Hello, and welcome, everybody, to the kingdom of Bahrain, the Bahrain International Circuit, the finale of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, and to the end of an era. Today marks the final race, not only for the LMP2 prototypes within the FIA WEC (they will still appear at Le Mans, as well as in the European and Asian Le Mans Series, and in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship), but no longer, in the FIA WEC, and at the same time, the era of GTE production sports cars comes to an end. The era of the factory hot rods from Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet Corvette, and Aston Martin ends after today's race. LMGT3 with some equally fantastic machinery and more of it, will take their place in WEC in 2024.
We have seen the success of the GT3 formula through SRO, IMSA and other worldwide championships, and now, that success, is about to move its way into World Endurance Championship competition with manufacturers like Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin all staying, but being joined by the likes of Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, McLaren, and BMW. Actually, I believe there may be a rule set forth where Hypercar manufacturers that currently race the prototypes could have an entry into the LMGT3 ranks. So, some brands could come later. We will just have to see. For now, though, tune in with us as we witness the final GTE race and witness a race that will be a turning point, too, in the evolution of the Hypercar category.
One thing to expect in this race today, through all eight hours, a typical workday for most people during the week, is few safety cars. So, expect me to be blabbering on and on for quite a while. However, it will, as it always is, be useful information and describing the track action, as it always is, with plenty of humor also thrown in when it is called for. Once again, as per usual in the FIA WEC this year, and particularly in Hypercar qualifying, we have a Toyota front row lockout. A most predictable outcome indeed.
The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain is the official name of this race as stunt driver Terry Grant is doing stunts as a pre-race show. Hypercar and LMP2 are going for championships. Valentino Rossi is here, and will test tomorrow with WRT. Right now, we are set for the final race of 2023. Hcctic and chaotic the race may be. A dozen years ago when the WEC started was the first race here. We have Martin Haven and Graham Goodwin in the commentary booth. Terry Grant and his stunt show coninue. The temperatures will be hot in the desert today as the drivers get ready.
Ben Keating, he now has 29 car dealers in Texas. He and a number of other drivers are going to step away from the World Endurance Championship. Hypercar will expand massively next year. We are set for a mouthwatering race. Six left hand turns and nine right hand turns. The hot pavement is like a cheese grater for the tires. Turn eight is a good overtaking place and some of these corners are just going to torture the tires.
Last year, Toyota, WRT, and Aston Martin, were all winners. GTE Am and LMP2 are ending their involvement in WEC while we have GT3 coming next year. Fourth in GTE Am it is the #57 Kessel Rscing Ferrari 488 GTE. Takeshi Kimura, Daniel Serra from Brazil, and new driver, for today, Frenchman, Esteban Masson. Ahmad Al Harthy, Michael Dinan, and Charlie Eastwood are ready in the #25 ORT by TF Sport Aston Martin. Second, Liam Talbot, Casper Stevenson, and Tomonobu Fujii. Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey are on the class pole.
We are going to see a full field of GT3 cars in WEC beginning next year. Iron Dames have won in the European Le Mans Series but not in FIA WEC yet. Iron Lynx will be racing Lamborghini's Hypercar and GT3 programs next year. WRT #41 in LMP2 in tenth place. Rui Andrade, Louis Deletraz, and Robert Kubica. United Autosport has Phil Hanson, Fred Lubin, and Filipe Albuquerque. We will have two categories next year instead of three. Vector Sport has Gabriel Aubry, Ryan Cullen, and Matthias Kaiser.
Sean Gelael third sharing with Robin Frijns and Ferdinand Habsburg. Terry Grant, doing donuts in his legends car. Matthieu Vaxiviere, Julien Canal, and Charles Milesi have their #36 car and on pole, Tom Blomqvist put the car on the pole with a blinding lap sharing with Oliver Jarvis and Josh Pierson. Peugeot will have a new version of their Hypercar. Will they call it the 9X8 or change the name of the car? All the dowforce generated from the underbody. The car will have a rear wing next year. Last year here in Bahrain the car was fast but unreliable.
Antonio Felix Da Costa will be racing for Porsche in Formula E next year. Peugeot have an interesting plan for the future. Will Stevens, Yifei Ye and Antonio Felix Da Costa, will be making the start in the #38 Jota Sport Porsche 963 before Da Costa goes to full-time Formula E racing for Porsche next year. Next up, the #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 of Harry Tincknell, Gianmaria Bruni, and Neel Jani. Then comes the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963 of Dane Cameron, Michael Christensen, and Fred Makowiecki. The Bahraini national anthem is played by a marching band. The Police Band of Bahrain.
Legendary racing announcer Bob Constanduros is on the public address system. Next on the grid the #6 sister Penske Porsche 963 of Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, and Laurens Vanthoor. Third place for the #2 Ganassi Racing Cadillac V Series R of Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber, and Richard Westbrook. Bamber is the starting driver. They scored a podium with the #2 Cadillac at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last time out at Fuji it was not the best race, but that Cadillac will soon do what it does best, roar like a lion. Toyota are 1-2. Mike Conway starting the #7 sharing with Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez and the sister #8 on pole of Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa, and Brendon Hartley.
