Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai

President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Lusail International Circuit (LIC)

Q. What does Le Mans mean for you personally?

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is truly the pinnacle of endurance racing and one of the most important races in the world. When you look at the number of manufacturers involved, the quality of the drivers and the incredible history of the event, it is easy to understand why it remains a benchmark for motorsport and holds such a special place in the sport.

“Le Mans is more than 100 years old and through its history of technological innovation it has helped shape both the motorsport and automotive industry. When you think about the brands that compete at Le Mans, such as Mercedes, Porsche or Ferrari, there is a connection between the race and the cars we drive every day. That’s when you understand why it is such an important event.”

Q. Team Qatar is preparing for its first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. How has the journey to this point unfolded?

“Qatar has a strong motorsport heritage, particularly in rallying, and when we launched our national racing series, we began to identify talented drivers who were capable of competing at a higher level.

“We started a programme focused on endurance racing and competed in regional events, including the Middle East Trophy and the 24 Hours of Dubai. With each race we entered we gained more experience, and naturally, with that success, we wanted to push ourselves further.

“I always had a vision that one day we would reach Le Mans, but it was important that we took a step-by-step approach. We did not want to jump into such a prestigious race without the right preparation. The races we entered provided the platform to learn about the demands of endurance racing and develop our drivers. Based on that progress, we felt this was the right time to take the next step and compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Q. Why was the GT team Iron Lynx the right partner for this project?

“To be honest, it was one of the most difficult decisions we had to make. We considered several options. Should we create our own team? Should we place our drivers at another team? And after extensive testing, we felt Iron Lynx was the right partner. They have tremendous experience, a strong track record in endurance racing and they are a highly professional organisation.

“Our drivers also felt very comfortable with the team and the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 car. In motorsport, it’s important to have a good relationship between the drivers, engineers and team personnel. When everything works together, it makes a huge difference.”

Q. Your driver line-up of Abdulla Al-Khelaifi, Julian Hanses and Giuliano Alesi combine youth and experience. How were they selected?

“Over the last three years, we have developed a comprehensive selection programme. We do not look solely at driving speed, we also evaluate mental strength, physical fitness, race craft and technical understanding.

“Once drivers are identified, we place them into different competitions to monitor their development. What has been encouraging is the level of interest we have seen from young Qataris. They are watching drivers such as Abdulla Al-Khelaifi compete on the international stage and it is helping inspire the next generation of talent. Hosting Formula 1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Qatar is also helping to create a greater awareness of motorsport.”

Q. What will be the biggest challenge for Team Qatar at Le Mans?

“To compete for 24 hours, a team must manage fatigue, changing weather conditions, traffic, strategy and mechanical reliability. It is not always about who is the fastest. Very often, it comes down to who has made the fewest mistakes.

“That is what makes endurance racing so fascinating. Success depends on every member of the team performing their role to the highest standard. Drivers, engineers, mechanics and strategists all have a part to play.

“Of course, I would love to bring a trophy home, however, simply competing at Le Mans for the first time is already a significant achievement for Team Qatar. We are realistic. Anything can happen at Le Mans — that’s one of its great appeals — whether that’s rain, Safety Cars or unexpected challenges throughout the race. Strategy will play an important role.”

Q. What is the long-term vision for Team Qatar?

“The natural progression would be to move towards the prototype class at some stage. After this year’s race, we will evaluate our performance and determine what the next step should be. We might look at competing in the full World Endurance Championship, perhaps in both prototypes and GTs to provide a ladder for future talent.

“More than anything, we hope this project will inspire more young people to become involved in motorsport and encourage future generations to pursue racing. We continue to educate people in Qatar about WEC, and encouragingly, we have seen growing interest and we’re seeing more ticket sales than in recent years. It will take time, but we are moving in the right direction.”

Q. The WEC race in Qatar has had to move to later in the year, while F1 races in the Gulf region did not take place in April, what are your thoughts on the situation right now?

“It’s a very fluid situation, and we’re just hoping that things will come back to normal soon. We will now host our round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Qatar 1812 KM, on October 24, with the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix set for November 29. We are planning these as if they are going to happen, and that’s all we can do at the moment.”

Q. Finally, what would be your message to your drivers and team ahead of Le Mans?

“My advice is simple: enjoy the experience. This is a historic moment for Team Qatar, and everyone involved should take the opportunity to appreciate what they have achieved. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the greatest races in the world — a Triple Crown event — and not everyone gets the chance to be a part of it.

“At the same time, they should stay calm. It is a 24-hour race, not a sprint. There will be challenges along the way, but if they remain focused, and work together, I believe they can be proud of what they can achieve.”