24H Series, Middle East Trophy - Michelin 24H Dubai - BMW victorious with M4 GT3 Evo

The 20th edition of the Dubai 24 Hours delivered intense action as BMW's M4 GT3 Evo clinched a historic victory on its debut amidst strategic brilliance, mechanical challenges, and high-stake competition.

Article by Charlie Thornton, contributions from Michael Pokomandy and Isidor Trondsen.

QUALIFYING

Qualifying opened with three sessions for the GTX, GT4 and TCE categories at the Dubai Autodrome. Notably, Nikita Mazepin led early in the #797 Graff Racing Rossa LM GT but faced potential punishments for rule infractions. Brendon Leitch excelled in the GTX class with Leipert Motorsport’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo, securing pole position. Team CMR’s Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo and asBest Racing’s Cupra Leon TCR claimed class poles in GT4 and TCE respectively.

Competition in the 992 Cup category was fierce, with the Red Camel Jordans emerging victorious in the Pro class, while SebLaJoux Racing topped the Am category.

A dramatic incident in the opening session involving the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II led to a lengthy red flag, resulting in the majority of the remaining sessions to be held under darkness. While weaving on the back straight on his outlap, Bihuang Zhou collided with the rear of the #11 Hofor Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, resulting in a heavy impact with the barriers. The crash sent debris flying across the track, and the #24 Dinamic GT Porsche 992 GT3 R was struck by a wheel, though it escaped damage.

Pure Rxcing’s Porsche claimed overall pole position with blistering lap times, while Winward Racing and Paradine Competition earned Pro-Am and Am class poles respectively.

RACE

The twenty-four hour spectacle roared to life at 13:00 local time, with the #16 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG surging into the lead, edging out the pole-sitting #92 Pure Rxcing Porsche through the opening corners. Winward Racing’s aggressive start paid off, securing an early advantage, however, the drama unfolded almost immediately. Roman Rusinov in the #797 Graff Racing Rossa LM GT faced an investigation for a false start, while the #81 Era Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 suffered a puncture on the formation lap. Adding to the chaos, the pole-sitting Porsche dropped to fourth place within thirteen minutes following contact with the #88 Dragon Racing Ferrari. The opening hour was a whirlwind of position changes and minor incidents, hinting at the unpredictability ahead. By the end of the hour, the #777 AlManar Racing by Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo, which had started in fourth, claimed the lead from Paradine Competition’s debuting BMW.

Heartbreak struck early for the #41 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, which failed to even take the formation lap. Mechanical issues stemming from a night-practice incident involving the driveshaft and differential forced an early retirement. As the second hour commenced, Kalle Rovanperä in the #969 Proton Huber Competition Porsche briefly took the lead following the pit stops by other teams. However, disaster struck shortly after when the #990 JBR Porsche Cup crashed exiting the final corner. The heavy impact led to the race’s first code 60 period, which stretched on due to fluid clean-up on the track. The tone was set for a challenging and eventful race, marked by relentless battles and mechanical misfortunes.

During the third hour, the second code 60 period was called mere minutes after the first had ended. The #81 Era Motorsport Ferrari, struggling with a stuck limiter, created a hazard that led the #5 Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to collide with the wall at turn two, inflicting significant damage to the car. 

As the sun dipped below the horizon in the United Arab Emirates, the relentless conditions began to wear down both teams and machinery. Four hours into the race, the  #31 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3 was forced to retire due to persistent gearbox malfunctions, which caused unpredictable gear shifts, leaving the car unable to compete. Meanwhile, Indian film star Ajith Kumar came to an unexpected halt in the #414 Razoon More Than Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 at pit entry, reportedly out of fuel. This incident prompted the fifth code 60 period within just five hours of racing.

At 20:00 local time, fireworks illuminated the night sky, but the celebration was short-lived as the #470 WS Racing BMW M4 GT4, driven by Emely de Heus, erupted into flames moments later. Marshals quickly deployed extinguishers to control the fire, which left a gaping hole in the car's bonnet. This incident prompted another code 60 period, a signature feature of the 24H Series designed to ensure safety during on-track emergencies.

Remarkably, the #414 Razoon More Than Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, heavily damaged in a fifth-hour barrier collision, made a determined return to the track with thirteen hours remaining. This comeback exemplified the Austrian team’s resilience and commitment to finishing the race. A few hours later, the #33 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720s GT3 Evo encountered suspected suspension issues and was sent to the garage. The team, undeterred, vowed to make repairs and rejoin the competition.

With just under ten hours left, misfortune struck the class-leading #495 Team CMR Ginetta GT4 as it caught fire, necessitating another code 60 period. Shortly after the track returned to green, the #701 Vortex was pushed back to the garage, followed by a Porsche Cup car that began leaking fluid, triggering the fourteenth code 60 of the race.

A pivotal moment unfolded with just over eight hours remaining when Harry King, piloting the #92 Pure Rxcing Porsche 992 GT3, faced multiple lockups in a single lap. Forced to cut through turn nine, he limped back to the pits with a puncture, temporarily halting his charge from second place. An hour later, the lead battle intensified as pit stops shuffled positions, with the #24 and #92 Porsches engaging in a fierce duel with the #777 AlManar Racing BMW.

