Monday 28 / April / 2025
Muscat: Ahmad Al Harthy and the Oman Racing with TF Sport team rewrote the endurance racing history books once again in remarkable style over the weekend, 10th/11th June, with a truly exceptional performance to finish second in the GTE Am class on their 24H Le Mans debut.
Hailing the proudest day of his glorious motor racing career so far, an ecstatic Al Harthy scaled the Le Mans podium on Sunday afternoon with team-mates Michael Dinan and Charlie Eastwood to put the icing on the cake of an outstanding performance in the 100th anniversary 24H Le Mans.
Dedicating the dream runner-up finish to His Majesty the Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, and expressing immense gratitude to his partners Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, OQ, Omantel and MHD-ITICS, Al Harthy also saluted the whole Oman Racing with TF Sport squad for exceptional work.
In addition to the prestige of finishing second on his debut in the world-famous endurance racing classic, in the Centenary event no less, the performance elevates Al Harthy and his team-mates from eighth to second in the FIA World Endurance Championship standings – the race also forming round four of the WEC season.
Ahmad Al Harthy said: “This is the first time I think I’ve ever been truly speechless – wow! What a dream come true this is, to finish on the podium in P2 at the world’s largest and greatest event ever in endurance racing, and at our first attempt as well, is something I can’t describe. This is the big one, the Le Mans 24 Hours, and we got it – we got onto the podium!
“The race had everything you could think of, from the beginning to the end, it was one of the most challenging races and for it to be at the 100 year centenary race, it’s amazing. I am so proud of everyone, Michael, Charlie and everybody at the team for an amazing job all week here in Le Mans.
“I dedicate this win to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, for their unwavering support over the years. We dreamt of this day, we managed to make it happen and we saw the flag of Oman flying at Le Mans! It’s a very proud moment for me, the proudest day of my racing career, so I say a huge thank you to all of our supporters and everybody back home in Oman, this is for everyone.”
Omani racing star conquers world’s most challenging 24hr race
The scene was set perfectly for a major challenge by Oman Racing during Le Mans week build-up, with excellent pace and performance from the opening test sessions the weekend prior. Continuing to impress in free practice, Eastwood then qualified fourth quickest to progress to Hyperpole.
Al Harthy was charged with taking the wheel of the No.25 Aston Martin Vantage for the final pole position shoot-out, and he emerged from his first ever Hyperpole session with an outstanding second fastest time around the 8.4-mile (13.6-kilometre) Circuit de la Sarthe.
The track was declared wet ahead of the start of the race at 16.00 local time on Saturday, and it wasn’t long before the first Safety Car appearance. Eastwood began for Oman Racing and took the opportunity to pit while racing was under caution early on, slipping down to 14th position, but the Northern Irishman soon began to recover places quickly.
Torrential rain arrived in the early evening, making for an unbelievably tricky situation for all concerned, and as American racer Dinan and Oman’s Al Harthy took their first mileage of the race after the various pit-stops, the podium bid became stronger and stronger
Even with a puncture during the night and a few other dramas, and the time lost as a result, the focus and determination of the drivers and pit crew ensured Oman Racing would battle all the way to the finish at 16.00 on Sunday afternoon.
Outstanding driving from all three team-mates through the small hours and into the early morning meant the squad actually led GTE Am at the end of hour 18, with Al Harthy soaking up every last bit of enjoyment from performing so strongly in his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours.
In the end, Eastwood took the final portion of the race and brought the eye-catching orange Aston Martin to the chequered flag in a remarkable second place – just reward for one of Oman Racing’s greatest performances yet.
Following the biggest adventure of his motor racing career to date, Al Harthy now returns home to Oman – for a hero’s welcome – before the FIA World Endurance Championship season resumes on 8th/9th July for round five of the season at Monza in Italy.
