00:00Qatar is set to make its debut at one of World Motorsports' most prestigious endurance races.
00:05Team Qatar officially launched its 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign
00:09and unveiled its race car ahead of its historic entry in France next month.
00:14The team will compete in the LMGT3 category with a Mercedes-AMG car
00:19in partnership with Italian racing team Iron Lynx.
00:22And for Qatari driver Abdullah Al-Khalafi, it's a moment he says still feels surreal.
00:28This will be a historic milestone for QOMS and Qatar also
00:33because this was the first ever participation in the World Endurance Championship.
00:38And I will be the first Qatari to actually do it.
00:40So it's kind of a big moment as well for me and doesn't also feel real at all right now.
00:47The lineup combines international experience with local talent
00:51as Al-Khalafi teams up with German driver Julian Hanzes
00:54and French driver Giuliano Alessi.
00:57Le Mans is considered the pinnacle of endurance racing,
01:00a grueling 24-hour test of speed, strategy, and stamina.
01:04Drivers rotate through day and night conditions with little margin for error.
01:09Every day I'm in the gym, every day I'm on a bicycle.
01:12This is the preparation you need to even perform better in the car
01:16while 40 degrees is inside the car and you still have to work out physically.
01:20So obviously there's lots of things that need to be put in place regarding training,
01:24regarding hydration, nutrition.
01:26All of this is very important because it's a long race.
01:30You know, you're not at your 100% when you drive at night.
01:33So there's lots of training that goes into the back of that,
01:36not just physical but also mental preparation.
01:39Officials say the project is about more than one race.
01:42It's about building a future for motorsport in Qatar.
01:45We worked on this project for several years, three years now.
01:49Today we have professional drivers who have a chance to compete in Le Mans.
01:55Le Mans, for us, a small country like Qatar with very big ambition to go to Le Mans.
02:00And hopefully we will bring the trophy.
02:03The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place in France on June 13 and 14,
02:07where Team Qatar will compete alongside some of the biggest names in global endurance racing.
02:13Adalim, Euronews, Doha.
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