The atmosphere was electric as Porsche and Toyota basked in their achievements at the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain on November 2nd! Kévin Estre, André Lotterer, and Laurens Vanthoor celebrated their remarkable success by securing the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ Championship, while the trio of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa lifted the trophy for the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship on behalf of Toyota.
The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain unfolded like a gripping novel, filled with unexpected turns and intense rivalries. Just ten laps into the race, a dramatic incident saw Buemi, the Swiss star, forced out of the lead while attempting to lap the #82 TF Sport Corvette, sending him tumbling from first to seventh place. It wasn’t until the final stages of the race that the #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing car, which had started in pole position, began its determined ascent back to the front.
With skillful maneuvering, Buemi deftly overtook Antonio Giovinazzi in the long-dominating #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P and then Vanthoor in the championship-leading #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. As he embarked on his final stint, he found himself in second place, closely trailing Matt Campbell in the #5 Porsche Penske Hypercar. Fueled by the advantage of fresher tires, the seasoned champion unleashed an exhilarating charge, setting a breathtaking new fastest lap as he relentlessly pursued Campbell. The pivotal moment arrived with just 40 minutes remaining, after which victory felt assured.
“That was maybe my best drive,” Buemi reflected with a beaming smile after the race. “The early contact put us on the back foot, but in endurance racing, it’s a long game, and our strategy focused on saving our best tires for the end. When I returned to the car, we were down in tenth, and I truly thought we had no chance, but once I had the tire advantage, I was able to make some decisive moves. I knew the #5 would start to struggle, and in the end, everything lined up perfectly.”
This triumph marked Toyota’s first victory from pole position in the current WEC season, and even more impressively, it secured their fourth consecutive Hypercar Manufacturers’ trophy—a phenomenal feat!
While Porsche claimed the Drivers’ honors, with Estre, Lotterer, and Vanthoor outmatching their fiercest competitors from Ferrari and Toyota, the day had its unexpected twists. None of the three championship contenders managed to finish in the points for the first time this season, yet the stellar results from earlier races ensured that the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport trio would take home the title.
From a challenging sixth place on the grid, the Porsche 963 initially faltered, slipping back to 15th position. However, the team adopted a strategic approach, aware that securing an eighth-place finish would be enough for championship glory. Fortunately for them, they didn’t even need that position; the #7 Toyota suffered from intermittent fuel pump issues, and the #50 Ferrari struggled early on after sustaining damage in a first-lap incident.
The race experience for the #6 Porsche was equally eventful, climbing back to second place only to incur a sequence of late penalties that relegated them to an 11th-place finish. Yet by that point, the outcome of the race had become irrelevant in the broader context of the Drivers’ title chase.
“That was a horrible race!” Vanthoor exclaimed, laughing about the day’s challenges. “We’ve made very few mistakes this year, but I certainly made up for that! Still, we’ve put in the groundwork all season, with fantastic strategies and an outstanding car, and that’s why we are world champions now. It’s been an incredible journey. I’ve never worked with a team quite like this before—the chemistry among my teammates and the dedication of the mechanics and engineers is something special. This is one of the best days of my life, and it feels surreal. I will treasure this moment forever.”
Following the victorious Toyota, the podium was rounded out by the #51 Ferrari and the #5 Porsche, while the performance from Peugeot and Alpine secured them impressive fourth and fifth-place finishes with the sleek #93 9X8 and the agile #35 Alpine.
In the LMGT3 class, Vista AF Corse continued its winning streak by claiming back-to-back victories in an exhilarating race filled with lead changes and fierce competition. The key to their success in the #55 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 was a gutsy late strategic decision to make one less pit stop than most of their rivals. Thanks to an impressive display of tire management, driver Alessio Rovera expertly navigated the onslaught from two strong TF Sport Corvettes in the final hour, ensuring the Italian team celebrated yet another thrilling triumph.
Completing the podium were the Corvette teams, with the #81 entry—driven by Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade, and Tom van Rompuy—nabbing second place. They just managed to edge out their sister #82 entry, which had to fight hard to recover from an early penalty related to Buemi’s incident.
Unfortunately, the United Autosports McLarens struggled to maintain their promising qualifying form, ultimately finishing in sixth and eighth positions, unable to find their rhythm during the challenging eight-hour race.
