Oman Racing Team driver Ahmad Al Harthy returns to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium later this week for the resumption of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, where the 33-year-old says he will be targeting nothing less than a podium challenge at the wheel of his Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.
While round five of the 2015 campaign on Saturday, 11th July, will mark the sole overseas visit of the year for British GT, Muscat racer Ahmad and team-mate Daniel Lloyd were both in testing action at Spa a couple of weeks ago with the Blancpain Endurance Series.
Although the focus of that outing was key preparation for the upcoming Total 24 Hours of Spa at the end of July – round four of the Blancpain season – the additional track time enjoyed at the Ardennes venue should still pay dividends for the latest instalment of British GT a few days from now.
“I’m really looking forward to being back at Spa so soon, it’s an amazing track and somewhere I always enjoy racing”, said Aston Martin Middle East and North Africa ambassador Ahmad, “Heading back there this week with the recent Blancpain test still fresh in our minds should be an advantage but we know it’ll be another challenging weekend.
“The team has been doing a fantastic job all season, and Dan and I have both shown very good pace, but there have been a couple of things which have gone against us and cost us points. We know we should be competitive at Spa, the podium is the target and I’m confident we can achieve that.”
Arriving in Belgium fifth in the British GT Championship standings, 18 points shy of the coveted top three with one podium to their credit so far this year from round three at Rockingham, Ahmad and team-mate Lloyd also hold the lead in the Silver Cup class. In the entrant standings, the Oman Racing Team leads the way comfortably by more than 40 points.
Last time out in British GT, the rain affected three-hour Silverstone 500 at the end of May, the duo only just missed out on making it two podiums from the first four races of the season when a late Safety Car period spoiled their hopes and resulted in a top four finish for the Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs, Ooredoo, National Bank of Oman and Al Hashar Group-supported entry.
During the corresponding Spa event last year, where two one-hour races were contested, Ahmad and then team-mate Michael Caine raced to second position in the first of the weekend’s encounters so a repeat performance could well be on the cards.
“We know we have a good car at Spa, the team performed well there last year and we’re all going back with a lot of confidence and positivity”, added Ahmad, “The weather is always a big factor, rain is often a risk, but as we know from Silverstone we’re quick in the wet and dry so should be strong.”
Following two free practice sessions at Spa on Friday, 10th July, qualifying for round five of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship will get underway at 16.05 (local time). On Saturday, 11th July, the two-hour race will begin at 12.15 (local time) with live timing available HERE
2015 Avon Tyres British GT Championship GT3 Driver Standings: 5th Ahmad Al Harthy/Daniel Lloyd, 46pts
2015 Avon Tyres British GT Championship GT3 Silver Cup Standings: 1st Ahmad Al Harthy/Daniel Lloyd, 59pts
2015 Avon Tyres British GT Championship GT3 Team Standings: 1st Oman Racing Team, 129.5pts
