Alex Fontana will get his 2025 season underway at the Dubai Autodrome behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Not only will the Swiss driver be competing in next round of the Asian Le Mans Series at the UAE track in February, but he will be making an early start to the new year on the 11th of January, with his first appearance in the Michelin 24H Dubai, as part of the 24H Series Middle East Trophy.
This is not actually a debut on the Creventic events scene, as Alex has already collected podium finishes in the 24 Hour Series races and neither is it his first time in the city of Dubai: no less than 18 years ago, back in 2006, he won the 4-stroke World Final driving a Trulli chassis, undoubtedly one of the highlights of his early career in karts.
However, this will be his debut at the Dubai Autodrome in a covered wheel car. Fontana will be at the wheel of a GT3 that he knows down to the last nut and bolt, the Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) prepared by Car Collection Motorsport, continuing the partnership with the German team after a positive and intensive 2024.
He will be joined by the experienced Roman Mavlanov, as well as one of the young drivers emerging from the AF Academy, Matej Knez, who is already familiar with the Porsche marque, having competed with Alex in the GT Cup-AM class of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship (CIGTE), enjoying success with the entered by Centri Porsche Ticino. Completing the line-up in the #30 Porsche for the 20th edition of the Michelin 24H Dubai will be Victor Plekhanov and Damir Saitov.
The 2025 edition promises to be special thanks to the record number of entries – more than 65 cars are expected among the various categories – coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Autodrome. Car Collection Motorsport is among the most experienced teams in this event, on the grid since 2006 – the year Fontana triumphed in karts – and ready to start its 18th race. The German team also boasts an overall victory with Audi in 2019 and 11 podiums in total, the last of which – in class – it claimed just last year.
All the necessary ingredients are in place for Alex Fontana to make a successful return to Dubai and a debut with flying colours in the Michelin 24H Dubai, with the test sessions starting on Monday the 6th of January and ending on Thursday the 9th, followed by free practice and qualifying on Friday the 10th of February. Saturday the 11th will see the first green light of the season for the Swiss driver at 1 pm (local time).