Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc stole the show at the FIA World Endurance Championship ‘Rookie Test’ on November 3rd at Bahrain International Circuit. He set the fastest time among newcomers, impressively adapting to the Hypercar division. After an exhilarating 61 laps in the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, he finished just milliseconds behind Nicklas Nielsen.
Valentino Rossi wowed fans on his Hypercar debut, finishing a close second in the BMW M Hybrid V8, proving he’s a force to be reckoned with in a new category. Just behind them, FIA Formula 2 star Victor Martins surprised everyone with an outstanding performance in the Alpine prototype.
In the LMGT3 class, Ben Barnicoat shone brightly, outpacing the competition in the Akkodis ASP Team’s Lexus RC F LMGT3 by over seven tenths. Mahaveer Raghunathan followed in the Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3, capturing second place, just ahead of Aurélien Panis, son of Monaco Grand Prix hero Olivier Panis.
Top Rookie Test Times
Hypercar
1. Arthur Leclerc Ferrari 499P 1m50.460s
2. Valentino Rossi BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.117s
3. Victor Martins Alpine A424 +0.257s
4. Max Hesse BMW M Hybrid V8 +0.359s
5. Thomas Neubauer Ferrari 499P +0.570s
6. Philip Hanson Ferrari 499P +0.964s
LMGT3
1. Ben Barnicoat Lexus RC F LMGT3 2m01.772s
2. Mahaveer Raghunathan Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +0.851s
3. Aurélien Panis Lexus RC F LMGT3 +0.870s
4. Matteo De Palo Ferrari 296 LMGT3 +1.194s
5. Tom Gamble McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo +1.399s
6. Mattia Drudi Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 Evo +1.400s
