Muscat, Oman – Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup team OQ by Oman Racing will begin this afternoon’s three-hour race at the Nurburgring in Germany from 13th in the Bronze class, after a tricky qualifying period for round three of the season earlier.

With an average best lap time of 1m56.382 seconds across this morning’s three qualification runs, the No.30 BMW M4 GT3 of Ahmad Al Harthy, Sam De Haan and Jens Klingmann has a big challenge in store with today’s encounter but all three drivers are confident of an improved race.

Track time at the Nurburgring this week began with a brace of tests on Friday, 26th July, with the OQ by Oman Racing entry 10th in the Bronze class during the rain-hit morning run and then seventh fastest in the dry afternoon period. The first ‘official’ practice session followed later in the day with the exclusive Bronze practice, where the No.30 car was less than 0.2 seconds shy of the top 10.

Following an official free practice on Saturday, 27th July, the final opportunity to work on the car’s set-up for both qualifying and the race came with pre-qualifying, which was actually another wet session. Al Harthy, De Haan and Klingmann ended the period in the Bronze top 10 in the OQ, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Omantel and BMW Oman supported entry.

Final qualifying this morning, Sunday, 28th July, began with Klingmann taking the first of the three 15-minute sessions, on a partially damp track. After waiting until midway through before leaving pitlane, knowing the grip of the circuit wouldimprove with a number of cars already circulating, he ended sixth fastest in Bronze with a time of 1m56.711 seconds. 

For session two immediately after, Al Harthy strapped into the BM4 M4 and the vast majority of drivers waited in the pits again until close to the halfway point. Posting a time of 1m56.401 seconds on his first flying lap to be in the class top six, the session was red flagged in the final minute and the session didn’t resume – so Al Harthy had to settle for 11th in Bronze with his original lap.

De Haan took the third session, the start of which was delayed by half an hour due to barrier repairs from the red flag incident, and followed the same format of waiting in the pits for the first half of the period. Setting a time of 1m56.034 seconds on his first flyer, this was ultimately his best which placed De Haan 15th in class, but the team 13th in Bronze on the average best of the three sessions.

“It was a very tricky session with a very damp track in Q1,” said Al Harthy.

“Jens started in the mixed conditions, sector one was damp, everywhere else was dry, and it was very tough for him but he did a great job. I was really happy with my performance in the car in quali two, and Sam did a good job in quali three as well. It’s a long race this afternoon, we have work to do from P13but I’m confident we have a strong race car and can come through well by the end of the three hours.”