MONZA, ITALY – Al-Manar by Dragon Racing’s Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and Dennis Marschall overcame a lack of top speed on one of the fastest circuits in the world to finish in the top 10 at the demanding Monza GT Open 500 in Italy on Sunday.
The pair struggled to extract maximum straight-line performance from their Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO at the “Temple of Speed”, but climbed from 12th on the grid to finish 10th in the final endurance race of the 2026 International GT Open.
We finished the last race of the programme (International GT Open). It was a short programme because of the injury but we came into the weekend on the back foot knowing that we struggled with the BoP (Balance of Performance). There was only so much we could do.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
At the start of the race we gained a few positions but once the race gets going, with the top speed we had and the straight-line speed we were losing, there was only so much we could do. It was not the best weekend. Hopefully, we can be more competitive at the next one.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
I had Dennis Marschall with me, who is the GT World Challenge champion and one of the top drivers, and he also struggled the whole weekend. I guess that goes to prove that we both struggled with the car more than anything.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
Two stints each over 87 laps
The Omani and his 30-year-old German team-mate each drove two stints in the 87-lap race on the 5.793km circuit. Al-Zubair started the race before handing over to Marschall, then returned for his second stint, and Marschall brought the car safely home in 10th.
Victory went to the Scuderia Villorba Corse Lamborghini of Leonardo Moncini and Rodrigo Testa, with the Greystone GT McLaren of Zac Meakin and Dean MacDonald second.
Practice
The team used Thursday’s private tests before two free practice sessions on Friday. The two Team Motopark Mercedes dominated the first session with best laps of 1min 45.629sec and 1min 45.686sec. The Al-Manar Ferrari completed 21 laps and set its best time, 1min 46.699sec, on lap 20.
Al-Zubair and Marschall found another 0.144 seconds in the second session, completing 28 laps. Team Motopark’s Christian Mansell and Maximilian Götz were fastest.
Qualifying
Qualifying was split into two 25-minute sessions on Saturday. Al-Zubair completed 14 laps in the late morning, setting his best of 1min 46.350sec on his penultimate lap for 13th overall and 12th in Pro.
Marschall took over for the afternoon session and completed 12 laps, with his best of 1min 45.146sec coming on lap nine, for 14th overall and 10th in Pro. Combined, the times put the duo 12th on the grid and 11th in Pro, with pole going to Mansell and Götz in the Team Motopark Mercedes.
Looking ahead to 2027
This season’s programme was shortened because some races in the Gulf region were revised or cancelled. Al-Manar Racing will announce its 2027 race programme in due course.
Monza GT Open 500 at a glance
- Result: 10th overall from 12th on the grid
- Race distance: 87 laps of the 5.793km circuit
- Best qualifying lap: 1min 45.146sec (Marschall)
- Winners: Leonardo Moncini / Rodrigo Testa, Scuderia Villorba Corse Lamborghini
- Second: Zac Meakin / Dean MacDonald, Greystone GT McLaren