Isaac Tutumlu, a Spanish driver of Kurdish heritage, made a strong comeback at the 2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup after a year-long hiatus.

Driving for the GRT Grasser Racing Team in a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 adorned with Kurdistan Racing Team colors, Tutumlu was the fastest among his teammates, Mateo Llarena and Loris Cabirou, during the qualifying round at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.

His Q3 lap of 2 minutes 00.212 seconds secured third place in the Silver Cup category.

Despite a promising start, the race ended prematurely due to a crankshaft sensor issue following an early pit stop for a puncture, his team said.

Tutumlu expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting he had outpaced other drivers and hoped the weekend would open doors for future races in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, as well as a 2025 GT World Challenge program.

“I am very happy with my performance and work in Jeddah because it has become clear that I haven’t lost any of my speed despite being away from racing for a year,” explained Tutumlu in a press release.

“It was incredible to beat factory drivers like Andrea Bertolini, Patrick Kujala, Charles Weerts, and Dennis Lind in the qualifying session. It was a shame our race ended prematurely due to the crankshaft sensor. Hopefully, I can race again in Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks and return to the spotlight to secure a program in the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup in 2025 as an interesting driver for any team.”

Read More: Kurdistan Racing Team Back on Race Track

On March 4, 2024, Tutumlu announced that his team would not continue racing due to financial difficulties in the Kurdistan Region and a lack of sponsors.

However, on November 10, Tutumlu told Kurdistan Chronicle that his team is back in the race after finding sponsors. “Finally, we have secured the support needed to join the finale in Saudi Arabia,” Tutumlu told Kurdistan Chronicle at the time.