We are in to the final hour of this race. We have only nine hours of racing to go. The final hour of this event and the eight hour contest back here in Bahrain, next weekend. It's been a long day for everyone in the heat of the Bahrain desert. The sun is beginning to set as Toyota #7 in the race lead has now run 153 laps, 514 and a half miles. Kamui Kobayashi and company have been the stronger of the two Toyota's today as Kobayashi hits the pit lane, along with the two Jota LMP2's and the two factory Ferrari's. They are splitting their strategy to the end of the race. Car #56 has been reported to the stewards and must give the place back to the #98. Clear as crystal. Toyota #8 also in pit lane and they are putting on the same lap. Kessel, D'station and Cetilar all pit in GTE Am as Kazuki Nakajima now gets into the #8 entry, taking over from Brendon Hartley.
United Autosport, the #22 pitting from the LMP2 lead, and they will serve a ten second penalty as part of their stop for the contact with #34. So, this cycles the #31 WRT entry back to the lead in LMP2. Can the #8 Toyota complete a tire change without costing their drivers even more time? That is the million dollar question right here, right now. All goes well for the left front, the car is dropped from the air jacks and they are down and away. Alpine #36 continues to fall into the clutches of Toyota because they have two more stops necessary to get to the end. The #8 car had 29 lap old tires on one side. United and Jota scrapping in LMP2 and WRT is also back there, having not taken tires. Tom Blomqvist is desperately trying to move in on Filipe Albuquerque.
They have the Alpine Hypercar in the way. Blomqvist was right on Albuquerque's six exiting the lane, but now, traffic ahead. Will Nico Lapierre have the power? Yes, he will. Mike Conway, who started the leading Toyota #7 says that an hour still feels long and despite their issues, they've had a solid motor race with good stints. The pit work has also been right on. Meanwhile, we can see the second place scrum in LMP2. Albuquerque vs. Blomqvist and this is for second in class. Blomqvist has to get the move finished now. Blomqvist was chasing Robin Frijns for the win at Le Mans. Could we see a repeat?
Frijns is over a minute back, and Blomqvist, look, is really applying the blowtorch! Antonio Felix Da Costa is 27 seconds down but is catching this lead battle at a rate of knots. Blomqvist is British. But, his dad, rallying legend for Audi in the Group B halcyon days of the 1980s, Stig Blomqvist is Swedish, and his mother, is Australian. Blomqvist was born in London, and here comes the Englishman on the outside! He's a little terrier, and Albuquerque is a bulldog too, defending. The circuit commentator is getting animated and excited, and that's good.
Well done. Blomqvist moves ahead. Jota had led in the points before this race. Who will win in LMP2? Last November, Jota won with their team they ran for Jackie Chan, action film star and race team owner. In 2019, United Autosports won. So, therefore, the odds are evenly split with these two teams. This is going to a humdinger of a scrap if we have it. It's breakfast time to be sure, so, grab something to eat and a cup of coffee or tea, and sit back and watch this one. I was about t say, grab the popcorn, but it is too early in the day, then again, maybe not. Yhese two teams have won the last two races here in Bahrain. The fly in the ointment, or the spanner in the works, is WRT, who have not raced here before.
They could still show their hand before this race is complete. Toyota #7 leads by 46 seconds. Job van Uitert just ran a 52 minute stint before he got out of the #29 entry. In and out of the lane from third has been the Alpine. WRT lead Jota #28 by over a minute (64 seconds) over the first of the two Jota entries, as Tom Blomqvist is putting daylight between himself and Filipe Albuquerque, who, in turn, is being harried by the second Jota Sport entry, #38, in the hands of Antonio Felix Da Costa. Both Porsche's in GTE Pro have made their final pit stops. Ferdi Habsburg is very calm about the closing stages of this event.
You don't want to jinx anything. Anything can still happen. Habsburg said the team was really slow in testing but has now found pace. 45 minutes now remain. In GTE Am, Felipe Fraga leads by 25 seconds which is a comfortable cushion. The two Porsche's are still in a fight. Matt Campbell aboard the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR has his hands full with the omnipresent Matteo Cairoli at the wheel of the Project 1 Mentos Porsche. Augusto Farfus is 3.5 seconds behind in Aston Martin #98. Farfus is closing as Campbell uncorks fastest lap for the #77. Yow! A touch for the #28 Jota machine, making contact with the #60 entry, the first of the two Iron Lynx GTE Am class Ferrari's!
