Team Qatar enjoys a successful opening day at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Team Qatar’s debut entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans began in earnest with a busy day of on-track action.

With five hours of practice over two sessions and a 30-minute qualifying, the team completed a total of 47 laps and secured progression into Hyperpole qualifying. It was an encouraging first day at the iconic endurance race for the #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx entry, with valuable lessons learned ahead of a second day of running. The highlight of Wednesday’s action came during the 30-minute qualifying session, which got underway at 18:30 local time alongside the LMP2 prototype class.

Taking the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 car was Qatar’s own Abdulla Al-Khelaifi. Heading out onto the legendary 13.6km circuit, Al-Khelaifi set his fastest lap early in the session after traffic compromised his later runs. He recorded a 3m57.531s on his second lap before nervously slipping into the drop zone, where the slowest 10 of the 25 LMGT3 entries are eliminated from Hyperpole contention. However, a post-session disqualification for another competitor elevated Team Qatar into 15th position, securing the team’s place in Hyperpole which takes place later this evening at 20:00 local time.

“I’m delighted for the team that we were able to progress to Hyperpole, and we managed it by the skin of our teeth!” said a delighted Al-Khelaifi.

“It was very tight, but I’m really happy for the guys as I wanted them to have a chance to compete in Hyperpole and now I’m super happy that we can, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in that session and hopefully progress further.”

The opening three-hour practice session earlier in the day allowed teams and drivers to continue acclimatising to the circuit following Sunday’s Test Day. Despite a number of yellow flags and slow zones to recover prototypes stranded in the gravel, the Team Qatar machine demonstrated strong pace from the outset. Julian Hanses recorded the team’s fastest time of the session with a 3m55.904s lap, placing the car fourth overall in the FP1 timesheets. 

The second practice session, held under darkness, provided a productive end to proceedings. The team completed a total of 23 laps during FP2, with Al-Khelaifi taking the opening stint before handing over to Hanses after 50 minutes. Giuliano Alesi then completed the final 40 minutes of the session. 

“It’s been a historic day at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as Team Qatar has taken to the track at this famous race for the very first time,” said Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai, President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Lusail International Circuit (LIC).

“Seeing the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 in Qatari colours leave the pit lane was a moment of immense pride,” added Al Mannai.

“Our presence at Le Mans reflects a long-term vision to support and develop motorsport in Qatar, while demonstrating that our drivers, engineers and talent can compete on the biggest stages in the world.” The following action was set to feature another three-hour practice session between 14:45 and 17:45 local time before Hyperpole 1 begins at 20:00. The top 10 cars will then progress to a second Hyperpole session at 20:35, before the day concludes with a final one-hour night session between 23:00 and 00:00 local time.