As dawn broke over the Dubai Autodrome with less than six hours to go, Daniel Harper in the #777 BMW M4 GT3 Evo maintained the lead. However, the race was far from uneventful. Dwight Merriman in the #81 Era Motorsport Ferrari crashed into the wall at turn nine, triggering the seventeenth code 60 of the race. The incident dashed hopes of breaking the 2012 distance record of 628 laps set by the Black Falcon Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.Shortly after the code 60 ended, misfortune struck the GTX class leader. Leipert Motorsport's Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo spun at turn twelve and, with a broken starter motor, couldn’t restart. Another code 60 was issued to safely recover the car, though their significant lap advantage ensured they retained the lead. With just three hours remaining, Thomas Preining in the #92 Porsche was on a determined charge, clawing back time lost to a midnight puncture. Meanwhile, Lauris Nauroy in the #992 SebLaJoux Racing Porsche Cup spun at turn four, suffering heavy frontal damage and fluid leakage after colliding with the #928 HRT Performance Porsche Cup. This prompted another lengthy code 60 period lasting thirty minutes. Racing resumed briefly but was quickly halted again when the #989 Seven x Seven Racing Porsche Cup stopped off-track at turn three. Though the car made it back to the pits, a locked front-left wheel revealed a shattered brake disc, necessitating a quick replacement to rejoin the action.

With just over an hour remaining, the #16 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo faced a critical issue with its front splitter. A red ratchet strap had been attached to secure it, but it wasn’t fastened properly, posing a potential safety hazard. The team brought the car into the pits for its final stop, removed the strap, and used tape for repairs. This delay, however, cost them the lead in the GT3 Pro-Am class.

As the final hour unfolded, Max Hesse in the #777 AlManar Racing by Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo maintained a commanding lead, entering the pits for his final stop with over a two-minute margin ahead of the chasing #24 Dinamic GT and #92 Pure Rxcing Porsches.

In the final fifteen minutes, tension mounted as Loek Hartog in the #24 Porsche began reeling in Thomas Preining in the #92 Porsche for second place. Preining, hampered by a time penalty to be served post-race, was also losing significant time. Hartog managed to shrink the gap dramatically from forty-six seconds to just twenty-four seconds in seven minutes. However, it was later revealed that Preining had been conserving fuel and was given the green light to push in the race’s final moments.

BMW’s debuting M4 GT3 Evo triumphed at the Dubai Autodrome after twenty-four gruelling hours of endurance racing, securing victory by an entire lap over the competition. The pole-sitting Pure Rxcing Porsche claimed second place, with their bid for victory thwarted by a puncture suffered by Harry King during the night.

In the Pro-Am class, the #91 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 992 GT3 R took top honors, edging out the #16 Winward Racing Mercedes, which had led much of the race. Third place in Pro-Am went to Dragon Racing’s #88 Ferrari 296 GT3, which finished thirteenth overall and was the highest-placed non-German car in the field.

GT3 Am saw a dominant performance from the #991 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 Evo, driven by Darren Leung, who also contributed to the victory of the overall-winning #777 BMW. The Paradine Competition team finished fifth overall, two laps ahead of the second-place #80 Herberth Motorsport Porsche and the third-place #21 HAAS RT Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

In the 992 Pro class, Red Camel Jordans clinched victory, besting the #912 Tierra Outdoor Racing and #901 Ajith Kumar Racing Porsche Cups. The #974 QMMF by HRT team took the win in 992 Am, with #911 TFT Racing and #971 Rabdan by Fulgenzi finishing second and third.

The GTX class was dominated by the #710 Leipert Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, which won by an astonishing thirty-seven laps. Second place went to the #111 111 Racing IRC GT, while the #701 Vortex finished third but failed to reach the chequered flag.

In GT4, the #438 AGMC Racing by Simpson Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 secured victory by five laps over the #427 SRS Team Sorg Rennsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, with the #496 Continental TTR Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 in third. The TCE class was won convincingly by the #101 AsBest Racing Seat Leon, which finished a remarkable seventy-seven laps ahead of their sister #102 Cupra TCR. The #127 SRS Team Sorg Rennsport Porsche was not classified, having failed to complete 75% of the race distance.

The “Spirit of the Race” award went to the #914 Razoon More Than Racing Porsche Cup 992, which overcame numerous setbacks and incidents to cross the finish line, epitomising resilience and determination.

CONCLUSION

The 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Dubai delivered a thrilling spectacle, showcasing endurance racing at its finest. From fiery setbacks to nail-biting duels in the final moments, the event embodied perseverance, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of victory. The spotlight was firmly on AlManar Racing by Team WRT, who achieved a historic debut victory. The race was a true test of attrition, with eighteen cars, approximately 28% of the field failing to reach the checkered flag after 24 demanding hours.

The series now moves to the second and final round of the 2025 Middle East Trophy at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi, hosted at the Yas Marina Circuit. With fifty-two cars on the entry list, nine more than the 2024 edition, the stage is set for another thrilling showdown. Among the strong contenders is Team WRT, fielding a BMW M4 GT3 Evo piloted by an impressive lineup, including 2024 12 Hours of Bathurst and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Yasser Shahin, 2023 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup champion Timur Boguslavskiy, and three-time GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup champion and 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge champion Charles Weerts.