Andrea Piccini at the wheel of that car. Piccini is the cork in the bottle as Matty Campbell is pressing hard and wants by ASAP. Matteo Cairoli is next up, and Cairoli is right on Campbell's six! Third place, the #98 Aston Martin of Farfus, who is slower. The two Porsche's now right behind. Francois Perrodo has done his drive time. Khaled al Qubaisi in the #88 Dempsey Proton Porsche is three laps down. Cairoli makes his way past the Ferrari and is catching Matty Campbell again. Final stop for the #29 Racing Team Nederland LMP2 Pro-Am leading car, with Giedo van der Garde. van der Garde has been in the lane for a wee while, as the #44 ARC Bratislava entry is still in the hunt too.
Wow. One of those tires is totally shot. It's loaded with clag from the track surface. The bits of sand and rolled up rubber have stuck to that tire like glue. Four minute stop and go for #34 for a tire allocation infringement! Stick a fork in those blokes. They are done. But, they might just lose one spot. High Class makes their final stop for #20 and Robert Kubica probably stayed in. We can also tell you that the #44 ARC Bratislava entry, has to be in the garage and it is certainly game over.
Kush Maini was at the wheel of it and it took too long to come in on the in lap. Game over indeed. An early bath. So, we have that Campbell and Cairoli battle in GTE Am and the gap to the leader is coming down by tenths. The leader is the #33 TF Sport Aston Martin. Augusto Farfus holds station in fourth place in the factory Aston Martin. Ben Keating is confident. We shall see. Felipe Fraga has the wheel of the #33 and will take it to the flag. There is such a strong lineup of gentleman drivers in this field as the #44 ARC Bratislava entry is out of the race, although they are fixing it. But the laptop being plugged in, is nto too good. Game over.
Electronics have to be the problem. Which software has melted down? Tires suffer, brrakes suffer, drivers suffer, and electronics suffer. Noise, harshness, and vibration are the killers for electrical systems. Alex Brundle in the lane for a four minute stop and go penalty. They are out of contention. The Pro-Am LMP2 lead battle is heating up, as we see in the lane, a very junior Porsche driver, a young racing fan. Intereuropol is in the lane and so is ARC Bratislava. The WEC marshal is watching so everything is as it should be. A tire not allocated or declared, was used on the car. Administrative error from the Free Practice pile instead of the qualifying pile.
The #1 Richard Mille Racing entry in LMP2 makes it's last stop too. We see #44 has rejoined the race as Matt Campbell has set the fastest lap for Porsche #77. Meanwhile, Giedo van der Garde for Racing Team Nederland passes Loic Duval in the de facto sister car for RealTeam. Both of these cars are run b TDS Racing. The gap to the leader is closing up. It's close to being squeaky, squeaky time here. Trust me. Hang on to your hollyhocks boys and girls. A four minute penalty is endless. With the loose door, that is how the wheels began to fall off the Intereuropol wagon. The driver is sweating like mad and gets heat synced. He can't get cooled down, boiling in his racing suit. How painful.
Cairoli was in the lane eight seconds longer than Campbell, in GTE Am. Might this be the difference between changing left side tires vs. a full set of four? I would believe so. Car #56 team manager summoned to to the Race Director. Speaking of the Race Director, Edoardo Freitas clicks the radio and says, "team manager, car #34, call your driver to the pit lane because the left side driver's door is open again." Ugh! Stupid door hinge! It has bitten these boys in the tail, once more. When it ain't your day, it ain't your day. Jeepers creepers. Robin Frijns continues to lead the motor race. Alex Brundle is told about the open door. He says, "no, we don't have an open door."
Maybe it is a trick of the light. What about the sister #44? Do they have a door ajar? Watch for the third place battle in LMP2 because Antonio Felix Da Costa is closing on Filipe Albuquerque in a big hurry. Team manager #34, ignore bringing the car in. No worries. So, the door was not open, and it had to be the sister car. So, with half an hour to go, Kamui Kobayashi is half a minute ahead of Kazuki Nakajima. The photographers will love this sunset, but they will be steaming hot in Nomex overalls just like the drivers. Nakajima and company's world title hopes could be slipping away steadily.
