New cars
This weekend’s action in Dubai sees a number of new cars join the field.
The first is the second Nielsen Racing ORECA, which debuts this weekend with Matt Bell, Patrick Liddy and Blake McDonald listed to drive. This is the ex-GRAFF chassis that the team aquired at the end of the 2023 ELMS campaign.
Elsewhere in the class, Cool Racing’s #47 ORECA joins the field, adding to the list of ELMS LMP2 cars using the opportunity for track time during the off-season that the Asian Le Mans Series presents.
LMP3 sees UK-based, Australian flagged team GG Classic Cars make its debut, with the Aussie duo of George Nakas and Fraser Ross behind the wheel. Its Ligier JS P320 is a brand new, un-raced car and looks splendid inside and out.
And finally, the GT field is boosted by local team Dragon Racing’s #98 Ferrari 296 GT3.
Both of Dragon’s new Ferraris are on site in the paddock, though only one will race on Sunday. The second 296 was in action last weekend as part of the Dubai 24 Hours field.
Unfortunately, on the other end of the scale, it appears that Project 1’s #56 BMW M4 GT3 will not take part in this weekend. The decision to pull the car came late, prompting Sean Gelael’s move to Sainteloc.
The switch, Gelael says, was “perfect timing”, Paul Evrard’s late withdrawal to attend the birth of a child came just as Gelael was looking at changing his travel plans.
Project 1 is still here though, with its #93 M4 that will be driven by Christian Bogle, Dan Harper and Darren Leung, and is working on a solution that will see the #56 return for the races in Yas Marina.
Saintéloc stays on
Saintéloc Racing has had a busy start to the year in the Middle East, competing in the 24 Hours of Dubai last weekend, before resuming its Asian Le Mans Series GT campaign this weekend at the same circuit.
Neither of two Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO IIs on-site at the Dubai Autodrome this week were used last week in the 24, instead, those cars are being freighted back to the team’s base in France to be prepped for the start of the European season.
The two cars present for the Asian Le Mans Series are the same cars that were used at Sepang last year.
Clearly, Saintéloc is fully focused on clinching the GT title as we head into the UAE leg of the season, and if the #42’s performance in Malaysia was anything to go by, the team has a real chance at claiming a Le Mans entry.
It is not yet clear what the team’s plan would be if it were granted a place on the grid at La Sarthe. The Audi R8 LMS is not eligible due to the decision to limit additional LMGT3 cars at Le Mans to the cars from the brands represented in the FIA WEC and ELMS.
Daytona to Dubai
While there are drivers, teams and mechanics present here for Asian Le Mans that took part in last weekend’s Dubai 24 Hours (including three of the overall winners, Christopher Haase, Gilles Magnus and Bihuang Zhou), there are also a number of members of the paddock that have flown straight from the Rolex 24 Hours to be present for this weekend’s action.
This includes most of the personnel from Algarve Pro Racing, High Class Racing and Proton Competition, as well as a number of drivers who took part in both. This includes Davide Rigon, who won the Rolex 24 Hours GTD Pro class with Risi Competizione. Here he will race with AF Corse in the #21 296 GT3.
Notably, in addition to Haase, Magnus and Zhou, Project 1’s Darren Leung and Sean Gelael (who made a late move from Project 1 to Sainteloc for this weekend’s Asian LMS event), will race in the 4 Hours Dubai after winning GT3 Am in the Dubai 24 Hours with a fifth-place finish. And APR’s Freddie Tomlinson won GTX in a Toro Verde. Needless to say, they’ve had plenty of track time ahead of this one!
Alpine Hypercar drivers to arrive late
Three of Alpine’s 2024 FIA WEC Hypercar drivers, due to be on site in Dubai, are set to arrive late.
Proton Competition’s Paul Loup Chatin and AF Corse’s Mattieu Vaxiviere are not yet present at the Dubai Autodrome, as they are currently out testing with Alpine ahead of the A424’s global debut in the WEC season opener in Qatar.
COOL Racing manager Nicolas Lapierre, who isn’t set to drive this weekend, is also expected to arrive late due to the Alpine test.
Ferdinand Habsburg is also out testing with the French brand, but will not be able to travel to the Dubai Autodrome for this weekend’s race to compete with Nielsen Racing. Instead, HERTZ Team JOTA’s Will Stevens has been called up to drive the #24 Nielsen Racing ORECA.
Elsewhere, Peugeot Sport reserve driver Malthe Jakobsen is also set to arrive tomorrow. The young Dane is out testing the 9X8.
Ried enjoying life in the Asian Le Mans paddock
Proton Competition co-team principal Christian Ried, fresh from fielding a two-car effort at the Rolex 24 Hours last weekend with Porsche in GTP and Ford in GTD, is really looking forward to the conclusion of the Asian Le Mans Series season.
