Ahmad set for early start to racing year

• Ahmad al Harthy to get 2025 underway at 20th Anniversary 24H Dubai

• Successful BMW M4 GT3 racer to compete with Paradine Competition

DUBAI: Omani racing driver Ahmad al Harthy will make an early start to his motorsport year very close to home this coming weekend, January 11/12, as part of the Paradine Competition squad in the annual Michelin 24H Dubai.

Just days into 2025, the double GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Pro-Am Champion, outright GTWCE race winner and FIA World Endurance Championship podium finisher, is to take on the opening event of the 24H Series Middle East Trophy at Dubai Autodrome.

Called-up to pilot the No 991 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of British squad Paradine Competition alongside Darren Leung, Toby Sowery and Simon Traves in the GT3-Am class, Al Harthy is delighted to have the opportunity to return to the big Dubai race as he seeks a successful start to the new year.

The Omani, of course, enjoyed an excellent season at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT3 in GTWCE and FIA WEC last year – his first year racing with the German marque – where he achieved a range of fantastic results and some very significant highlights.

Concluding 2024 fourth in the Bronze Class driver standings in GTWCE Endurance Cup, Al Harthy was part of a headline grabbing OQ by Oman Racing line-up which secured an amazing outright victory at Monza in Italy – the first ever non-Pro entry to do so. Additionally, the squad claimed an excellent runner-up spot in Bronze during the season finale at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

During his dovetailed FIA WEC campaign, as team-mate to Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin, Al Harthy ended the season sixth in the LMGT3 standings with standout results including second place in class at Imola in Italy and third at Fuji in Japan.

Al Harthy’s most recent visit to Dubai Autodrome came during the 2023/2024 Asian Le Mans Series last February, where he claimed race victory at the wheel of an Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 prototype car en-route to third in the championship.

Ahmad al Harthy:

“It’s exciting news to be joining Paradine Competition for the Michelin 24H DUBAI, great to be joining with Darren [Leung] and the rest of the team and being back in Dubai. I’m looking forward to racing in the Middle East so soon into the new year, hopefully we can mount a strong challenge.

“The last time I was part of the 24H Dubai was during the Covid period, I was a back-up driver then, so it’s great to be there this time from the start of the week. We’ve enjoyed some good success in Dubai in the past, and it’s a circuit I’ve raced at a fair bit now, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Testing and free practice at Dubai Autodrome will take place on January 10, with GT3 qualifying expected to begin at 17.05 local time ahead of a night practice session. The twice-round-the-clock race itself will begin at 13.00 local time on January 11. Watch live at the 24H SERIES YouTube channel.