Dubai Autodrome gearing up for another busy motorsport season

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai Autodrome, a subsidiary of Union Properties, is preparing for another busy season with the venue announcing it will host 12 international and regional racing competitions in the next six months — strengthening its position as a leading motorsport location in the Middle East region.

Headlining the 2023-24 season from November to April is the Hankook 24 Hours Dubai with the 19th edition of the endurance racing event returning on January 13-14.

The 2023 edition, saw one of the strongest driver lineups in recent years, including legendary MotoGP rider, Valentino Rossi and world-class GT drivers Jules Gounon, Fabian Schiller, and Dries Vanthoor, and next year’s race looks set to attract some of the world’s best drivers again.

The road to Le Mans also continues in Dubai with the third round of the Asian Le Mans Series expected to attract the largest grid on the 4th of February, featuring a record 10 LMP2 class entries and 26 LMP3 and GT3 cars.

The number of cars to line up in the Formula 4 UAE and Formula Regional Middle East on 17th and 18th February are expected to be at an all-time high as drivers from Europe, Asia and the Americas seek valuable winter racing time ahead of their upcoming campaigns.

In addition, Dubai Autodrome, will also host the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival again from the 8th to 10th December, featuring historic racing cars from the 1970s to 2000s including F1, Le Mans classics and GT race cars.

New for 2023 is the 1960s sports car category which will include coveted racing machines such as the - AC Cobra, Shelby Cobra, Jaguar E Type, Ford GT40 and the Porsche 904/6.

In karting, the fourth round of the 24 Hours Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship will take place which will see teams from Europe, India, China, GCC region joining UAE teams on the track. In addition, the Dubai O Plate – a top karting qualifier to the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy will also be held in January.

The calendar also includes the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East, And NGK Spark Plugs Race Weekends.

The international and regional races for the upcoming season reaffirm Dubai Autodrome’s position as a leading motorsport venue in the Middle East region and will provide opportunities for global and local drivers and teams to race competitively during the six months.

Faisal Al Sahlawi, General Manager of Dubai Autodrome, said: “Following on from last season, which was our busiest season to date with 13 motorsport events being held, we are pleased to be hosting a number of top international, regional and local events at Dubai Autodrome in the next six months.

“In recent years, we have seen the likes of Oscar Piastri and Zho Guanyu rise to the top of the sport, having competed in F4 and regional Formula competitions and it’s fantastic that we will soon see incredible talent from all corners of the globe racing again at Dubai Autodrome during the winter period.

“Every single competition that we will stage is vital for the growth of motorsport in the UAE and region, while drivers and teams can gain crucial experience that can help their development. Furthermore, the younger generation who watch the races live can be inspired by what they see and hopefully they can follow in their footsteps and take an interest in the sport.”