Le Mans [France], June 15: Team Qatar successfully completed its first-ever appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, reaching the chequered flag after an impressive and determined performance in one of motorsport's most prestigious events.
Competing at Le Mans for the first time, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx rose to the challenge of the iconic endurance race with pace and professionalism, bringing home the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 entry after more than 320 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Starting 12th on the LMGT3 starting grid, the car shared by Abdulla Al Khelaifi, Julian Hanses and Giuliano Alesi established itself in the fight from the opening stages of the race, immediately settling into the rhythm of the twice-around-the-clock contest. Team Qatar climbed the order of the ultra-competitive class, rising to as high as second place at one stage - a remarkable achievement for a team making its Le Mans debut.
As the race evolved, in hot, clear conditions, the team executed its strategy perfectly, with Hanses taking over from Abdulla's initial triple stint, before Alesi continued the momentum into the night.
Navigating traffic, yellow flags, Safety Cars, and more than 30 pit stops for fuel, tyres and driver changes, Team Qatar remained firmly in contention for a strong finish.
But as the 24-hour race continued, suspension issues forced the car into the garage for repairs. Despite losing valuable time, the decision was taken to rectify the problem and continue to the finish, underlining the perseverance and resilience that have characterised the team's efforts throughout the week.
To epitomise how gruelling this race is, eight runners from the class were forced to retire.
"It was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. I was very happy that we stuck to the race and made it to the finish. I'm really proud of my team-mates and everyone at Team Qatar and Iron Lynx," said Abdulla Al Khelaifi.
"This is a historic moment for the whole team, and to get to the finish, we never gave up."
Giuliano Alesi said: "The whole event with Team Qatar was really special, and I really enjoyed working with the team and experiencing the energy of the track, the car, the fans, and the night sessions as well. Everything was amazing!
"Overall, it was a positive race and I'm super happy to get to the finish which was our ultimate goal."
"The 24 Hours of Le Mans was unbelievable, I learnt so much throughout the whole race: about race strategy, managing tyres - it was incredible," said Julian Hanses.
"At the beginning fighting for positions was very enjoyable and then getting back on track and collect as much data and as many laps as possible to gain experience and learn from this race.
"Thanks to the whole of Team Qatar, Iron Lynx and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport for the great support." The Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG ultimately crossed the finish line to complete the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class, but the final result only told part of the story. From securing a place in Hyperpole qualifying to demonstrating pace throughout the race, reaching the finish on Team Qatar's first attempt represented a historic moment for Qatari motorsport.
With a project developed through the vision and support of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, a debut Le Mans entry has provided a platform for Qatar's Abdulla Al Khelaifi to compete on one of motorsport's biggest stages, alongside some of the most famous manufacturers and top drivers in the world.
"This weekend represents an important moment for Qatari motorsport. We set out a vision to compete at the highest levels of international racing, and to see Team Qatar reach the finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the very first time is a source of enormous pride," said Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President of QMMF and LIC.
"Over the course of the week, we have demonstrated pace, professionalism and resilience, competing alongside some of the best teams in endurance racing."
"I would like to congratulate Abdulla, Julian and Giuliano as well as Morgan Caron, the QMMF Racing Team Manager and every member of Team Qatar by Iron Lynx for their determination, dedication and hard work across the week and in particular over the past 24 hours. I have been impressed by how everyone has responded to adversity, remained united and determined to achieve our goals. Those qualities reflect the values of Qatar and will inspire future generations."
The LMGT3 class was ultimately won by the TF Sport Corvette Z06 piloted by Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating. In LMP2, victory went to the number 43 Oreca-Gibson run by Inter Europol piloted by Tom Dillmann, Nicholas Yelloly and Jakub Smiechowski.
The outright winner of the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans went to the Toyota TR010 driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck De Vries.
Source: Qatar Tribune
