The 2026 Dubai 24 Hours delivered a race defined less by chaos than by systematic execution, with Team WRT and BMW setting the benchmark across 24 hours of largely incident‑free running. What unfolded at the Dubai Autodrome was a demonstration of how a well‑drilled factory‑supported operation can manage risk, traffic, and strategy to decisive effect.
Race overview
The 21st running of the Dubai 24 Hours formed the concluding round of the 2025–26 24H Series Middle East Trophy and attracted a substantial GT3‑led entry. From early on, the balance of power was clear: BMW M4 GT3 Evo machinery, spearheaded by Team WRT, established a pace and consistency that rivals could rarely match. Safety‑car neutralisations and Code 60 phases did bunch the field periodically, but they never seriously disrupted BMW’s control at the front.
Key results
Team WRT’s No. 669 BMW M4 GT3 Evo, driven by Jordan Pepper, Kelvin van der Linde, Ben Tuck, Fran Rueda and Anthony McIntosh, secured overall victory and in doing so equalled the record of five Dubai wins previously held outright by Black Falcon. BMW’s success also brought the marque level with Porsche on six overall wins at the event. WRT completed a one–two, with the sister No. 27 BMW M4 GT3 Evo taking second place after a largely error‑free run. The GT3 podium was rounded out by a Porsche 911 GT3 R from Pure Rxcing, underlining that while BMW dominated, Porsche remained the closest challenger over a full day’s racing.
Strategy and team approach
The decisive element for the winning No. 669 car was strategy rather than outright speed. In the closing phase, WRT opted for an aggressive fuel plan, with Pepper instructed to save enough to avoid a final splash of fuel; the team executed this without ceding track position, securing the win with a full‑lap margin. Across both WRT entries, pit work was consistently clean, and stint timing was structured to keep the most experienced drivers in during the higher‑risk night‑time and restart periods. Rivals, particularly in Porsche and Lamborghini machinery, generally lacked either the stint efficiency or the trouble‑free running to apply sustained pressure
Classes and supporting battles
Behind the overall fight, several class stories underlined the event’s breadth. Leipert Motorsport secured GTX honours with a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, benefitting from a balance of professional pace and disciplined amateur support. In GT4, Cerny Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT4 delivered an untroubled class win and completed a perfect Middle East Trophy campaign, having been unbeaten across the regional rounds. The combined TCE/TCX categories went to asBest Racing in a Cupra TCR DSG, reflecting how well‑structured customer operations can still leave Dubai with silverware in an era dominated visually by GT3.
Drivers and the wider picture
For BMW and Team WRT, the victory and the one–two result reinforce Dubai’s role as a strategic winter fixture: a competitive environment in which to refine driver line‑ups and operational procedures before the European season. The winning crew blended established GT specialists with younger talent, giving the team flexibility across traffic‑heavy stints and during the night. Dubai’s 24‑hour race may not enjoy the mythology of Le Mans, but for manufacturers and ambitious private teams it now functions as an early‑year audit: of reliability, of pit discipline, and of how well a team can manage 24 hours that, in the desert, leave little to hide behind.
