MUSCAT, OMAN – Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed’s Al-Faisal Al-Zubair, Martin Konrad and Fabian Schiller begin their 2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series campaign at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit this weekend.
The Omani, Austrian and German share a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the competitive GT class as the series returns to South East Asia with a double-header, before the remaining rounds at the Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina in early February.
Last season Al-Zubair, Konrad and Germany’s Luca Stolz finished third and seventh in the two Dubai races, then won both GT races in Abu Dhabi. Their Haupt Racing Team finished second in the GT Teams’ Championship.
I am really looking forward to the start of Asian Le Mans at the end of this week. It’s a championship where we finished strong last year by winning both races in Abu Dhabi and we finished second in the championship. This year, we are aiming to go one better. We do understand that there is an extra round this year. The entry list also seems a lot stronger than last year.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
This is something we do bring into account and we know the competition will be tough. Myself, Konrad and Fabi haven’t been to Sepang before, so we will be learning the track as well. But we feel confident and hope to be on the pace relatively quickly. We will try and go for the win and try and get the Le Mans entry – that is our target. Last year we were with HRT and this year we are with the Getspeed crew.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
This year’s car has been built and prepared by Getspeed at its Nürburgring base. The 2023/24 season is the first run as a joint venture between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Asian Endurance Management and SRO Motorsports Group.
Eleven teams are entered in LMP2, five in LMP3 and 23 in GT, including Attempto Racing’s Audi R8 LMS for Dylan Pereira, Alex Aka and Andrey Mukovoz, two Saintéloc Racing Audis, a second Getspeed Mercedes, Optimum Motorsport’s McLaren 720S, AF Corse, GT Racing, Herberth Motorsport, Project One and Team Motopark.
The 5.543km circuit lies 85km from Kuala Lumpur near the international airport. Practice sessions are at 13:30 and 18:00 on Friday, December 1, with qualifying at 10:10 on Saturday and the first four-hour race at 15:00. Race two starts at 15:00 on Sunday, December 3.