“I’m really enjoying it, it’s a great championship,” he said to DSC. “It was great to be back in Sepang, I raced there a long time ago, and it was good to return. It makes sense to go back there. LMP2 here is so competitive, and it fits so well in the calendar.”
The team’s #22 ORECA of Harry Tincknell, PJ Hyett and Paul Loup Chatin currently sits fourth in the LMP2 standings, after a strong performance in the second race at Sepang. The team hopes for more visits to the podium before the end of the campaign.
Al Harthy relishing LMP2 experience
99 Racing’s Ahmad Al Harthy, who currently leads the LMP2 championship with Louis Deletraz and Nikita Mazepin after their win and second-place finishe in Malaysia is raring to go in Dubai this week.
The transition to LMP2 racing for Al Harthy, who has mainly driven GT3 machinery during his career, came easier than he expected.
“My first time driving an LMP2 came last year in Abu Dhabi (also with 99 Racing). It’s been a great experience. I was really happy with the move, I just understood it straight away. Having two amazing professionals with me allowed me to learn so much.
“I didn’t think I’d have the chance to do it again, but when I found out about this project it was a great opportunity to be back.
“Having two rounds in Sepang was a huge learning curve, it’s a country I’ve never raced before. But it went really well. Now we are in Dubai, a country that I haven’t raced in as much as you’d expect considering how close it is to Oman. I think I’ve raced at Spa more!
“However, I know it, it’s technical and traffic will be one of the most interesting aspects. Usually, I’m in a car that makes way for traffic, so fighting my way through it will be interesting.”
Does he have any ambitions to compete in prototypes beyond the Asian Le Mans Series? “No,” he said “My main focus has always been GT racing.” Though clearly should 99 Racing win the title and an invitation to Le Mans, then Al Harthy says: “That would be a different story!”
Bell confident after strong end to Sepang weekend
While the opening race of the season didn’t go to plan for Optimum Motorsport’s #27 McLaren 702S GT3 EVO, Rob Bell, Ollie Millroy and Mark Radcliffe’s Race 2 podium gave the team a real boost ahead of the races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The level that Optimum operates, plus the 720S GT3 package, he says, should allow them to climb the standings and enable him to fight for his second Asian Le Mans title.
“The Asian Le Mans Series has been strong for a long time,” Bell, who won the GT Championship during the 2015/16 season with Clearwater, told DSC.
“When I first competed here it was a strong grid, but it didn’t have the strength in depth. Now, just look at it, it’s factory drivers everywhere, pro teams, it looks good, the grid is full and the racing is so competitive.
“Sepang was a good event for us at Optimum. What’s apparent is, that guys who are serious about this like Mark (Radcliffe) are seeing it as a good chance to keep their hand in during the winter. And clearly, you’re in it for the ‘Golden Ticket’ (to Le Mans).
“If we can secure Mark and Optimum an entry (adding to Optimum’s entry with Inception via IMSA) for Le Mans it would be a dream come true. I want to do Le Mans one more time at least, and to do it in a McLaren, which I have been a part of for a long time now, would mean a huge amount to me.”
John Corbett added to entry
The entry list for this weekend’s race in Dubai has been updated this afternoon. The only change is the addition of John Corbett to Czech team Bretton Racing’s Ligier JS P320 in place of Dan Skočdopole.
He has competed in Asian Le Mans Series each year since the 2019/20 season, in LMP2 and LMP3.
The updated list can be found HERE >>>
Single-seater supports
This weekend’s Asian Le Mans Series action is being supported by both the Formula Regional Middle East and the UAE F4 series.
Within those fields are a number of interesting drivers.
In Formula Regional, Emerson Fittipaldi Jnr (son of the former Formula One World Champion) and Brando Badoer (son of former Ferrari F1 reserve Luca Badoer) are entered.
And in F4, Iron Dames’ Doriane Pin is on the list, along with Raphaël Narac (son of GT driver Raymond).
Notably, Sainteloc has cars entered in both series, adding to its two-car GT effort in the Asian Le Mans Series.
Pre Qatar testing
Some key FIA WEC teams are set to test in the UAE over the next 10 days ahead of the opening round of the FIA WEC season in Qatar later in the month.
Between the Asian Le Mans Series races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Ferrari is set to complete a 499P Hypercar test ahead at Yas Marina early next week, before LMGT3 teams TF Sport and United bring their cars to Yas for testing in the days after the two Asian Le Mans races.
Timetable
The final timetable for the weekend ahead is now available to download HERE >>>
Spotter Guide
A full spotter guide has also been produced and is fully up to date. HERE >>>