All the pit issues for Toyota have been on car #8. But it ain't over until it's over and you are in parc ferme. Matt Campbell is running a truly competitive pace. Matt Campbell and Matteo Cairoli are both closing in on Felipe Fraga as we see Robin Frijns now behind Nicolas Lapierre. Fraga ran a 2:01.2 and a 1:59.7. Campbell has been in the high 1:58 range. But the scoop is that the tires are knackered as we see the #21 DragonSpeed car back into the lane. Currently third, Filipe Albuquerque in the #22 United Autosport car. Phil Hanson is ahead of his team mates, his co-drvers, Filipe Albuquerque and Fabio Scherer. Part of the game is keeping speed up while you deal with traffic.
Compromise yourself the least amount possible. No mistakes. Be consistent and spot your braking points. 25 minutes left on the board. Da Costa is six seconds behind Albuquerque. If the two Porsche's get stuck behind Fraga, Cairoli will be right on Campbell's six. Sporting Director Thierry Tassin looking on. Tassin was a Formula Ford driver back in the 1980s. Vincent Vosse, Kurt Mollekens, these chaps have been great drivers specifically in Belgian motor racing. They've scooped up the European le Mans title and they will be winning a championshup in LMP2.
The team is from their old DTM squad and the engineer for WRT has worked with Peugeot and United Autosport. Pierre Dieudonne is another famous name at WRT management. Now then, Da Costa runs 3.5 seconds behind Albuquerque as there is a 14 second gap in GTE Am with just 23 minutes to go. WRT's car that won Le Mans, had broken air jacks. They also had a motor problem at La Sarthe. Neel Jani says the Porsche race has been very clean between the two team cars. They are focused on a 1-2 finish going into next weekend's race which will be a longer event at eight hours. The heat will be a ig deal and the nighttime running. The tire management will also be different.
#92 will be able to chase down the #51 Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado, one point ahead in GTE Pro going into the finale. In GTE Am, meanwhile, the Aston Martin leads, and they will have fewer points between themselves and the AF Corse #83 Ferrari. 13.7 seconds the gap between Fraga and Campbell. The LMP2 scrum is hot and heavy as Da Costa is quicker than Albuquerque at this moment. A podium for United as well as championship chances could be slipping through their fingers.
It is the battle for the final LMP2 podium place between the two Portuguese pilots. How will Da Costa use the #1 entry as a pick? Albuquerque is squished in there. Albuquerque will lunge on Sophia Floersch who is staying out of the way as much as she can. Anthony Davidson looking on in the Jota pit as Richard Dean is also looking on. He is the owner of United Autosport along with McLaren owner in Formula 1, Zak Brown. Matteo Cairoli is now catching Matty Campbell. Da Costa is within shooting distance of Albuquerque but he is going to send it, and no dice. Albuquerque defends and has more traction. Da Costa will have to try a late lunge. Again, no dice.
He will have to pitch a block pass down the inside. Black and orange meatball flag for that antenna on the #21 Dragonspeed car. LMP2 leader in the lane. Robin Frijns, no dramas. Down and away. Da Costa continues to push. Da Costa pits in two laps and Albuquerque, who is way offline, pits in three laps. Man oh man. Da Costa tries selling Albuquerque the dummy! Oh boy. Up the inside. Wheel to wheel! Rubbing is racing. No drama for Frijns and WRT. They are back out in the lead and back on the button. RealTeam being passed by the leading Toyota. DragonSpeed back in the lane for that antenna with a meatball flag. Intereuropol make their final pit stop. Toyota Gazoo Racing will be Hypercar World Champions as it is game over for Dragonspeed although they may go across the line to score half a point.
They neeed to repair the aerial antenna. Hanley stays in the car, being cooled off with an air hose. They've completed 75% of the race, and so they will be classified. RealTeam pit and Norman Nato will finish out the race for them. Matt Campbell gives up the chase, defending from Matteo Cairoli, and the tires are starting to wilt. Intereuropol were penalized for using 20 tires, five and a half sets, instead of four sets, which equals 16 tires. Five and a half? No. Four and a half. No. Wait. Five sets. Pardon my fuzzy math. They've used two extra tires.
