logo
Al Zubair gears up with Al Manar Racing by Team WRT

Al Zubair gears up with Al Manar Racing by Team WRT

Observer26-05-2025
MUSCAT: The trio of Al Manar Racing by Team WRT — Al Faisal al Zubair, Jens Klingmann and Ben Tuck — are all geared up to take on the challenge in Italy for this weekend's second round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS at the legendary Monza circuit.
The trio, Al Zubair from Oman, Klingmann from Germany and Tuck from Britain, finished on the podium at the opening round at France's Paul Ricard in their BMW M4 GT3 EVO and are hoping for another top-class performance in this weekend's three-hour race that features a third mandatory pit stop. Klingmann was the overall winner of the race last year and he and Al Zubair have already arrived in Italy fresh from their double podium success in the recent Sprint races at Zandvoort in the Netherlands recently.
The Monza race weekend has attracted a massive 59-car field across the various classes with the Al Manar Racing by Team WRT trio lining up against nine rivals in the Gold Cup category.
The trio, Al Zubair from Oman, Klingmann from Germany and Tuck from Britain, finished on the podium at the opening round
The opening round was won by the CSA Racing McLaren crew of Arthur Rougier, James Kell and Simon Gachet and they will be aiming to defend their series lead against the likes of the second-placed Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin, the Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport and Team RJN McLarens, the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, the Paul Motorsport Lamborghini, Nordique Racing's Mercedes-AMG and Herberth Motorsport's Porsche.
Ahead of the race, talented Omani racer Al Zubair said: 'This will be the second round of the Endurance Championship, which I am really looking forward to. I really enjoy Monza. Unfortunately, we didn't finish the race last year because of a collision. We are hoping to have a much better result this time.
'Luckily, I think the BMW is more suited to Monza than the Mercedes. That should be of benefit to us. We are currently second in the championship, overall Sprint and Endurance. So, hopefully, we can have a strong weekend, score solid points and keep up the fight for the championship.'
Al Zubair have already arrived in Italy fresh from their double podium success in the recent Sprint races at Zandvoort in the Netherlands recently
The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS shares the circuit this weekend with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and McLaren Trophy Europe.
Test sessions will be available on Friday but the first official two-hour practice session is scheduled for Saturday (May 31) from 10.10hrs. Pre-qualifying will then take place from 15.30hrs. An hour of crucial qualifying will get underway on Sunday (June 1) morning from 09.50hrs and the three-hour race fires into life at 15.00hrs.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Oman clinch historic bronze at West Asia volleyball
Oman clinch historic bronze at West Asia volleyball

Observer

time6 hours ago

  • Observer

Oman clinch historic bronze at West Asia volleyball

MUSCAT, JULY 27 Oman's national men's volleyball team added a new milestone to its continental achievements by claiming the bronze medal in the 2025 West Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, following a well-earned 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in the third place playoff held at Isa Bin Rashid Hall in Isa Sports City, Bahrain. This marks Oman's first-ever medal in this regional tournament at the national team level and comes with a notable jump in the world rankings from 76th to 70th. The Omani team started strong in the first set, asserting control early on with a solid block from Saud al Maamari, followed by powerful attacks from Mahmoud al Saadi, giving Oman a 4-1 lead. With solid defensive organisation and standout mid-court strikes from Ismail al Haidi, Oman closed the set 25-19. In the second set, Saudi Arabia capitalised on Oman's offensive errors and lack of focus to bounce back and take the set 25-20. However, Oman regrouped in the third set, with Youssef al Shukaili excelling at the net and Al Haidi continuing his offensive dominance, leading to a 25-18 win. The fourth set was closely contested with continuous point exchanges, but Oman's experience shone in the final moments. Al Maamari and Al Saadi broke the Saudi momentum, sealing the set 25-22 and the match 3-1. Official match statistics revealed Oman's clear superiority in offensive efficiency, scoring 95 points to Saudi Arabia's 83. Oman registered six direct service aces and five successful blocks, offsetting 14 service errors thanks to strong mental focus and defensive coverage. Ismail al Haidi emerged as the match MVP, tallying 20 clean offensive points. Qatar Claims Gold; Al Haidi wins Best 'Spiker 2' Qatar clinched the championship title after a thrilling 3-2 victory over Bahrain in the final. Oman's Al Haidi was awarded Best "Spiker 2" for his composed performance and ability to shift the game tempo, particularly in the bronze medal match. In a post match statement, Al Haidi expressed his joy, calling the award a result of collective team effort from the preparation phase onward. "This award isn't mine alone, it belongs to everyone who supported me and stood behind the team. We played as one family, and our fighting spirit was the key to our success," he said. The tournament's awards highlighted standout performances across all positions, with Qatari star Renan Ribeiro being named the Best Player of the Championship. The award for Best Setter went to Bahrain's Mahmoud Al Afia. The Best "Spiker 4" honour was shared between Bahrain's Mohammad Yaqoob and Qatar's Nikola, both of whom impressed with their powerful attacking contributions. In the Best "Spiker 3" category, the award was jointly claimed by Bahrain's Hassan Al Warqa and Qatar's Bilal Abu Nabout. Qatar's Mahmoud Naji received the Best Libero award. Notably, Oman's Ismail al Haidi earned a well-deserved place among the elite by winning the award for Best 'Spiker 2,' recognising his impactful role and balanced play, particularly during the third-place match against Saudi Arabia. Oman Volleyball Association (OVA) President and West Asia Vice-President, Eng Ibrahim al Maqbali hailed the bronze medal as the result of a clear developmental plan and team effort. He noted the challenges Oman faces due to the disparity in professional resources, explaining, Our players participate as amateurs, while others rely on full-time professionals. We hope for partial player releases to aid future growth. Al Maqbali also praised Omani media coverage, stating it provided a significant morale boost for the players throughout the championship. He concluded by emphasising the importance of maintaining this momentum in upcoming tournaments. Oman and Saudi Arabia players in action

