International racer Al-Faisal bin Khalid Al-Zubair once again climbed the podium of global racing championships after securing third place in the second round of the 2025 GT World Challenge Sprint Cup at the Dutch Zandvoort Circuit. This marked the third stop of the current season, with Al-Faisal finishing third in both Race 1 and Race 2 in the Gold Cup class, alongside his teammate Jens Klingmann of Al-Manar Racing Team, driving the BMW M4 GT3 Evo with technical support from Team WRT. Their performance earned the team more valuable points toward the overall championship standings.
This round saw participation from over 40 cars from various manufacturers, delivering an exciting and competitive atmosphere. In the previous round, held at the British Brands Hatch Circuit, the team claimed first place in the Gold Cup class. Al-Faisal remains the only Arab driver competing in this category.
Following their strong performance, Al-Faisal and his teammate Jens Klingmann now sit in second place in the overall drivers’ championship, trailing Thierry Vermeulen and Chris Lulham by 23.5 points. They also hold second place in the Sprint Cup drivers’ standings, 18.5 points behind Vermeulen and Lulham. Meanwhile, the duo, along with Ben Tuck, rank third in the Endurance Cup drivers’ standings, 14 points behind leaders Simon Gachet, James Kell, and Arthur Rougier—all competing in the Gold Cup class.
As for Al-Manar Racing Team by WRT, they currently lead the 2025 GT World Challenge Gold Cup team standings, sit third in the Endurance Cup team standings (14 points behind CSA Racing), and hold second place in the Sprint Cup team standings (18.5 points behind Emil Frey Racing). All eyes now turn to Italy’s Monza Circuit, which will host the upcoming Endurance round of the 2025 GT World Challenge from May 30 to June 1.
Saintéloc Racing won the first race with their Audi, while Emil Frey Racing, with a Ferrari, outpaced Al-Manar Racing by WRT to take second place. Jens Klingmann could have achieved a third-place grid start for the second race on Sunday, as his best lap time was 1:34.508 minutes. However, Emil Frey Racing’s Chris Lulham secured pole position with Ferrari.
Emil Frey Racing’s Thierry Vermeulen crossed the finish line first in Race 2, clinching the victory. Tresor Attempto Audi finished second, and Al-Faisal Al-Zubair raised the Omani flag on the podium after crossing the line in third place in his BMW, just behind Leonardo Moncini’s Audi.
Free practice sessions went smoothly for Al-Manar Racing, who topped the timesheets during that period. The duo completed 50 laps in the WRT-prepared car, with their best time being 1:34.232 minutes on lap 17. Their closest competitor was Tresor Attempto Racing with an Audi R8 LMS GT3, clocking 1:34.550 minutes. In qualifying session one, Saintéloc Racing’s Gilles Magnus topped the charts with 1:33.033 minutes, while Al-Manar Racing placed fifth with 1:33.930 minutes, resulting in a start from the back of the Gold Cup grid in the opening race.
The Zandvoort round highlighted Al-Manar Racing’s consistency and performance, showcasing the skills of Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and Jens Klingmann. Their ability to defend positions and maintain steady pace underlined their commitment to excellence, growth, and delivering strong results throughout the season.
After securing third place, international racer Al-Faisal Al-Zubair said:
“I’m happy with this result. Finishing both races in third place in my first appearance at Zandvoort Circuit, alongside competing with a new team and for the first time in the Sprint Cup, is a solid achievement. It puts us in a good position in the overall standings.”
He added:
“The competition for second place in Race 1 was tight, but in Race 2 we firmly deserved third after a fierce battle against Saintéloc Racing, which made the race really exciting.”
He concluded:
“Our main priority as a team is to keep collecting good points inevery round. We are on the right track toward finishing the season on top of the championship standings.”
