Oman's Ahmad Al Harthy, along with Kelvin van der Linde and Valentino Rossi, put up a great effort in qualifying for this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the trio's No. 46 BMW M4 LMGT3 finishing third on the grid for the biggest race of the year.
Al Harthy made an excellent start in the primary qualifying session on Wednesday, June 11, ranking first in the LMGT3 class to easily advance the Team WRT entry into the first of two Hyperpole shootout sessions on Thursday, June 12.
South African driver van der Linde took up the baton and continued in the same vein as Al Harthy, lapping fastest in Hyperpole 1 to ensure the BMW would start at least eighth on the grid for the twiceroundtheclock race – round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Rossi took to the wheel for the crucial Hyperpole 2, immediately following the first of the shootouts, and the Italian's initial genuine flying lap was his best of the session as he finished third in LMGT3.
Drivers had to maintain steely focus and determination to overcome the enormous 8. 47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, with red flag delays affecting qualifying and the first Hyperpole. OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Experience Oman supported Al Harthy and the entire team—certainly did that.
Brilliant performance from Team WRT trio boosts Le Mans potential.
Al Harthy delivered a standout performance in opening qualifying on Wednesday. After the first proper lap, the Omani was second with just over 10 minutes gone in the half-hour session. He maintained fifth midway through when the red flags were thrown.
Determined to put together a strong lap after the resumption and contend for the fastest time, he piloted the No. 46 BMW M4 to a lap of 3m56. 875 seconds, placing him on top by four tenths of a second to smoothly advance to Hyperpole as the quickest of the lead 12 contenders.
In Hyperpole 1, van der Linde clocked a time of 3m55. 855s, just moments before the red flags were waved. After the restart, he improved to 3m54. 530 seconds, leading LMGT3, and then lowered another two tenths on his final lap to finish the session quickest with 3m54. 345 seconds.
Rossi stepped into the driving seat for Hyperpole 2, which lasted 15 minutes, and his first competitive lap took 3 minutes and 54. 966 seconds, putting him third. Ultimately, this was the Italian's finest of the session, as he clinched an excellent third on the grid for, arguably, the most significant event in four-wheeled motorsport.
Ahmad Al Harthy:
"I was extremely delighted to have put our car on pole in the first qualifying; doing it here in Le Mans was extra, extra special. " Everyone on the team was highly motivated to maximize everything the vehicle had to offer. Then, into Hyperpole, where Kelvin performed exceptionally well in session one. It was a strategic choice to place him in that session, and it was incredible to be pole again.
"For Vale to get the car in the top three in Hyperpole 2, for sure, is far beyond what we expected – he got a really, really mega lap. " This is only the first portion of the entire event, but having a strong starting position for a 24-hour race is always advantageous. I'm really proud of the entire crew; it was a wonderful team effort throughout qualifying. Now we focus on the race! ”
There is one day without track activity at the Circuit de la Sarthe before the start of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans on Saturday, June 14th. Warm-up occurs at 12:00 local time, followed by the race at 16:00.
2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Driver Standings (after Round 3):
First place goes to Ben Keating, Daniel Juncadella, and Jonny Edgar with 44 points.
2nd place Alessio Rovera, Francois Heriau, and Simon Mann, 40 points.
Third place went to Arnold Robin and Finn Gehrsitz, who scored 38 points.
Ninth place for Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, and Kelvin van der Linde with 21 points.
2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Team Standings (after Round 3):
First TF Sport (Corvette Z06 LMGT3. R), 44 points.
Second Vista AF Corse (Ferrari 296 GT3), 40 points.
Third Akkodis ASP Team (Lexus RC F LMGT3), 38 points.
Ninth Team WRT (BMW M4 LMGT3), 21 points.
