SMP Racing will vie for outright victory with its Mercedes-AMG GT3 with an all-Russian line-up.
Vitaly Petrov – formerly of Renault, Lotus, and Caterham – will join ex-Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin alongside Denis Remenyako, Alexandr Smolyar, and Kirill Smal.
Nikita Mazepin will also race, albeit in the lower GTX class. He’ll drive a Rosa LM with Adrian Newey’s son Harrison Newey.
The field will also include two-time FIA World Rally Championship winner Kalle Rovanpera in a Proton Huber Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Across the classes – which includes GT3, GTX, GT3 Cup, GT4, and TCR – there is a healthy trans-Tasman presence.
Two drivers will fly the flag for New Zealand in the GT3 division with team owner-driver Earl Bamber in his Aston Martin Vantage.
Brendon Leitch will be the sole Kiwi in the GTX class, driving the Leipert Motorsport Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
GWR Australia will field an all-Australian line-up with Glen Wood leading the team’s Mercedes-AMG alongside Justin McMillan, Brett Hobson, Michael Sheargold, and team owner-driver Garth Walden.
In the GTX class, 111 Racing will field one of its IRC GT machines in what is another all-Australian line-up.
That will be driven by Darren Currie, Grant Donaldson, Jake Camilleri, and Mark Griffith.
It will be the first time an IRC GT has raced in the Dubai 24.
Super2 Series front-runner and Supercars co-driver Cameron McLeod will join Ajith Kumar Racing by BKR in its Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry.
The 24 Hours of Dubai gets underway at 8pm AEDT on January 10.
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