Latest news with #AhmadalHarthy
Muscat Daily
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Al Harthy looks to continue his podium momentum at Spa-Francorchamps
Muscat – 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 on Saturday, when 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. 'We're all looking forward to continuing the FIA WEC season at Spa this weekend,' said Al Harthy. 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.' Imola very much marked the true start of the 2025 season for the No.46 BMW M4 LMT3 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. Al Harthy's 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!
Muscat Daily
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
FIA WEC podium for Al Harthy, Rossi and Van der Linde at Imola
Muscat – FIA World Endurance Championship driver Ahmad al Harthy celebrated his first podium finish of the 2025 campaign at Imola in Italy on Sunday as the Omani and teammates Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde just missed LMGT3 victory by a mere 0.3 seconds after six hours of racing. Starting the 6 Hours of Imola from a fantastic LMGT3 pole position, after a superb performance in qualifying and Hyperpole, the Team WRT squad rightly focused on challenging for the win and during an excellent double-stint from Al Harthy at the beginning the aim remained firmly on target. Rossi was every bit as competitive during the middle phase of the race, but an unfortunate penalty linked to contact with a Ferrari with just over a couple of hours to go impacted their bid. With a huge amount to do from the tail of the top 10, Van der Linde was electrifying during the closing stages and stormed back up into second place thanks to some inspired strategy calls as well from the team. 'What a race! My stint was amazing, we were doing a lot to make sure we were in the right position for the final few hours of the race,' said Al Harthy. 'Leading Imola for such a long time was tough and challenging, so I was really pleased to give Vale the car in P1. Due to what happened on the track things started moving around, it was definitely one of the most emotional races for all of us. 'At one point we were leading, at another point we're P10, and then to finish on the podium in P2 was an amazing result after an unbelievable recovery. That goes down to all of the drivers and the team for working incredible strategy calls at the right time. I'm really so glad to be on the podium, Imola has always been so good to me. Now we work for the next round at Spa. 'I want to say a huge thank you to all of my partners, all the people who believe in this project. This is what it's all about, we are on the podium steps of the FIA World Endurance Championship! It's sometimes hard for that to sink in and to realise what we've achieved.' Thrilled to line-up on pole at the start of round two of the FIA WEC season, OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman partnered racer Al Harthy launched well to keep the pack behind at bay. The gap at the front ebbed and flowed during the early laps, as the Team WRT car and the chasing No.21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 pulled clear of the next group. With 30 minutes complete the Omani's advantage stood at just over two seconds and although this was reduced later in the opening hour, the Ferrari managing to get ahead, Al Harthy's first pit-stop went as well as it could. When the order shook-out the No.46 BMW was leading again and by an increased margin of six seconds, but after a Safety Car period in hour two the Ferrari again filled Al Harthy's mirrors. Stops were soon required once more and the majority of the field visited pitlane, while the Omani stayed on trackbefore then pitting late in hour two from the lead. Rossi climbed behind the wheel at the driver change and when the order settled he was third in LMGT3. After a Full Course Yellow period the Italian focused on pressuring the sister Team WRT BMW M4 and he duly passed to move into second place. Reducing the gap to the leading No.87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus, when it pitted Rossi moved through with just over three hours to run. In hour four, the bid for victory seemed all-but gone when a tangle between Rossi and the No.21 Ferrari at Rivazza ultimately led to a stop-go penalty for the No.46 BMW. South Africa's van der Linde had an unenviable task to try and battle back from the bottom end of the top 10 during his double stint at the end, but he and the team strategists rose to the challenge superbly. Showing immense commitment, Van der Linde scythed his way through back into the podium placings and after moving to second he piled pressure on the ultimately victorious No.92 Manthey 1ST Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R during the closing stages. Swarming all over the Porsche, a mere 0.3 seconds were the difference at the chequered flag. There are only three weeks to wait until the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which will take place on May 10th at the world-famous Belgian circuit.
