JEDDAH: Ahmad al Harthy, Sam De Haan and Jens Klingmann made their second consecutive visit to the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup podium on Saturday night, 30th November, with a faultless performance for OQ by Oman Racing at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Delivering an excellent showing throughout the season-concluding 6 Hours of Jeddah, the inaugural visit of GTWCE and, indeed, Al Harthy and his team-mates to the Saudi Arabia venue, second place in the Bronze class also ensured a richly deserved top four finish in the championship standings.
Beginning the race from eighth in class, the trio maximised the team’s strategy in the No.30 BMW M4 and a great opening double-stint from De Haan was followed by equally impressive charges by Al Harthy and then Klingmann.
Following on from the team-mates’ remarkable history making outright GTWCE Endurance Cup race win at Monza in Italy in September, they were able to repeat star form this weekend in Jeddah with Klingmann taking the chequered flag less than seven seconds shy of the class winning Porsche.
Near-perfect end to 2024 GTWCE campaign for Al Harthy
OQ by Oman Racing made consistent progression on the opening day of track action on Thursday, 28th November, with the team placing ninth in class during the first test and then improving to eighth in session two. In the dedicated Bronze practice in the early evening, the No.30 BMW M4 was seventh in the hands of Al Harthy.
Making final preparations on Friday, 29th November, during free practice and pre-qualifying, the serious business really began on Saturday morning with final qualifying. Al Harthy ran in session one and posted the 10th fastest time in Bronze, De Haan was ninth in session two and then Klingmann set the sixth best lap in the third session – combined times meaning eighth on the grid for the race.
De Haan was tasked with the opening stint of the 6 Hours of Jeddah and after holding position on lap one he moved up into seventh the next time around. By the end of the first hour he was running in the top five in Bronze and then climbed into the podium placings as pit-stops played out. Racing fell under a lengthy Full Course Yellow period around that time, with De Haan then leading the class.
Remaining in the car for a double stint, the action resumed late in hour two and roughly 15 minutes into the third hour OQ, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Omantel, Experience Oman and BMW Oman supported racer Al Harthy took control of the No.30 BMW M4.
Holding fourth place when the order settled, the Omani soon moved back into the podium placings and held second position with three and a half hours of fast-paced action under the night skies of Saudi Arabia still to go.
Claiming the Bronze lead soon after, Al Harthy then made his first stop just before mid-distance and rejoined the contest in sixth place. Once again, the OQ by Oman Racing car moved back up the order as the alternative strategies unfolded and around half an hour later Al Harthy was in second position in Bronze.
Still in second at the 100 lap mark, with just over two hours to run, Al Harthy reeled off the laps like clockwork and didn’t put a wheel wrong. Soon enough the Omani’s stint was complete and he handed over the car to Klingmann who was fourth when he re-joined the track. Moving up into third as a rival pitted, the German racer then took second fairly early in hour five.
As the final hour of racing approached Klingmann remained second in Bronze and inside the outright top 20, from a combined entry of 47 cars. With all going to plan after the penultimate pit visit, a seventh and final stop then came when there was a late Safety Car period with little more than half an hour to run. Charging hard to the finish, Klingmann sealed second in Bronze and 19th overall.
Ahmad al Harthy:
“I’m absolutely delighted, thrilled to finish the season with such an amazing result. Jeddah is such a difficult, such a fast and such a complicated race track. For us to come here for the first time in this championship and to come out with a podium, especially after what we achieved at Monza, is just testament to everything we have done as a team.
“Huge thank you to OQ by Oman Racing and everybody involved, our amazing partners OQ, the Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Omantel, Experience Oman and BMW Oman. The amount of support we have from back home is truly incredible. Racing in the Middle East, and racing in the Gulf especially, means such a lot and we had so much amazing local support here – it’s a weekend I will always remember.
“I must say a huge thank you to my team-mates as well, Sam and Jens have done a great job this season with OQ by Oman Racing. This is a really proud moment for me here in Jeddah and a proud moment for my country, it is an honour to be on the podium once again for Oman.”
GTWCE Endurance Cup 6 Hours of Jeddah Bronze Class Result
1st Dennis Marschall / Dustin Blattner / Loek Hartog
(Rutronik Racing, Porsche 911)
2nd Ahmad al Harthy / Sam De Haan / Jens Klingmann
(OQ by Oman Racing, BMW M4)
3rd Nicolai Kjaergaard / Mark Sansom / James Baldwin
(Garage 59, McLaren 720S)
4th Jef Machiels / Louis Machiels / Andrea Bertolini
(AF Corse, Ferrari 296)
5th Robert Renauer / Ralf Bohn / Morris Schuring
(Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911)
6th Eddie Cheever / Jonathan Hui / Christopher Froggatt
(SKY Tempesta Racing, Ferrari 296)
Final 2024 GTWCE Endurance Cup Bronze Class Standings
1st Eddie Cheever / Jonathan Hui / Christopher Froggatt, 74pts
2nd Jef Machiels / Louis Machiels / Andrea Bertolini, 72pts
3rd Dennis Marschall / Dustin Blattner, 71pts
4th Ahmad al Harthy / Sam De Haan / Jens Klingmann,64pts
5th Loek Hartog, 61pts
6th Max Hofer / Andrey Mukovoz, 53pts
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