Muscat – Ahmad Al Harthy and the Oman Racing by Century Motorsport team showed great resilience and fought incredibly hard during this year’s Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa at the weekend until mid-race contact from another car led to retirement for the No.42 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Qualifying a very strong fourth fastest in the Bronze class for round three of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup season, and with real hopes of another class podium bid, the team battled back impressively from damage sustained on lap one to climb back up the order.

Oman’s Al Harthy, and team-mates Calan Williams, Javier Sagrera and Pedro Ebrahim, combined seamlessly during the first 12 hours as they fought-back at a baking hot Spa-Francorchamps. But contact when Sagrera was at the wheel during the early hours of Sunday morning sadly ended the team’s involvement on the spot.

“It’s always a pleasure and it’s always an honour to represent Oman at the biggest GT3 race in the world. Lap one, which had nothing to do with us, caught us with debris and the compression of cars in front meant damage and we had to change the front bumper, bonnet and other components as well – but the team did a magnificent job to get us out with such little time spent in the pits,” said Al Harthy.

“We always knew it was going to be a big battle uphill but we kept climbing, we started pushing and I’m really happy with my pace this weekend and happy with everybody in the team. Sometimes motor racing is tough, and it’s this which reminds us how competitive it is and what an honour it is when you do stand on the podium.

“Everybody in the team has learnt from this weekend, it will make everyone stronger and I want to thank all of my team-mates and the team as a whole. It was one of the hottest races we have ever competed in, and on track, none of us put a foot wrong. Unfortunately, in the 12th hour, another car caused us to retire with damage. We take away all of the positives we showed, good pace and great teamwork, and I want to thank all of my amazing partners as always for their incredible support.”

Ebrahim took the start of the race for Oman Racing by Century Motorsport and having got away cleanly all looked fair and square. Drama then ensued out of Turn 11 when several cars made contact, spearing left and right, and while the Brazilian tried to thread through the middle of the trouble the BMW sustained damage due to debris and the concertina effect.

Pitting for repairs after the Safety Car had been deployed, Ebrahim – who had moved up from fourth in the Bronze Cup to second – rejoined the race at the back of the field but only one lap down after great work from the pit-crew. Sadly, though, there was a further issue with the replacement bonnet and so the car was called back into the pits.

After such a dramatic and challenging first 50 minutes, the BMW emerged from the pit garage with Al Harthy behind the wheel for his first stint of the race. While any hope of a strong points score seemed too distant to grasp, the Omani was as determined as ever and quickly got up to speed to begin making progress with great commitment and resilience.

Eight laps down at such an early point of the race, the OQ, Omantel, Oman LNG, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and BMW Oman supported racer sought to make the most of his strong pace and also key strategy calls. Sagrera took over from Al Harthy into hour three, during a Full Course Yellow period, and thereafter the team got into a good rhythm through the various stops.

Al Harthy, Williams, Sagrera and Ebrahim all raced strongly and competitively and through the small hours of Sunday morning the Oman Racing by Century Motorsport car had moved through to 11th in Bronze. With more than half of the race still to go everyone stayed focused and determined, but in hour 12 any hopes of championship points cruelly ended after the contact from another car.