Asian Le Mans Series: CrowdStrike, Inter Europol and Kessel Strike Gold in the Gulf

The 4 Hours of Dubai has long been a race of tactical survival, but the 2026 edition took the intensity to a fever pitch. In a class defined by the smallest of margins, CrowdStrike Racing by APR proved that their recent Rolex 24 At Daytona victory was no fluke, delivering a performance of clinical precision to secure the overall win. However the path to the stop step of the Dubai podium was anuthing but linear.

The early phase of the race was dominated by the #5 United Autosports Oreca, which seemed to have the field measured from pole position. Yet the Dubai Autodrome’s notorious characteristics – high degradtion and the constant threat of sand blowing across the surface – began to play their part. The race was punctuated by several Full Course Yellow (FCY) periods and Saefty Car interventions that effectively erased hard-earned gaps, turning an endurance contest into a series of frantic restarts.

The turning point arrived with roughly 45 minutes remaining on the clock. A heavy incident at Turn 14 trapped several leaders, including the United Autosports entry, on the wrong side of the pit exit. George Kurtz and Malthe Jakobsen had kept the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca in the lead lap hunt but it was the final driver change to Louis Delétraz that lit the fuse. APR’s strategic gamble to save a fresh set of Michelins for the final stint paid dividends as the green flag waved for a 21-minute race to the flag.

Delétraz found himself in a four-way scrap for the lead, staring down the gearbox of Alex Quinn in the Nielsen Racing entry. The restart was frantic with cold tyres combined with a sandy track surface making rally-style car control the order of the day. Quinn defended but Delétraz’s experience in high-pressure finishes counted as the race got back underway. Using the slipstream into Turn 1, Delétraz took the lead which led to the race win.

Beside the leaders, the battle for the podium was equally fierce. Cetilar Racing played a masterful long game and while they lacked the outright raw pace of the APR car in the final sprint, their consistent pit work and the driving of Roberto Lacorte, Giogio Serngiotta and Antonio Fuoco ensured they stayed in the point-paying positions. They eventually secured second, a result that crucially keeps them at the head of the championships standings.

The podium was completed by RD Limited who benefited from a post-race technical infringment that stripped Unted Autosports of a potential top-three finish. The #5 car was found to have exceeded the permitted “pass-around” speed during the final Safety Car phase, a disappointing end to a dominant early performance. This promoted the RD LImited squad to third.

George Kurtz, driver of the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR entry, reflected on a highly successful fortnight.

“It’s been a great two weeks, two weekends – I couldn’t be more excited,” said the Co-Founder, President and CEO of CrowdStrike.

“I thought it was a good stint, we gained a pot and we just kept it in fourth place. We were close at the end when everybody pitted so we did everything we needed to do, to giving the car in great shape to Malthe and he did the rest with Louis. The team did a great job.”

“Hopefull we get a good race tomorrow. We’re not in the best starting position but hopefully we make up some spots and, like anything else, with a little luck on your side, anything can happen.”

LMP3: Last-Lap Drama

The LMP3 category produced the most dramatic finish of the weekend. Inter Europol Competition secuted the win with the #13 Ligier but only after a high-speed duel on the final lap. Henry Cubides was under immense pressure from Luciano Morana (#29 Forestier Racing by VPS). Morano reportedly mistook an LMP2 car for his class rival, causing a contact-heavy exchange that allowed Cubides to slip through to a 0.4-second victory. 23Events Racing survived the attrition to claim a well-earned third.

Cubides reflected on the drama of the closing stages of the contest.

“The last few laps were stressfull,” said Henry. “If I was nervous, I can’t imagine what my team were going through. It was a rough couple of laps, especially with the traffic, which was a big factor but the pace was there in the car.

“Alex did a mega job; Jimmy as well. We were always in front. Even with the car on high fuel, I think we were managing the tyres very well. I think we have a strong package for tomorrow as well. We start a little far back but we can come back strong.”

GT: Ferrari’s Tactical Masterclass

The GT ranks were a whirlwind of on-track battles and steward decisions. Kessel Racing took a hard-fought victory with the #74 Ferrari 296 GT3. Despite a mid-race stop-go penalty, the drew of Marschall, Blattner and Lulham fought back. Dennis Marschall was clinical at the final restart, slicing past the #66 JMR Corvette. Post-race penalties for drive-time infringements eventually dropped the Corvette from the podium, promoting the #10 Manthey Porsche to second and the #21 AF Corse Ferrai to third.

“After Sepang, I would have been happy with maybe just a podium, to day a third or top five,” said Dennis Marschall. “But actually to have another win it’s quite nice for the championship. At least we have a little but of a buffer for tomorrw. But as we saw today, it can go so quickly from hero to zero to hero again and again, zero.”

After three rounds, the #47 Cetilar Racing entry leads the LMP2 Teams standings, 13 points ahead of the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR team. The sister #25 Algarve Pro Racing entry is in third, on 46 points.

In the LMP3 class, the #13 Inter Europol Competition entry leads the standings on 62 points, followed by the #17 CLX Motorsport entry on 53 points. The GT standings are headed by the #74 Kessel Racing entry on 60 points with the #9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 in second.