TEAM WRT CLAIMS MAIDEN ASIAN
LE MANS VICTORY IN DUBAI
Returning to Dubai Autodrome for the penultimate round of the Asian Le Mans Series, Team WRT claimed its first‑ever victory in the championship thanks to a great Sunday race from the #69 BMW M4 GT3 of Dan Harper, Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson. The new #28 line‑up of Augusto Farfus, Gabriele Piana and Sergey Stolyarov impressed with a strong P4 in Saturday's race.
The two qualifying sessions set the tone for an intense double‑race weekend at the Dubai Autodrome, with the #28 starting Race 1 from P8 and the #69 from P5. For Race 2, the #28 lined up in P20 and the #69 in P6. Both races brought their share of highs and lows. In Race 1, the new #28 crew of Augusto Farfus, Gabriela Piana and Sergey Stolyarov delivered a strong debut together, fighting their way up to P4 and only just missing the podium. Their pace and teamwork were clear from the start. Unfortunately, the #69’s race was over immediately. Contact in Turn 1 caused heavy damage and forced the car into the box, a tough blow after a solid qualifying and a real opportunity to battle at the front like the sister car.
Luckily there was a second race on Sunday to recover. The mechanics worked deep into the night to rebuild the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. The hard work paid off. Starting from P6, Anthony McIntosh, Dan Harper and Parker Thompson executed a flawless race. After the incident the day before, Tony McIntosh delivered a strong stint, handing the car over in P2. The young duo of Parker Thompson and Dan Harper completed the work to take a brilliant and well‑earned victory for the team. While the #69 enjoyed an impressive comeback, the #28 had to retire from Race 2 due to a technical issue. A disappointment for the trio after the promising P4 in Race 1.
Both line‑ups now head to Abu Dhabi as strong contenders for the final round, building on the level of performance they each showed in Dubai. The last race is only a few kilometres away at the Yas Marina Circuit, and the team goes into the weekend with good momentum and a clear focus on finishing the season strong.
Dan HARPER, driver #69: "What an up-and-down weekend, but I’m very happy with the final result! A great qualifying session that Tony maximised perfectly, with two solid lap times that put us in an ideal starting position for a race like this: up at the front and away from the chaos behind. Unfortunately, at the race start in Turn 1, Tony made a mistake that cost us the race. The damage was too severe to continue, but I’m confident he learned from it. He proved that with a strong recovery today, bringing the car home from his stint in P2. Parker also did a mega job closing down the Porsche, and the whole team performed brilliantly as always. A huge shoutout to the mechanics for getting the car back together. It was a massive amount of work, and it felt great to repay them with a victory today! Looking forward to the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend."
Anthony MCINTOSH, driver #69: "Race 1 was a tough one. We’d had so many podiums in a row, so many great results, so many hours of racing with perfect driving and no track limits issues and then I made a mistake here in T1 during Race 1. It was hard to accept, especially knowing we had a great car and a great team behind us. But we bounced back in Race 2. We rallied around each other, and all of us delivered a flawless race today. P1 is an excellent comeback, especially here, after winning the Dubai 24H two weeks ago. Huge thanks to my teammates and to WRT for sticking by me and lifting me up when I was down! On to Abu Dhabi!"
Parker THOMPSON, driver #69: "The Asian Le Mans round in Dubai was truly the epitome of racing’s highs and lows. I can’t thank Tony, Dan, WRT, and BMW enough. Everyone did an incredible job bouncing back after a very difficult Race 1. We had an amazing car, and the drivers delivered exactly what was needed to bring home an excellent result for WRT. I’m extremely proud to be part of their first win in ALMS. It’s a great day, and I can’t wait for Abu Dhabi!"
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