Estre leads Jensen’s Peugeot after three hours in Qatar.

Kevin Estre of Porsche Penske #6 took the lead after three hours of the 1812 km race in Qatar, which marked the start of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The race saw drivers balancing performance and tire management as they faced approximately 335 laps or 10 hours of racing. Peugeot emerged as a strong contender early on, challenging Porsche Penske for the lead. However, it was Laurens Vanthoor of Porsche Penske #5 who seized the opportunity to take the lead from Nico Muller in the Peugeot 9X8 #93. Meanwhile, Miguel Molina in the Ferrari AF Corse #50 faced misfortune after a drive-through penalty, dropping from second to fifteenth position. The race also saw intense battles among the drivers, including James Cottingham in the United Autosports car #59 and the Ferrari #51, resulting in damage to the rear of the Ferrari. Despite these challenges, Kevin Estre maintained his lead, followed by Mikkel Jensen in the Peugeot 9X8 #93 and Matt Campbell in the Porsche Penske #5. In the LMGT3 class, Alex Malykhin in the Manthey PureRxing Porsche 911 #92 dominated the field, while Sarah Bovy in the Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2 #85 defended her position against Rui Andrade in the TF Sport Corvette Z06 #81. The race also had a setback for the TF Sport Corvette #81, which spun and had a gearbox issue, requiring the team to investigate further. Joel Strum in the Manthey PureRxing Porsche #92 continued to lead the LMGT3 class, followed by Morris Schuring in the Porsche #91 and Ian James in the Heart of Racing Aston Martin AMR Vantage LMGT3 #27. Francesco Castellacci in the AF Corse Ferrari 296 #54 and Simon Mann in the AF Corse #55 rounded out the top five in the class.