After the celebrations at Williams following a positive championship campaign for the Grove-based team, James Vowles was back smiling once again at Yas Marina, this time for a personal achievement. The 46-year-old British Williams team principal, who earlier this month had announced his participation in the 12 Hours of the Gulf as a driver, stepped onto the top step of the podium in this prestigious endurance race by winning the AM category.
Together with his teammates Marco Pulcini, Alexander West and Mark Sansom, the Garage 59 crew guided the McLaren 720S GT3 to tenth place overall. It was a demanding race that ultimately ended with overall victory for Denis Remenyako, Michail Aleshin and Adam Christodoulou, the trio driving the Mercedes AMG GT3 #13 for the Capital RT by Motopark team.
The race initially looked set to reward the drivers of the Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by AlManar Racing by Dragon, with Al Faisal Al Zubair, Ben Tuck and Christopher Froggatt leading for as many as nine hours. However, their hopes were dashed by an unscheduled pit stop required to top up brake fluid. The Omani team, which came agonisingly close to what would have been its first-ever victory in the event, still secured a strong second-place finish, ahead of the Mercedes entered by Grove Racing by GetSpeed.
The next edition of the 12 Hours of the Gulf will not take place during the 2026 calendar year, but instead is scheduled for 10 January 2027. In the meantime, the event will be replaced by another GT race, set to be held on 13 December, featuring a shorter race distance.
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