MONZA— Oman’s Ahmad Al Harthy celebrated a return to the podium at one of his favourite circuits after guiding Oman Racing by Century Motorsport to its first GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup podium finish of the 2026 season at Monza.

In a race marked by multiple incidents, safety car interventions and changing fortunes, Al Harthy, alongside team-mates Calan Williams and Javier Sagrera, delivered a faultless performance to steer the No. 42 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from eighth on the Bronze Cup grid to an impressive third-place class finish.

The result marked the team’s first silverware of the season and lifted the trio to fifth in the Bronze Cup championship standings ahead of the next round.

Starting 47th overall and eighth in class, the Oman Racing entry backed by OQ, Omantel, Oman LNG, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and BMW Oman navigated a chaotic opening phase that saw several front-running cars eliminated in a major first-lap collision.

Williams produced a composed opening stint, avoiding trouble and steadily climbing through the field. Strategic pit stops and well-timed interventions during safety car and Full Course Yellow periods allowed the team to gain valuable track position as the three-hour endurance race unfolded.

Al Harthy then took centre stage during the middle portion of the race. The Omani driver showcased his trademark consistency at Monza, battling his way into second place in the Bronze Cup and breaking into the outright top 10 before handing over to Sagrera for the final stint.

With the race entering its closing stages, further incidents reshuffled the order. Sagrera remained clear of trouble and capitalised on the drama ahead to move into third in class before the race ended behind the safety car.

By the chequered flag, the BMW had gained an extraordinary 34 positions overall to finish 13th outright and third in the Bronze Cup.

“I’m really happy to be back on the podium and it’s so special for it to be at Monza again,” said Al Harthy.

“It was all down to really strong teamwork. We clearly didn’t have the fastest package, but together with the drivers making no mistakes and the amazing strategy by the team, we managed to put the car in a very strong position and secure our first podium of the season.”

The result held added significance for the Omani driver, who has enjoyed memorable success at the iconic Italian circuit in recent years.

“To step on the Monza podium again, after that historic win a couple of years ago, was an amazing feeling,” he said. “I was very proud to see the Oman flag flying again at Monza and we’ve closed up in the championship as well, which is great.”

Al Harthy and Oman Racing by Century will next turn their attention to the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the marquee event of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season, with testing and practice beginning later this month before the prestigious 24-hour race gets underway on June 27.