BMW M Motorsport works driver Dan Harper has enjoyed a perfect start to his 2025 race season, playing a starring role in an emphatic victory in the Dubai 24 Hours for Al Manar Racing by Team WRT.
The Northern Irishman secured his first ever overall 24-hour race win after a tremendous performance alongside team-mates Max Hesse, Darren Leung, Ben Tuck and Al Faisal Al Zubair in Dubai, with the quintet beating a hugely competitive entry in the Middle Eastern enduro.
Harper entered the 2025 season curtain-raiser with previous experience at the Dubai Autodrome from his Asian Le Mans Series campaign in early 2024, however it was his first-time taking part in the popular twice round-the-clock endurance race there. A productive few days of testing leading up to the event ensured Harper was firmly reacquainted with the 3.349-mile Dubai circuit and ready for action in the new BMW M4 GT3 EVO model heading into qualifying on Friday evening.
A delay to the timetable meant that his first laps of the day came under the cover of darkness, but that didn’t phase him as he impressively lapped fourth quickest overall in his 15-minute session. The combined efforts of Harper, Hesse and Leung ultimately secured them fourth on the grid.
Hesse was behind the wheel as the 20th anniversary running of the Dubai 24 Hours got underway. The German racer immediately laid down a statement of intent from the #777 BMW crew, charging forward into the race lead within the opening hour.
As the early stages of the race developed and the leading contenders started on alternative pitstop strategies, the order switched around at the head of the field but the Al Manar Racing by Team WRT car remained locked in the lead pack throughout. Harper completed his first stint as day turned to night in Dubai, posting a rapid pace as he sat inside the top two throughout. The rising star and his team-mates continued to push on through the night, crucially staying out of trouble as a number of others had incidents in the darkness.
As morning broke, it was clear that they were in a straight fight with a pair of Porsches for race victory. Alongside the rapid pace of the driving line-up, the strategy calls of the team were providing crucial for their challenge in a race that was interrupted by Code 60 periods no fewer than 21 times. Harper produced one final impressive stint in the morning before watching on as Hesse brought the car home for a memorable victory. All of their fantastic efforts over the previous 24 hours meant the #777 car ultimately finished a whole lap clear of their nearest rival at the flag.
Dan Harper: “I’m absolutely delighted to get my first win in a 24-hour race. It feels like it’s been a long time coming, particularly after having such good runs at Nürburgring and Spa last year, so it’s a special moment. Hopefully this is the first of many, as I’ve got more races I want to tick off. We weren’t the fastest car through the race, but we worked hard to maximise the package we had. We all stayed fast and consistent on track, keeping out of trouble and making no mistakes, while the team pulled off some fantastic strategy calls in a tricky race with all the Code 60 periods. A huge thank you to the whole team at Al Manar Racing and Team WRT for their hard work, and to my team-mates. It was great to work with Al Faisal and Ben for the first time. This was the perfect way to start 2025 and hopefully this just the beginning of a really successful season.”
