The victorious Belgian Audi Club Team of Belgian driver Laurens Vanthoor, Frenchman Alain Ferté, and Englishmen Michael Meadows and Stuart Leonard took the lead in the penultimate hours of the race, and claimed a first victory for Audi in the Hankook 24H Dubai.

Vanthoor, one of the winning drivers said: “It’s a very important victory for Audi to win here in Dubai. I did not expect it to be so hard with so many cars; at times there were some crazy things out on track. But this is a great victory which we will enjoy together as a team.”

It was a big day for Lechner Racing ME trio of Emirati drivers Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, Saeed Al Mehairi and Bashar Mardini who took victory in the 991 Cup Class.

Meanwhile, it was double delight for the Walter Lechner run outfit as they claimed the double by also taking second place in the 991 Cup Class with their second car driven by  Hannes Waimer, Wolfgang Triller, Charlie Frijns, Edward Jones and Christopher Zöchling – the latter two having started their careers in the UAE karting scene.

For the second year in a row the Dubai based Memac Ogilvy Duel Racing team took top honours in the TCR Class with Phil Quaife sharing the SEAT Leon with the Moutran brothers Rami, Ramzi and Nabil.

Ramzi Moutran said: “It was an amazing race very tough, 100 cars on track you had to fight every inch and watch out everywhere. We also had to push all the time, but we did it two years in a row. Of course winning at Dubai Autodrome, where we started our racing is always extra special.”

Elsewhere, it was heartbreak for pre-race favourites, Abu Dhabi Racing by Black Falcon Mercedes led by Khalid Al Qubaisi when, shortly before the halfway mark, the car driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen was involved in an on-track incident which led to their retirement.