The top two Toyota's are on hard compound Michelin tires and will change compounds later in the race when we see pit stops. Everyone in Hypercar is on the hard Michelin tires because of the heat and the abrasive nature of the track like driving on a wet tire on a dry track, squirming around. The tires of course will be double stinted through the race. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The Bahrain flag waves to set the cars on their way on the formation lap. No tire warmers means two formation laps to get heat into the tires.
Hello to Anthony Davidson who has just arrived back in the broadcast booth. One car will take an ear,ly drive through penalty after an infringement in Free Practice 3, the #4 Vanwall. The Cadillac team believe they can fight Toyota today. The Cadillac and the Porsche's have been given a weight break. It is baking, boiling hot. It is eight hours and a very deep field. The Hypercars are heavy and the lap time will be affected by a tenth of a second or so. The tires and tire strategies are things we are going to keep a keen eye on all day today.
The Toyota is so gentle on it's tires that it has a hard time warming them up. Under control of the safety car, the field forms up and we are set to go racing. Close the gaps. OK. It is time to go racing. Green flag! Away we go! Sebastien Buemi leads the mtoor race as the red lights go out! The Hypercars fan out and into the first turn, Bamber locks up and the #7 Toyota has spun and the Vanwall is off and so is the #23 United Autosports car and the #36 Alpine Oreca! Deary me! Well, well, well. This will not help the cause of the #7 Toyota.
Ferrari running second and third and fourth is Michael Christensen in Porsche #5 with Jean Eric Vergne next in the #93 Peugeot. Will Stevens tries Jean Eric Vergne, aboard the #38 Jota Sport Porsche 963. Vergne slams the door in his face as Christensen chases Pier Guidi. Earl Bamber flew Plummet Airways down the order in the #2 Cadillac as well! Criminy! We have to double and triple check the LMP2 field and see how everyone has shaken things out.
Mike Conway has recovered and is slicing and dicing his way through the LMP2 field. Sarah Bovy leads GTE Am over Liam Talbot as the Vanwall is stopping for damage and they have a drive through penalty in their future. Dario Franchitti is driver manager for Alex Lynn. Will Stevens wants by Jean Eric Vergne. Not yet. The Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 is looking good although the Peugeot 9X8 is going to be gentler on it's tires than the Porsche will be. In the replay of that earlier shemozzle, it is clearly a chain reaction under braking.
How much damage has been done to the tail of the #7 Toyota? The Vanwall was tangled up in that fracas as well. They have a new nose on the car which must still serrve a penalty as Will Stevens has gone around Jean Eric Vergne. Matthieu Vaxiviere on his recovery drive and Matteo Cressoni from the last row of the grid has moved to second in GTE Am in the #60 Iron Lynx Porsche 911 RSR-19. Sebastien Buemi uncorks fastest race lap so far, 3/10ths ahead of the #50 Ferrari 499P with Miguel Molina at the wheel of it, the rapid Spaniard.
Mike Conway has to pass the #10 Vector Sport car leading LMP2 in the hands of Gabriel Aubry. There is a long, long way to go. Alessandro Pier Guidi says Miguel Molina is too slow. This is the team game at Ferrari. Valentino Rossi looking on before his debut in WEC next year. Cannot wait to see the champion motorcycle turned car racer in action. Sebastien Buemi now 3.2 seconds clear as Mike Conway is moving up and Will Stevens is catching Michael Christensen. Jota Porsche vs. Penske factory Porsche. Sarah Bovy, Matteo Cressoni, Liam Talbot, and Takeshi Kimura, the top four in GTE Am as Ben Keating is chasing Ian James.
Heart of Racing will be in Hypercar in 2025 with the Aston Martin Valkyrie with a V12 motor. Cannot wait to see that car! Advantage to the Iron Dames. Iron Lynx vs. Iron Dames. Most of the time the GTE Am teams start their Bronze rated drivers. WRT car #31 and Prema car #9 scrapping in LMP2. Christian Ried almost has a half spin and now, Luis Perez Companc tries to pass and we see the CarGuy Ferrari being hounded by the ORT TF Sport Aston Martin. Be more decisive. He keeps looking but no dice. This is Omani driver Ahmad Al Harthy, nearly a home race for him.
Al Harthy says to Takeshi Kimura, I've got you covered. Kimura says, "no you don't, sunbeam." Now, Ben Keating and Ian James are getting into a scrap. This is what we will see in GT3 next year. That too will be a Pro-Am category. Keating and now, Thomas Flohr, is steaming up the inside! He locks up! Look out! This is cracking racing from the amateur drivers! Blimey! By the way, the dinosaur Porsche, "Rexy" was called for a drive through penalty and so is the #50 Ferrari 499P of Miguel Molina at the start. "Rexy" has P.J. Hyett at the controls currently in the T Rex Porsche.
