For the first time in its history, Qatar will field a team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the legendary endurance race held annually on the Circuit de la Sarthe in western France. The campaign, officially launched this week, marks a significant step for the Gulf state's motorsport ambitions and for its lead driver, Abdulla Al Khelaifi.
Team Qatar will compete in the LMGT3 category, fielding a Mercedes-AMG prepared in partnership between the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Italian squad Iron Lynx. The car will carry race number 62 on the 13.6-kilometre track that has hosted the event since 1923.
For Al Khelaifi, 35, the moment is both personal and national. “This will be a historic milestone for the QMMF and Qatar also because this is the first ever participation in the world endurance championship and I will be the first Qatari to actually do it,” he said. “So it's kind of a big moment as well for me and doesn't feel real at all right now.”
Al Khelaifi arrives at Le Mans with a strong recent record. He won the 2025 24H Series overall championship with QMMF and took victory at the 24 Hours of Dubai. In the 2026 European Le Mans Series, he became the first Qatari driver to claim a pole position, at the opening round in Barcelona, where Team Qatar finished fourth.
A Race That Tests Body and Mind
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is widely regarded as the pinnacle of endurance racing. Drivers rotate through day and night conditions, managing fatigue, strategy, weather shifts, and mechanical reliability over a full day of competition. The physical and mental demands are extreme.
German driver Julian Hanses, part of the Team Qatar lineup, described the preparation required. “Every day I'm in the gym, every day I am on a bicycle,” Hanses said. “This is the preparation you need to even perform better in the car while 40 degrees is inside the car and you still have to work hard physically.”
French driver Giuliano Alesi, son of former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi, emphasised the mental challenge. “There's lots of things that need to be put in place regarding training, hydration, nutrition,” Alesi said. “You're not at your 100% when you drive at night, so there's lots of training that goes into that, not just physical, but also mental preparation.”
The race, first held in 1923, remains one of the most gruelling events in motorsport. Teams must balance speed with reliability, and a single mistake can undo hours of work. For a debutant like Qatar, simply finishing would be a notable achievement.
Building a Motorsport Pipeline
The Le Mans entry is not a one-off. QMMF President Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai said the project has been years in the making, with the federation investing in local talent development and creating pathways for young Qatari drivers to compete internationally.
“Today, we have professional drivers who have a chance to compete in Le Mans,” Al Mannai said. “For us, a small country like Qatar with a very big ambition to go to Le Mans and hopefully we will bring a trophy.”
The Qatari push into motorsport mirrors broader efforts to diversify the country's economy and international profile. While Qatar is best known for its natural gas wealth and its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it has increasingly invested in sports as a tool for soft power and tourism. The country's tourism sector has been working to attract global visitors, and a strong showing at Le Mans could bolster that effort.
For European fans, the presence of a Qatari team adds a new dimension to an already international field. The 24 Hours of Le Mans has long drawn competitors from across the continent and beyond, and the inclusion of a state-backed entry from the Gulf underscores the race's global appeal.
Team Qatar will take to the Circuit de la Sarthe next month, carrying the hopes of a nation and the weight of a historic first. Whether they bring home a trophy or not, their presence alone marks a new chapter in the race's century-long story.
