 20th April.
Times of Oman
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Imola six-hour race next for Al Harthy as FIA WEC resumes
Muscat: Following a break of just over six weeks since the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship in Qatar, the global challenge resumes this coming weekend, 19th/20th April, in Italy for the 6 Hours of Imola – where Ahmad Al Harthy is aiming to bid for his first podium of the year. Producing excellent pace in qualifying and race trim during the championship curtain-raiser in late February, the Omani and Team WRT team-mates Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde were on course for a very strong result. Unfortunately, an issue with the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 had a negative impact on the pace they were able to run during the second half of the 10-hour encounter and the trio had to ultimately settle for an 11th place finish. Knowing, from the early race pace performance in Qatar, they have a car and set-up capable of challenging for the podium, this weekend's six-hour race at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari will be seen as a fresh start to the squad's 2025 season. Imola, of course, was a very happy hunting ground for Al Harthy and Team WRT last year where a genuine bid for LMGT3 victory was only dashed by a late penalty. Nonetheless, Al Harthy, Rossi and then team-mate Maxime Martin still secured an excellent second place result. Repeating such a performance this time around will be the focus for the No.46 squad, and the power of the challenge will be boosted by the tens of thousands of fans expected to pack the grandstands in support of their home hero Rossi. As always, Al Harthy has unstinting support from his prestigious partners OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman. Additionally, the Omani has – during the break since round one – welcomed new strategic partner Oman LNG to his portfolio. Ahmad Al Harthy said: 'We can't wait to be back racing this weekend and we're all really looking forward to returning to Imola, the scene of our best result last season in FIA WEC. Last year's race was amazing, we had great pace and were very close to actually taking our first LMGT3 win. There's no reason we can't be just as competitive this time around, we're all going to be pushing very hard to fight for the podium. 'The main aim is to bounce back as strongly as we can after Qatar, things were going well and I was very happy with my triple stint at the beginning. Unfortunately the issue we had with the car meant we couldn't take the fight to the other teams later on, but this weekend is a fresh start in many ways and we're all determined to kick-start our championship.' Free practice at Imola begins with two sessions on Friday, 18th April, ahead of session three on Saturday, 19th April which precedes qualifying at 14.30 local time – with Hyperpole following immediately after. The 6 Hours of Imola will get underway at 13.00 local time on Sunday, 20th April.
