Held in mid-December 2024 at the Yas Marina Circuit, the Gulf 12 Hours validated its status as one of the Middle East’s most prestigious endurance races. 2024 was the year that marked a considerable shift: for the first time in the latest editions, the event was staged outside the Intercontinental GT Challenge, embracing once again its traditional Pro-Am-centered character.
The entry list showcased its new identity, bringing a diverse grid of professional factory drivers, gentlemen racers along with privateer outfits.
The Gulf 12 Hours Abu Dhabi 2024 stood out as a spectacular finale to the Middle Eastern GT racing season, blending high-caliber competition with the exclusive atmosphere of Yas Marina Circuit. Took place in mid-December, it brought a rich blend of factory-backed teams, seasoned professionals, and emerging talents from around the world. They united global racing expertise with the region’s deep-rooted passion for motorsport to form a truly competitive grid.
One of its most striking features was its split-race format; two six hour segments divided by a break, which required not just speed, but also strategic mastery from teams. This event grabbed the attention of prestigious GT3 machinery from brands including Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, resulting in delivering both visual spectacle and technical excellence.
In 2024, the race also drew its focus on driver diversity, using gold, silver, and bronze ranked participants sharing the same track, leveling the field and coming up with unpredictable battles. The race served as a key testing ground for endurance performance under daylight as well as floodlights, thereby, making it much a test of adaptability as of outright pace.
Unlike traditional endurance races, the Gulf 12 Hours ran as an 8-hour stint+4 hour night race, bifurcated by a two-hour break for car servicing and strategic reset. The event was not just about racing, it flaunted the luxury of Abu Dhabi, its hospitality, and industry stakeholders.
Away from the circuit, the 2024 Gulf 12 Hours presented Abu Dhabi as a leading destination for racing and tourism, offering a blend of high-speed action, premium hospitality, engaging activities, and vibrant fan areas. This year’s race edition not only celebrated drivers skill and engineering but also built up the bridge between global endurance racing culture and Middle Eastern sporting.
In a dramatic turn of events, Optimum Motorsport’s McLaren 720S GT3 EVO #69 presumed that they had taken the win, only to have two-post race 30- second penalties for pit-lane speeding break off their hopes. The podium came across Proton Huber Competition’s Porsche 992 GT3R securing third position with Sven Muller, Sergey Stolyarov, and Sergei Borisov, while Garage 59’s McLaren claimed the Pro-Am class.