MUSCAT: Al Faisal Al Zubair of Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT is set to kick off his 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (GTWCEEC) powered by AWS campaign alongside teammates Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on April 11-12.
The season opener on Saturday evening will see the Omani driver and his British and German colleagues competing for top honors in a BMW M4 GT3 EVO during a six-hour race featuring a competitive field of 59 cars from 10 different manufacturers across various classes. This event presents an excellent opportunity for Al Zubair to showcase his home country, the Sultanate of Oman, on the global stage as he strives for success.
In the Gold Cup category, Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT will face stiff competition from teams such as Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport, and Team RJN, all fielding McLaren 720S GT3 EVOs, as well as the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 and the Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The Gold Cup lineup also features the new Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 from Verstappen.com Racing and the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 from Paul Motorsport.
Al Zubair expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am eager to begin the first round of the GT World Challenge with my new team and the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, along with my new teammates, Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck. I previously raced with Ben in the Dubai 24H, where we had a fantastic start by winning that race together.
“I believe the GT World Challenge is recognized as one of the most challenging championships in GT and endurance racing. We understand the difficulties ahead. Over the past month, we have been testing in various locations and putting in the hard work. We are excited to start strong.”
The championship spans a lengthy 10 rounds, with the first round featuring a six-hour race. It will be a significant physical challenge, but the team at Al Manar Racing is filled with enthusiasm. Our goal is to see the Omani flag on the podium, inshallah, by Saturday night.
A two-hour free practice session for the opening round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS will commence at 14:20 on Friday afternoon, followed by pre-qualifying at 20:00.
The important three qualifying sessions will take place on the French circuit starting at 11:50 on Saturday, leading up to the six-hour race, which will begin at 18:00.
