Four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti makes his Dubai 24 and GT3 debut this weekend, contesting the Michelin 24 Hours of Dubai in the Team Parker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Rob Huff, Shaun Lynn and Max Lynn.
Speaking to DSC on the Dubai grid pre-race, Franchitti explained that his participation is more about the enjoyment of the race with friends rather than any comeback ambition.
“The simple answer why I’m here is Shaun. Two years ago he said, ‘Do you want to do it in the Bentley?’ and I said yeah, I’d love to, but then they moved the date and I couldn’t do it. Then he called me in November last year and said, ‘Do you want to do it?’
“We’ve done a lot of historic stuff together and we have a real laugh, and we do races together. It’s just that kind of ethos, with a modern car. Nothing more, nothing less than that.”
Franchitti said Dubai felt like a logical place to make the step into modern GT3 racing.
“This is a very good place to do it.”
Asked what stands out about the event, he pointed immediately to the mix of competitors and the atmosphere around the paddock.
“I think the event is good because it’s got a wide range in it. You’ve got really good Pros bringing every bit of the limit out of it, and you’ve got guys in the middle like us, and there’s some very inexperienced people.
“It seems quite a good atmosphere. It’s kind of an old-school atmosphere. I didn’t know that was a reason to do it because I didn’t know that going in, but yeah — people have been so helpful, whether drivers or teams.”
On track, Franchitti has been candid about how different GT3 machinery feels compared with his single-seater background.
“I’m trying to figure the car out — that’s been a big thing for me. The car is probably the opposite of my driving style, shall we say. Just learning that, so that has been a challenge in itself.”
I’m trying to figure the car out — that’s been a big thing for me. The car is probably the opposite of my driving style
That process has not been without frustration, but he admitted it has also been rewarding.
“I’ve been frustrated with it, but I’ve also enjoyed the challenge of it.”
Franchitti described Dubai Autodrome as a track that offers margin in some areas, but demands commitment and precision elsewhere.
“The good thing with the circuit is there’s a lot of escape routes when it gets a bit interesting.
“The tricky bit really is at the end of the first sector, turns five and six. You can see them, but it just doesn’t quite flow. They’ve done a great job of making it so it doesn’t quite flow.
“And then there are a couple of bumps as well. It’s a challenging place.”
One of the biggest adjustments has been braking technique.
“The interesting thing with GT is smashing the brake pedal, which I’ve never done. So that is either something I just get used to or I see physically, it’s been something to learn.”
At the same time, he acknowledged the relative comfort of modern GT machinery.
“Otherwise it’s good, with all the air-conditioning and everything in it, it’s luxury. You’re nicely looked after, quite like that.”
Also speaking on the grid, Huff told DSC what to expect leading into this weekend’s race. The experienced Briton is expecting a race defined by patience and survival rather than outright pace, as Team Parker Racing continues to build experience with its Mercedes-AMG GT3 package.
The British squad is contesting the Dubai classic with a new GT3 car, and Huff admits both drivers and engineers remain in a learning phase heading into the season-opening endurance event.
Huff acknowledged that the team is not yet at the performance level it ultimately targets, but stressed that steady progress has been made through practice and qualifying.
“It’s a learning game for us as drivers and the team. It’s a brand-new car, so step by step we’re chipping away.”
Rather than chasing early results, Team Parker Racing’s priority has been understanding tyre behaviour, kerb usage and long-run balance, factors that will dictate whether the car can survive the full 24 hours.
With seven or eight previous Dubai starts to his name, Huff framed the race as one of the calendar’s purest endurance tests, where survival regularly outweighs grid position.
He referenced a previous run from 35th on the grid to a top-ten finish as evidence that patience and discipline are often rewarded at the Autodrome.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to be in it at the end to get a result.”
The plan, he said, is to remain clean and competitive through the opening stages, before reassessing ambitions in the final five to six hours.
Huff also highlighted the physical challenge posed by Dubai’s layout, with its combination of long lap length, multiple technical sections and aggressive kerbing.
While modern GT3 cars are designed to absorb punishment, he admitted adapting driving style remains a consideration, particularly for experienced drivers used to earlier generations of machinery.
“These cars are designed to monster everything, but it takes some getting used to being that aggressive over the kerbs.”
Beyond traffic and car management, Huff pointed to Dubai’s environmental conditions as another variable teams must manage. Sand, wind, heat and humidity all play a role, while the event’s extended night running demands sustained concentration.
With more hours in darkness than daylight, maintaining rhythm and avoiding errors after midnight is expected to be decisive.
For Team Parker Racing, the objective is clear: stay out of trouble early, manage traffic efficiently, and ensure the car is still capable of fighting once attrition begins to thin the field.
“We’ve just got to start, get through the traffic, and survive.”
Images courtesy of 24H Series
