Monday 19 / January / 2026
MUSCAT: Late brake failure denied Ahmad Al Harthy and the Paradine Competition team a near-certain GT3 AM class victory and overall podium finish at the Michelin 24H Dubai on Sunday, with just 30 minutes remaining in the race.
The No.992 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 EVO was leading the GT3 AM category and running third overall when a front-left brake disc failure caused a puncture and forced the car into retirement. The incident ended a consistently strong performance from Al Harthy and team-mates Darren Leung, James Kellett and Anthony McIntosh, who were later classified fourth in class and 16th overall.
Starting from GT3 AM pole position, secured through combined qualifying efforts from Al Harthy, Leung and Kellett, the BMW was competitive from the outset. Kellett took the opening stint and climbed rapidly through the field into the overall top four while maintaining the class lead.
Al Harthy took over after the first pit-stop and continued the strong pace through multiple Code 60 periods and strategy cycles. The Paradine BMW remained firmly in contention for both class honours and an outright podium as the race progressed into the night and early hours of Sunday.
With two hours remaining, Al Harthy was back in the car, leading GT3 AM and running second overall. He completed the opening part of the final hour before handing over to Kellett for the run to the finish.
The race came to an abrupt end when the front-left brake disc failed on the start-finish straight, causing extensive damage that could not be repaired safely, despite Kellett managing to return the car to the pits.
Reflecting on the outcome, Al Harthy said: “I’m speechless. From the start of the race we were so competitive. We wanted to win GT3 AM, but our goal was actually the overall podium the whole time. It’s one of the longest 24-hour races I’ve done and the most stints - in total I think I completed nine hours. It’s so disappointing with the brake failure, but I’m super-proud of everybody in the team for doing such an amazing job.
“Our lead was so great in GT3 AM that we still finished fourth, so I think we all take the positives from that. I’m really happy with how we approached the weekend and how we all performed. It’s still a very positive way to begin the 2026 season for me, and I think everyone who watched would agree.”
