PORTIMÃO, PORTUGAL – Oman’s Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and new Canadian team-mate Mikaël Grenier take part in this weekend’s opening round of the 2024 International GT Open at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
After Portugal, the eight-round calendar visits Germany and Belgium next month, Hungary in June, Paul Ricard in July, Austria and Spain in September and ends at Monza on October 20. The Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 pair will contest only Spa and Barcelona after this weekend.
I am really looking forward to the start of the International GT Open season. I will be participating in three rounds, all with Mick Grenier. Not only is he a very strong driver but he is someone I get along with very well. He will be with me in GT World Challenge Endurance and for these three rounds.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
We are with Getspeed and Al-Manar Racing and we feel our package is extremely strong. We don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t be fighting for the win.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
Al-Zubair and Fabian Schiller won the Portuguese race outright last year, the Omani’s seventh GT Open victory after finishing third overall in his first full season in 2021. Optimum Motorsport’s Samuel de Haan and Charlie Fagg were second in a McLaren 720S GT3, with Team Motopark’s Diego Menchaca and Marcos Siebert third.
Grenier finished second in the International GT Open in 2019 after four wins with Emil Frey Racing’s Lamborghini. Earlier this month he and Al-Zubair teamed up with Austria’s Dominik Baumann to finish second in the Gold Cup at the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup opener at Paul Ricard.
The GT Open shares the weekend with Euroformula Open, GT Cup Europe, the Clio Cup Series and Alpine Elf Europa Cup. Designed by Ricardo Pina Arquitectos and completed in October 2008, the circuit has hosted ELMS, DTM and WEC, welcomed the GT Open for the first time in 2010 and has hosted MotoGP since 2020.
Schedule
Private testing is allowed on Thursday, before three free practice sessions on the 4.653km circuit on Friday, April 26. Saturday’s 30-minute qualifying starts at 09:30, with the 70-minute first race at 14:15. Sunday’s qualifying is at 09:00, and the one-hour second race starts at 12:20.