Friday 13 / September / 2024
Muscat: Oman’s Ahmad Al Harthy returns to race action this weekend during round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the event marking another fresh test for the Team WRT driver with his maiden visit to the Circuit of the Americas in the USA.
Badged as the ‘Lone Star Le Mans’, the six-hour race at COTA in Austin, Texas, will be contested on Sunday, 1st September, and Al Harthy and his esteemed team-mates in the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 entry, Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin, are determined to deliver a serious points haul.
Going into the ante-penultimate event of the FIA WEC campaign, the trio hold sixth in the LMGT3 driver standings after a season which has certainly experienced ups and downs – the highlight thus far being a fantastic second place at Imola in Italy during round two.
Two unfortunate non-scoring events, at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Le Mans in France, have tempered the team-mates’ challenge in LMGT3 but ahead of this coming weekend’s race in North America they are only nine points shy of the top four in the championship.
Last time out at Interlagos in Sau Paulo, Brazil, Al Harthy, Martin and Rossi combined to deliver a richly deserved return to the points with a very creditable top five result from 12th on the class grid in a sun-baked six-hour contest.
The desire, of course, is to make an overdue return to the LMGT3 podium but in a category as hugely competitive as the FIA World Endurance Championship that is much easier said than done, with an entry packed with the world’s most high profile teams and professional endurance racers.
As is always the case, OQ, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Omantel, Experience Oman and BMW Oman supported Al Harthy will be keenly focused on developing the very best race set-up during the practice sessions in Austin. From there, he will be determined to progress to the top 10 Hyperpole qualifying shoot-out after only just missing out in Brazil by a mere tenth of a second.
Ahmad Al Harthy:
“I really cannot wait to get on track at COTA for the first time this week, it’s going to be another amazing first for me in my career and I’m looking forward to learning this incredible circuit and making the best preparations we can for qualifying and the race. I’m excited to be racing in the USA for the first time, and proudly promoting Oman as we do that – hopefully with a strong result.
“It’s been a good season generally in FIA WEC, our first together with Vale and Maxime with WRT, with just a few things working against us, especially Spa and Le Mans. Overall I’m happy with my performances, it’s incredible working with such a professional team as WRT, and we will all be working hard to deliver the best we can over the last three races – starting at COTA this weekend!”
Following three free practice sessions, two on Friday, 30th August, and one on the morning of Saturday, 31st August, LMGT3 qualifying is scheduled to begin at 15.00 local time on Saturday with the Hyperpole shoot-out taking place directly after.
