The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has fielded two Qatari GT3 teams – Thuraya and Suhail – for the 18th 24H Dubai endurance, which will flag off on Saturday at the Dubai Autodrome.
The two teams are backed by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, QMMF, Porsche Center Doha, Al Buraq Automotive Company and Lusail International Circuit. The Thuraya team includes Abdulla al-Khelaifi, Ghanim al-Ali and Ibrahim Abdulghani, while Suhail is made up of Abdullah al-Abbasi, Ibrahim al-Mannai and AbdulAziz al-Jabri. Both teams will be racing in Porsche 911 cars in the GT3 Cup (992) and also will have two semi-pro drivers – Germany’s Julian Hanes and Swedish Daniel Ros – in their line-up.
Following two hours of official free practice today, the 53-car grid from 42 teams will contest 70 minutes of qualifying for the 24H Dubai endurance. After night practice later in the evening, the green flag for the race proper will fly at 3pm tomorrow. Twenty four hours of uninterrupted racing will then be brought to a close when the chequered flag is flown at 3pm on Sunday.
A total of 226 different drivers, including retired seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi who will make his debut in the series, will be in action over the weekend. The Dubai Challenge is the second biggest 24-hour racing series in the world, and is also the opening round of the series for this year which includes nine other global destinations.
Commenting on the participation of the two teams, QMMF president Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif al-Mannai said the presence of six Qatar drivers in the 24-hour challenge represents an important step towards the spread and development of motorsport in the country, in addition to preparing contestants in renowned races of this calibre.
Al-Mannai also indicated that the Qatari team’s participation in the series comes within the efforts of QMMF to prepare drivers and help them in qualification for the World Endurance Championship, which Qatar will host for six years from 2024. The six-hour endurance series will be organised by the federation and will take place at the Lusail International Circuit along with the International Motor Show. The QMMF President also noted that this will be the beginning of preparations so that Qatari drivers can represent Qatar in the World Championships. Al-Mannai thanked Porsche Center Doha and Al Buraq Automotive Company for their support for QMMF’s efforts, noting that this support contributes to achieving our future goals and aspirations.
Salman Jassim al-Darwish, Chairman and CEO of Al Buraq Motors Company W L L, said: “Porsche has a rich sporting heritage in the field of motorsports with more than 30,000 victories on race fields around the world. It has emerged victorious in endurance races that require both the ability of the car and the skill of the driver.”
“Al Buraq Automotive Company, Doha Porsche Center adopts this approach by supporting motorsports in Qatar and supporting young Qatari talents, due to its impact on developing and refining skills and enabling them to compete at the regional and international levels. That is why we decided to participate in this race,” al-Darwish said.
