Latest news with #EnduranceCup
Hans India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Hans India
Mahaveer Raghunathan holds P2 in Italian GT Championship after Mugello round
Italy: As the Italian GT Championship reaches its halfway mark, Mahaveer Raghunathan continues to make a strong impression in his debut season with AF Corse, currently holding P2 in the overall Sprint Championship standings, just two points off the leader, and P3 in the Endurance Championship. Mahaveer shares driving duties in the Endurance Cup with Italian racers Lorenzo Ferrari and Riccardo Ponzio, forming a strong and well-balanced trio for AF Corse. Mahaveer and his co-drivers began the season with a strong showing at Misano, finishing P4 despite an early-race contact that cost them valuable time. The team recovered well with solid pace and strategy but missed the podium by just 1 second. In race 1, Mahaveer finished P2 with competitive pace and a smart strategy. In race 2, he delivered a stellar drive, jumping to P1 after the pitstop and maintaining the lead under pressure. He dominated the restart and crossed the finish line with a commanding race win, moving to the top of the championship standings. A strong qualifying effort saw the team start P3. Mahaveer and his teammates maintained front-running pace throughout the race and brought the car home in P2. Despite carrying a 15-second success handicap from the previous win, the team finished P4, narrowly missing the podium by just one-tenth of a second. Finished P5 after an unfortunate sequence of events. A poorly timed safety car right after the pitstop neutralized their strategy, preventing tyre warm-up and leaving Mahaveer vulnerable at the restart. A subsequent contact led to further position losses. Mahaveer shared, 'Overall, the first half of the season has been solid. Four podiums and a win are encouraging, but I know we can push for more. I've learnt a lot, not just about raw speed but about race craft, restarts and managing races under pressure. I'm looking forward to applying those lessons and coming back stronger at Imola on August 3rd.' From the Pit Wall: Amato Ferrari, Team Principal – AF Corse said, 'I've been working with Mahaveer since the WEC rookie test in Bahrain last November. He's a very focused driver, always immersed in driving and racing. Since joining the team, Mahaveer has adapted well to the Ferrari 296 GT3. The engineers are pleased with his progress. He is working well alongside Lorenzo Ferrari in the sprint and in the endurance championship with Lorenzo and Riccardo Ponzio. The goal for all of us is the same, to win the championship, so we keep pushing.' With two more rounds each in the Endurance and Sprint formats still to come, Mahaveer Raghunathan and the AF Corse team are in strong contention, fully focused on turning early-season promise into a championship-winning campaign.
Times of Oman
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Times of Oman
Monza beckons: Al Faisal Al Zubair gears up with Al Manar Racing by Team WRT
MUSCAT: The trio of Al Manar Racing by Team WRT - Al Faisal Al Zubair, Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck - are all geared up to take on the challenge in Italy for this weekend's second round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS at the legendary Monza circuit. The trio, Al Zubair from Oman, Klingmann from Germany and Tuck from Britain, finished on the podium at the opening round at France's Paul Ricard in their BMW M4 GT3 EVO and are hoping for another top-class performance in this weekend's three-hour race that features a third mandatory pit stop. Klingmann was the overall winner of the race last year and he and Al Zubair have already arrived in Italy fresh from their double podium success in the recent Sprint races at Zandvoort in the Netherlands recently. The Monza race weekend has attracted a massive 59-car field across the various classes with the Al Manar Racing by Team WRT trio lining up against nine rivals in the Gold Cup category. The opening round was won by the CSA Racing McLaren crew of Arthur Rougier, James Kell and Simon Gachet and they will be aiming to defend their series lead against the likes of the second-placed Racing Aston Martin, the Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport and Team RJN McLarens, the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, the Paul Motorsport Lamborghini, Nordique Racing's Mercedes-AMG and Herberth Motorsport's Porsche. Ahead of the race, talented Omani racer Al Zubair said: 'This will be the second round of the Endurance Championship, which I am really looking forward to. I really enjoy Monza. Unfortunately, we didn't finish the race last year because of a collision. We are hoping to have a much better result this time. 'Luckily, I think the BMW is more suited to Monza than the Mercedes. That should be of benefit to us. We are currently second in the championship, overall Sprint and Endurance. So, hopefully, we can have a strong weekend, score solid points and keep up the fight for the championship.' The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS shares the circuit this weekend with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and McLaren Trophy Europe. Test sessions will be available on Friday but the first official two-hour practice session is scheduled for Saturday (May 31) from 10.10hrs. Pre-qualifying will then take place from 15.30hrs. An hour of crucial qualifying will get underway on Sunday (June 1) morning from 09.50hrs and the three-hour race fires into life at 15.00hrs.
Muscat Daily
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Muscat Daily
Al Manar Racing by Team WRT to compete in full season of GT World Challenge Europe
Muscat – Al Manar Racing by Team WRT's Al Faisal al Zubair said he will tackle both the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups this season. At an exclusive press reception and announcement at the Kempinski Hotel in Muscat on Sunday evening, the Omani confirmed that Al-Manar Racing's association with Team WRT will stretch to the 10-race programme and he will team up with Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck this season. The evening was held under the patronage of His Highness Kamel Bin Fahad Bin Mahmoud al Saeed, Secretary-General of Oman's General Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers. Al Zubair said: 'I am excited to announce my programme for 2025. Al Manar Racing Klingman by Team WRT will be participating in the BMW M4 GT3 Evo for the full season of GT World Challenge Europe. The championship will consist of 10 rounds for both the Endurance and Sprint championships. 'I'll be teaming up with Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck for this season's Gold Cup title assault and can't wait to get it all started at Paul Ricard next month.' The new chapter in Al Zubair's career and the association with Team WRT kicked off in spectacular fashion with a stunning victory at the Dubai 24hr race with Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Ben Tuck and Darren Leung in January. Al-Zubair became the first Omani driver ever to claim the overall win in the gruelling race at the Dubai Autodrome. Last year, he enjoyed a valuable season competing under the Al-Manar Racing banner and won the Gold Cup category and finished second overall at the prestigious Crowdstrike 24hr of Spa in Belgium. British team-mate Tuck drove a Ferrari for Kessel Racing in last year's GT World Challenge Europe's Endurance Cup and is a full-time endurance driver and performance coach. German racer Klingmann, 34, is a long-time BMW factory driver, who led Team WRT to a memorable win at Monza in September 2024. Action kicks off with the opening round of the Endurance Cup at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on April 11th-13th.