Observer
16-04-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Oman LNG partners with world endurance 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 liquefied 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. Oman LNG Ahmad 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: 'Oman LNG is proud to partner with Omani motor racing champion Ahmad al Harthy as he represents the Sultanate of Oman 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: '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.'
Observer
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Ahmad braces for Imola 6-Hour race
IMOLA, Italy: 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, April 19/20 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. Ahmad al Harthy aims to bounce back strongly after a disappointing result in Qatar. 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, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman. Ahmed al Harthy during the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue in Doha. 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 a 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, and all of the action can be followed at
Observer
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Observer
Sohar International to support Ahmad in 2025 campaign
MUSCAT: Oman's Ahmad al Harthy, who will compete for a second season with BMW and Team WRT this year in the prestigious FIA World Endurance Championship, on Wednesday revealed his banking partner for the 2025 campaign – Sohar International. Announced during a special ceremony in Muscat, the new agreement with Sohar International marks a renewal of a key partnership which first developed in 2022 when the Omani banking leader supported Al Harthy in the European Le Mans Series. In the few short years since, Al Harthy's stock and profile within global motorsport have continued to rise at an impressive rate. Now, Sohar International will be supporting the incredibly successful endurance racer in the world's biggest championship of its kind – FIA WEC. Following an excellent maiden season driving a Team WRT engineered BMW M4 LMGT3 last year, where two LMGT3 podiums were achieved en-route to sixth in the championship standings, Al Harthy remains with the squad for 2025 as team-mate to motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi in the high-profile No 46 car. Additionally, the duo will be partnered by South Africa's Kelvin van der Linde. Joined by a range of dignitaries at Wednesday's partnership launch, Al Harthy gave a presentation outlining his determination for the coming FIA WEC campaign, which actually marks his third year in total in the global championship, and his delight at having the vital support of Sohar International. Like Oman's number one racing driver, Sohar International is a true homegrown success story from the Sultanate of Oman. Running operations throughout Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, Investments, Government and Project Finance Syndication and Treasury and Islamic Banking, the financial leader is proud to again support Al Harthy and share the opportunities such global exposure will bring. Headquartered in Muscat, Sohar International has an ambition to continually expand its operations worldwide while retaining its key focus of changing banking services for the betterment of all, and contributing to the overall prosperity of Oman. Abdulwahid bin Mohamed al Mushidi – Acting CEO, Sohar International: 'Ahmad al Harthy has consistently demonstrated perseverance and excellence on the global motorsport stage, embodying the same agility and resilience that define Sohar International. We take great pride in supporting homegrown talent who not only carry the Omani flag internationally but also inspire the next generation to push boundaries and achieve greatness. 'Our financial services, vision and values align seamlessly with Ahmad's approach to racing and his role as a distinguished ambassador for Oman. He has accomplished much in his remarkable motorsport career, and this year holds great promise. Sohar International is proud to support him as he takes on the biggest challenge of his career yet.' Ahmad Al Harthy: 'I'm really delighted to have Sohar International onboard for our 2025 season, focused on the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW and Team WRT. We obviously share many synergies with Sohar and I am very excited to be working with them again, it means so much to have a financial partner in this amazing motorsport programme of ours. 'Together we will showcase and highlight the presence of Oman on the world stage, sharing all the benefits being part of the world's biggest endurance championship brings. I'm looking forward to taking on FIA WEC for a second year with BMW, and my great team-mates Vale and Kelvin, and I want to thank the entire team for their belief. We're all looking forward to a successful season.' Al Harthy, who got his motorsport year underway in fine style with an outstanding GT3-Am class victory in the Michelin 24H DUBAI last month at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 EVO, will make his first FIA WEC outing of the year just a couple of weeks from now during the official prologue at Lusail in Qatar on February 21/22. Round one of the FIA WEC season will take place in Qatar on February 28, with the eight-event campaign concluding at Sakhir in Bahrain on November 8. The 2025 calendar also includes visits to Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, USA and Japan.