Box, box, box, box. Fuel only, for Jota, for the #38. Toyota 1-2, Alpine third. WRT leads a 2-3 for Jota in LMP2. Porsche 1-2 In GTE Pro. TF Sport lead from a Porsche 2-3 in GTE Am. Aston Martin #98 is not close enough for a podium. Blomqvist chasing Frijns. This chapter continues. Blomqvist in the lane so the gap opens to the WRT entry. Fuel only and safety work for checking for dust and clag in the brake ducting. Filipe Albuquerque now is in from fourth spot aboard the #22 car. Toyota #7 serenely in the lead has run 179 laps, 602 miles.
Giedo van der Garde in fifth, Racing Team Nederland needs no pit stops but they are a lap down on everyone else but they have passed Jota. Maybe they had more in the locker. But they want to replay the race again next weekend with 38 points on the table. United Autosport must feel the sand slipping through their fingers. They will be behind the eight ball going into the finale next weekend for dead sure. There's cracking competition in LMP2. Any of these top teams could move up to Hypercar and run a successful program. TDS have Bronze rated drivers in their cars too of course. 14 points covers the top four runners in the LMP2 standings for the championship. How close do you like it?
WRT leads Jota now by 54 seconds. 175 laps completed. 588 and a half miles. Team WRT will assume the points lead as Jota #28 drops to second. Nothing is done and dusted, but Robin Frijns uncorks the fastest first sector for the #31. Wow. No Formula 1 style point for fastest lap in sports car racing. 53.215, fastest lap for the WRT car! Yikes! 1:53.215. Phil Hanson ran a 1:53.248. 53.5 for others, 53.8 and 53.9 for the remaining cars in the class. All of these have a minute added on the end. Five or so minutes before this race ends. Da Costa in third, Albuquerque in fourth place.
Albuquerque and Fabio Scherer are fighting on behalf of co-driver Phil Hanson and I don't think Phil Hanson has driven all the WEC races this year. He does not have enough for Da Costa. Hanson is the only driver on the team who can be champion. Fabio Scherer was sick in one of the races and could not drive. Filipe Albuquerque had a scheduling conflict with the IMSA championship where he drives for Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura. Four and a half minutes to go. In GTE Am, no changes. The gap is down to eight and a half seconds, but Fraga is managing it. He will have to push. But it will be a deal where an incident might happen. We'll see.
Porsche's in flying formation which they have been since yesterday's qualifying and the last six hours. It has been a controlled, formation run for Porsche AG and the Porsche GT Team. Fraga continues to lead GTE Am, and so you haven't missed anything. Giedo van der Garde won't take any chances. Toyota #7, the leader, is cruising. Traffic ahead. The final lap is underway. 1:52 for Kamui Kobayashi. Final lap of the penultimate event of the year. They will slightly creep away from their sister car. #8 trimmed their gap by a point but #7 is going to double their points tally. 38 for a win vs. 27 for second. Next week will be a pole and a must win for the 8 hours next time out.
Checker flag awaits and Toyota #7 wins again with Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Jose Maria Lopez, who have a hat trick in Bahrain. GTE Am won by the #33 Aston Martin for Dylan Pereira, Felipe Fraga, and Ben Keating. LMP2 winners, the #31 Robin Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi who take the LMP2 points lead. #29 wins LMP2 Pro-Am. In GTE Pro, it is going to be a Porsche 1-2. #92 ahead of #91. Kevin Estre and Neel Jani, one race away from being a potential FIA WEC champion.
So, your winners in Bahrain for the 6 Hours.
Overall/Le Mans Hypercar: #7 Conway/Kobayashi/Lopez Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
LMP2: #31 Frijns/Habsburg/Milesi Oreca 07 Team WRT
LM GTE Pro: #92 Estre/Jani Porsche 911 RSR-19 Porsche GT Team
LM GTE Am: #33 Fraga/Keating/Pereira Aston Martin Vantage TF Sport
33% more racing, and more value for your money, next weekend in the season finale. Join us right back here at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain, for that, next weekend. For now, so long, everybody. Take care.
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