The 2023 FIA World Endurance Champion will be crowned this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit after the season-ending 8 Hours of Bahrain. It will also be an exciting race with important implications for the series’ LMP2 and LMGTE Am classes.
36 machines will take on the 5.412km long Bahrain International Circuit. This circuit has been an FIA WEC circuit since its creation in 2012. The circuit has long straights, tight corners, and elevation changes, providing plenty of opportunities for overtaking. He is also well known for having severe tire degradation, as he spends nearly 48% of his laps at full throttle.
Three titles will be decided in the Middle East, including the Hypercar Drivers Championship, LMP2 Teams Championship and Drivers Championship. With only 15 points separating the leading #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing crew from its sister #7 GR010 Hybrid, with a total of 39 points up for grabs, the 2023 WEC Hypercar driver is all set for glory.
Ferrari AF Corse’s James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi and Alessandro Pier Guidi also drive the No. 51 Ferrari 499P and continue to compete for the drivers’ title. He is 31 points behind Toyota in 8th place, but his chances remain even if Toyota slumps. Currently at 97 points, the crew of its sister car, the #50 Ferrari, still has a mathematical chance of winning the title. Among manufacturers, Toyota won its fifth consecutive top class title at the penultimate race held in its hometown at Fuji last time.
The Japanese manufacturer has an excellent track record in Bahrain, having won the last six competitions. But with a total of five different brands on the podium this season, including Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac and Peugeot, the competition should be as fierce as ever.
Porsche Penske matched its best performance of the season in the final race Fuji, where Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor put up stiff resistance to Toyota in their home race, winning almost two-thirds of the race. He took the lead and eventually finished in 3rd place. Porsche will battle Cadillac for third place in the manufacturers’ standings in Bahrain, with just five points separating the two brands heading into the final race of the season.
Peugeot Total Energy returns to Bahrain for the second time with a pair of 9X8s. Nico Muller, who missed the final race at Fuji due to injury, will return to the team’s lineup for the final race of the year, sitting in fifth place in the standings, just 18 points behind Cadillac.
Bahrain will be the final race in the LMP2 and LMGTE Am categories, which have been the mainstay of WEC since its creation in 2012.
In LMP2, the Belgian team has a 33-point lead over second place Europol, with Team WRT within reach of the 2023 Teams and Drivers’ Championship trophies. However, the position of vice-champion is wide open, with only one point separating Europol Competition and United Autosport in second and third place.
Meanwhile, in LMGTE Am, Corvette Racing’s Ben Keating, Nicolas Vallone and Nicky Catsburg won the title at Monza in July, but if they win in Bahrain, the trio will break Aston Martin’s existing record 198. points and set a new points record in GTE Am. . The #33 Corvette currently has 164 points, so only a win would break the record.
Behind the 2023 champion, six crews in cars from four different manufacturers (Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin) are vying to be vice champion. Currently in second place in the classification is the Iron Dames Crew of Sarah Bobby, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting with 79 points, but there is only a 20 point difference between seventh and third place. The crew of 54 AF Corse was followed by #77 Dempsey Proton. , #25 ORT by TF, #86 GR Racing, #83 Richard Mille AF Corse crew.
On-course competition is scheduled to begin on Thursday, with qualifying taking place on Friday afternoon. The flag for the eight-hour race will wave at 2pm on Saturday, with Sunday reserved for the traditional post-season WEC rookie test.
2023 FIA WEC Bahrain 8 Hours Schedule
Thursday, November 2nd
FP1: 12:15 – 13:45
FP2: 17:30 – 19:00
Friday, November 3rd
FP3: 12:00 – 13:00
Qualifying: 16:15 – 17:20
Saturday, November 4th
Race: 14:00-22:00