Faisal Al Zubair Maintains Golden Cup Lead in World GT Challenge

Muscat: Oman's Al-Manar Racing team, led by international driver Faisal Al Zubair, has maintained its lead in the overall standings of the Golden Cup class in the 2025 World GT Challenge following a strong performance at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit, which featured 73 competing cars. According to Oman News Agency, Al Zubair and his teammates finished fifth in the Golden Cup class, allowing the team to retain its top position in the team standings with 110.5 points. Meanwhile, Faisal holds second place in the drivers' standings with 106.5 points, with crucial rounds remaining in the season. The team completed 546 laps in their BMW M4 GT3 EVO, supported by technical collaboration with WRT Racing, facing competition from teams such as Verstappen.com Racing, Garage 59, and Wright Motorsports. The team also encountered challenges, most notably a loss of competitive speed due to a 15 kg success ballast penalty, which impacted overall performance. Faisal Al Zubair acknowl edged that the result was not ideal but emphasized the team's strong performance and crucial points haul. He stressed the importance of upcoming rounds in reclaiming the top spot in the drivers' standings. The team is set to return to competition in the next round at Italy's Misano Circuit for the Golden Cup Sprint races from 18-20 July.