MANAMA, Bahrain: Ahmad al Harthy’s sophomore season in the FIA World Endurance Championship reaches its conclusion with something of a ‘home’ event on November 2, when the eighth and final race of the 2024 campaign takes place at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.
Relishing the prospect of racing in the Middle East once again, and especially coming off the back of a stunning LMGT3 podium performance last time out in FIA WEC at Fuji in Japan, as well as an outright victory in his dovetailed GT World Challenge Europe campaign at Monza in Italy, the Omani driver is determined to continue that high level of performance as the WEC season comes to a close.
With two WEC podiums to his credit so far this year in the No 46 BMW M4 he shares with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and decorated professional endurance racer Maxime Martin, Al Harthy would dearly love to end a stellar campaign with a hat-trick of rostrum visits.
This is especially true with so many partners and supporters expected to travel to the Bahrain event from Oman, cheering-on the Sultanate of Oman’s number one racing driver as he seeks to deliver a suitably successful and competitive swansong to FIA WEC in 2024.
While it is the Omani’s second year at World Championship level, the current season has been his first racing with the legendary Team WRT and also his maiden year driving with BMW as team-mate to Martin and Rossi.
Thanks to the top three LMGT3 finish at Fuji Speedway last month, climbing through superbly from 12th on the grid, the trio has moved up to fifth in the driver standings. The other podium result came during round two of the season, at Imola in Italy, where the team-mates took second position.
Saturday’s race, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, will undoubtedly provide Al Harthy and his team-mates with a spectacular backdrop in-front of which to conclude the FIA WEC season — the action beginning at 14.00 local time and so finishing under the floodlit night skies at 22.00.
Of course, Al Harthy will be steadfastly supported as always by his prestigious partners OQ, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Omantel, Experience Oman and BMW Oman as the globe’s biggest endurance category brings the curtain down on a tremendous year.
Ahmad Al Harthy:
“I can’t believe the final round of the FIA WEC season is here already. It’s been an incredibly busy year – with World Endurance as well as GT World Challenge Europe – but it’s still surprising we’re about to embark on the final round of WEC. It’s great to be back racing in the Middle East in Bahrain and I’m looking forward to trying to deliver the best result we possibly can.
“I can’t wait to welcome lots of family, friends and partners who will be travelling to Sakhir from Oman, it would be a dream come true to end the championship with another podium in front of all of that support. Fuji turned into a fantastic weekend, the WRT guys and Maxime and Vale did an absolutely incredible job, so I hope we can repeat that in this weekend’s Bahrain eight-hour race.”
The first track time at Bahrain International Circuit will come with the opening pair of free practice sessions on October 31, ahead of third practice and qualifying November 1 – the latter getting underway at 16.00 local time. On November 2, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain will begin at 14.00 local time — follow the action at https://live.fiawec.com/
FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 Driver Standings (after Rd7)
1. Klaus Bachler / Joel Sturm / Aliaksandr Malykhin, 136 pts
2. Morris Schuring / Richard Lietz / Yasser Shahin, 90 pts
3. Augusto Farfus / Darren Leung / Sean Gelael, 85 pts
4. Alex Riberas / Daniel Mancinelli / Ian James, 83 pts
5. Ahmad Al Harthy / Maxime Martin / Valentino Rossi, 61 pts
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