Oman fall to Qatar in West Asia semifinals
Oman fall to Qatar in West Asia semifinals

Observer

timea day ago

  • Observer

Oman fall to Qatar in West Asia semifinals

MUSCAT: Oman's national volleyball team saw their dream of reaching the final of the West Asian Men's Championship come to an end after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Qatar in the semifinals. The match was held at the Isa Bin Rashid Hall in Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain. The encounter was marked by clear dominance from the Qatari side, who capitalised on Oman's errors especially in serving and blocking to claim victory with set scores of 25-18, 25-19, and 25-20. STRONG START BY QATAR, SCATTERED OMANI RESISTANCE Qatar began the match with high intensity, setting the tempo both offensively and defensively. With a well-organised block and effective backline coverage, they quickly exposed Oman's weaknesses, particularly in serve reception and missed serves. Despite individual efforts from Ismail al Haidy, Mahmood al Saadi, and Younis al Amri, the first set went to Qatar 25-18. In the second set, Oman showed clearer intent to recover and improve. The introduction of Adam al Juradi injected some energy into the team, helping Oman level the score at 11-11. However, Qatar regained control through cohesive play and effective counterattacks, eventually taking the set 25-19. The third set began on a relatively even footing, with the score tied at 2-2 before Mohammed al Muqbali put Oman ahead briefly. Yet, a service error from Yousuf al Shukeili allowed Qatar to equalise, and from there they gradually took over, exploiting Oman's poor receptions. Qatar sealed the set 25-20 and the match 3-0. STATS HIGHLIGHT THE GAP Match statistics underscored the disparity between the two sides. Qatar scored a total of 75 points to Oman's 57, committing only 15 errors compared to Oman's 25. Qatar registered two direct service aces, while Oman failed to record any, and committed 10 service errors compared to Qatar's six. In blocking, Qatar recorded 11 points to Oman's six. Individually, Qatar's Youssef Jalaf stood out with 14 points (12 from spikes and two from blocks), while Oman's top scorer, Ismail al Haidy, managed only 11 points and committed five errors. BAHRAIN BOOK FINAL SPOT In the other semifinal, Bahrain secured their place in the final with a 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia. Despite losing the first set 28-26, Bahrain rallied to win the next three sets 25-16, 25-22, and 25-22. They will now face Qatar in the final. Iranian coach Reza Hossein Vakeeli expressed disappointment with the outcome, stating that the team failed to deliver the expected performance and that both individual and tactical errors cost them a place in the final. Qatar played very well and deserved to win, said Vakeeli. But we made many mistakes, especially in serving and reception.

Oman athletes shine at FISU Games
Oman athletes shine at FISU Games

Observer

timea day ago

  • Observer

Oman athletes shine at FISU Games

MUSCAT: Oman's beach volleyball team made a strong impression at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games as the men's duo of Yousef al Abri and Al Yaqdhan al Saadi concluded their journey in the Round of 16. The global multi-sport event, hosted in Germany, featured top university athletes from around the world competing at elite levels. The Omani pair faced off in the knockout stage against Lithuania's strong duo Danielius Cumakas and Karolis Paubinskas. Despite a spirited performance, the Omani team suffered a 2-1 defeat. The Lithuanian side took the opening set 21-17, but al Abri and Al Saadi showed remarkable resilience by claiming the second set 21-13. The decisive third set saw the Lithuanian duo regaining control and sealing their victory with a 15-13 scoreline, thus ending Oman's impressive run in the tournament. Oman's campaign began with a thrilling group stage encounter in group D against world leaders Australia, represented by Jed Walker and Oliver Merritt. Despite falling behind in the first set by 21-15, the Omani team made a strong comeback in the second set to win 21-18. In a nail-biting decider, the Australian pair narrowly edged past with a 15-13 victory. Part of Oman's beach volleyball participation at FISU World University Games In their second group stage match, Oman's al Abri and al Saadi bounced back in style by defeating Hungary's Boldizsar Borbely and Domonkos Doczi. Both sets were closely contested, but the Omani duo held their nerve to win 21-19 in both sets, securing a key victory in their qualification campaign. The final group stage match saw Oman secured their place in the Round of 16 with a default win over Moldova's pair Maxim Korsakov and Egor Dobcis, who withdrew from the competition. In athletics, Oman also recorded a significant milestone through sprinter Mohammed bin Hamdan al Suleimani in the men's 800m event. Competing in heat 4 of the opening round, al Suleimani clocked a season best time of 1:49.34, finishing fourth and advancing to the semifinals. His performance marked a promising step forward for Omani athletics at the university level. Oman's participation in the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Games was represented by Oman University Sports Committee (OUSC) and it led by its chairman Dr Salim al Oraimi. The event provided a valuable platform for the Sultanate of Oman's student athletes who managed to gain international experience and compete among the best in the world. Oman's athletes delegation took part in different sports discipline including: table tennis, swimming and Taekwondo.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store