Sunday 19 / May / 2024
Muscat: Oman Racing Team’s Ahmad Al Harthy is hoping for a successfull season as the Sultanate’s first circuit racer focusses on the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Race in 2016.
With a new sponsor joining the team and an old one returning to the fold, the Omani star is eagerly looking forward to the new season, to achieve success on the track as well as promote the brands that support him and the country at the world stage.
Speaking at a ceremony organised at Barr Al Jissah -- his new partners -- to brief the media about his racing programme for 2016, the Omani star expressed satisfaction at what he achieved in his ten career so far, how the 2015 turned out to be a strong year and his expectations at the Blancpain GT Series.
“I should say the ten years I been racing have been very satisfying for me. In terms of achievements, to race in some of the toughest competitions in Europe and to finish on top on few occasions has definitely been very satisfying,” the talented Omani said.
“The 2015 has especially been a very strong year for me. The year ended with Aston Martin showing trust in Oman Racging Team and in me, and I was able to compete in Abu Dhabi,” he said referring to his debut in a Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the Gulf 12 hours at the Yas Marina circuit.
“And Aston Martin chose me as the brand ambassador for Middle East and North Africa during the year and I am very proud of that,” he added.
The Omani racer said he is now looking forward to the new season to achieve good results in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 and in the company of British drivers Jonny Adam and Devon Modell.
“We will be competing in the Blancpain Endurance Cup this year too with the Oman Racing Team. It is the biggest GT racing championship in the world,” said Ahmad.
“We are happy to have experienced Jonny Adam in the squad. He is a fantastic driver and we are delighted he is back. Devon Modell is a young British talent with a growing reputation.
“So we not only have a very balanced team but also the one our competitors fear most. And that kind of reputation, I belive, is good for the entire squad and that boosts our chances of success,” he added.
New sponsor
The Omani racer thanked his backers for supporting him for another season.
“I would like to thank the Ministry of Sports Affairs, they have been behind me from day one of my career. So are Oman Air and National Bank of Oman, who have been with me since 2009 and 2010 respectively.
“I am also delighted with Omantel’s decision to return to the team. We are also welcoming a new parner in Barr Al Jissa,” he said.
Asked whether there are any plans to expand his racing programme as the season progresses, Ahmad said: “It depends on the sponsors and the schedule. But as of now we are focussed on Blancpain GT Series Endurance Race. I hope to fly the Omani flag in this series and promote the brands of my sponsors and the country as a whole with my participation and achievements.”
Five-round series
Giving details of his participation in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Race, he will be taking part in the five-round series in one of the world’s most famous and iconic racing circuits.’
The five-round series begins with a race at the world famous Monza circuit in Italy on April 23 and 24.
The second round at the iconic Silverstone circuit in Great Britain on May 14 and 15 will be followed by rounds at Circuit Paul Ricard (June 24 and 25) in France, Spa-Francorchamps (July 30 and 31) in Belgium and Nurburgring (September 17 and 18) in Germany.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Sports Affairs officials and the representatives of sponsors also expressed delight in supporting the Omani hero
Mohammed Al Shikely, Vice-President Marketing at Oman Air, said: “We are absolutely delighted to continue being the key sponsor to our Omani international star as he continues to raise the Omani flag in the UK, Europe and other circuits in the Middle East. His performance and charisma has certainly added value in the efforts to further improve visibility of the Sultanate, which greatly assists us in our journey of promoting Oman as the unique destination it is – packed with culture, heritage, amazing topography, topped with a world renowned reputation of hospitality.
“Based on our primary focus of promoting the Sultanate as the destination of choice, our long standing partnership with Ahmad has been extremely rewarding and we are proud to have Ahmad as our Ambassador. We look forward to a continued relationship in 2016 that will benefit our beautiful country, its people and both our entities.”
Fahd Al Raisi, Director General at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, said: “Ahmad is clearly one of Oman’s most high profile sportsmen and an extremely proud ambassador for our country. We are very happy to continue our support for his motorsport season this year and wish Ahmad every success as he proudly flies the flag for Oman.”
John Chang, General Manager and Chief Retail Banking Officer at NBO, said: “We continue to extend our support to local Omani talent who are promoting Oman to a global audience, including our Brand Ambassador and local star Ahmad Al Harthy, who has been receiving international acclaim. Our partnership with Ahmad and the Oman Racing Team reflects our commitment to supporting rising Omani stars. We also share the same values of responsibility and corporate citizenship – he is a fantastic role model and an important ambassador for NBO.”
Barr Al Jissah CEO Firas Matraji said: “All at Barr Al Jissah are extremely excited to be part of Ahmad’s high-profile motor racing season this year. It is a wonderful vehicle to promote Oman and our luxury resort in the Sultanate, which is a prime destination for travel and business. We are very much looking forward to sharing in a great deal of success this year.”
Hamdan Moosa Al Harasi, Acting Vice-President Corporate Strategy at Omantel, said: “We are pleased to welcome back our national champion Ahmad Al Harthy to the Omantel family. Omantel and Ahmad have both passion for leading performance, excellence, and we believe that this new partnership will bear fruits for both parties. This sponsorship is an extension to Omantel efforts to support Omani talents in various fields which reiterates the company’s leadership in supporting youth and sport in the Sultanate.”