The factory Porsche 963s only have electronics upgrades compared to the privateer cars from Jota and Proton Competition. 15 minutes of racing on the board. The Hypercars and the LMP2's are slower in te corners in GTE Am. Unbelievable. No wonder there is so much traffic. Now, Ahmad Al Harthy is doing all he can and going for it as we see the WRT and Prema scrap in LMP2. Filip Ugran of Romania in the #9. Mike Conway making headway, passing Neel Jani and Conway now has to pass Laurens Vanthoor in the sister #6 Penske Porsche 963. Mike Conway has been in the endurance sports car racing game for a long time.
A one-minute stop and go penalty for Earl Bamber in the #2 Ganassi Racing Cadillac but the V Series R is actually handling just fine. Valentino Rossi is still on a motorcycle racing with his charges in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes of MotoGP. "Rexy" in the pit lane for the drive through penalty for crossing the pit lane blend line. Ian James being monstered by Ben Keating who will return to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship next year. Ian James making a pass on Ben Keating. The two give each other room, but Keating gets the better of the British veteran. Wow! This is hot stuff early doors! Woohoo! We are going to miss the GTE cars!
GT3 will have more variety though and it is going to have Pro-Am drivers. It is going to be a fair old scrap! Alessandro Pier Guidi says that he can go quicker than he has been as Frank Dezoteux spins the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE. He spins all by his lonesome. Mike Conway closing on Laurens Vanthoor for eight place. Porsche vs. Toyota in Hypercar. Conway has made a move on Earl Bamber and on the #99 WeatherTech Proton Competition Porsche 963. One minute stop and go penalty, with damage, to the #2 Ganassi Racing Cadillac.
Alessandro Pier Guidi passes Miguel Molina for second and Molina could have a penalty in his future as Mike Conway is now up to eighth place. #50 of Miguel Molina off and on! Yikes! Christian Ried scrapping too with Luis Perez Companc allowing Ben Keating to close in. Molina was totally off the road. In replay, well, it was an unsafe rejoin for the Argentinian, Luis Perez Companc. He tried taking edvasive action and now, the Ferrari 499P also was jolly lucky to not clip the barrier and will get penalized for his move.
So, this will be an ice cream headache for Miguel Molina and Ferrari as a spin is in turn one. The #86 GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 of Mike Wainwright that has gone on the whirligig. Their final race in WEC. Mike Wainwright, Ben Barker, and Riccardo Pera. 25 minutes on the board and this is too frantic for me currently. Back in the day gentlemen would have jousted on horses with swords but now it is a jousting tournament in sports cars! Will Stevens is giving the works Porsche fits. Traffic ahead. Yikes! Through turn six, the Hypercars corner faster than the GTE cars. That is Liam Talbot in the #777 D'station Aston Mattin Vantage GTE.
Tom Blomqvist has flown Plummet Airways to the bottom of the LMP2 pile after starting on pole with LMP2 pit stops coming and we have run now for 14 laps. I don't know if I will be keeping a mileage or lap count today. It is a long, long race. Sarah Bovy has just dropped only eight seconds. We should see the Hypercars do a 30-31 lap stint. 22 for LMP2 and for the GTE's it will be 30-31 laps. Mike Conway looking on Jean Eric Vergne sweeping past. Toyota GR010 Hybrid on Peugeot 9X8. Two turbo V6 powered Hypercars. So, Mike Conway is now sixth. Barely half an hour on the board yet.
Sebastien Buemi leads now by 12 seconds. Understeer can pay off here in Bahrain as Laurens Vanthoor passes Loic Duval in the sister #94 Peugeot 9X8. "The Lion" is languishing. New rear tail section for Tom Blomqvist in the #23 United Autosports LMP2 Oreca. Blomqvist is the new endurance driver for the IMSA Cadillac team, the #31 Whelen car of my friends at Action Express who have just won the 2023 title. That will be fun to watch for 2024. The nose has been replaced on the Vanwall and the tail replaced on the United Autosports entry. There was signs of damage on both sides of the United entry. Jeepers creepers!
Kuba Smiechowski in the lane in the #34 Inter Europol Competition car which won in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans battling for second in LMP2 in the points as Will Stevens passes Michael Christensen and Christensen locks up. Penske Porsche vs. Jota Porsche. Job done for Will Stevens and now, Mike Conway in Toyota #7 is catching these two chaps, hand over fist. It is the Michael and Michael show. Pit stop time for the #63 Prema LMP2 car. Thomas Flohr, the oldest winning race driver in GTE Am history. Ben Keating will pit for fuel and tires soon. Conway takes a good line into turn eight and makes his move on the Porsche.
He hangs on, only just. Toyota and Peugeot have raced here but Porsche and Ferrari and Cadillac, this is their first effort in Bahrain. Halfway through the first of eight hours. Will Stevens being told his gap to Molina. The gap is closing down to 2.4 seconds. Stevens is having a wonderful time! They are in the zone. A happy racing driver is a better driver. The #33 Corvette is in the pit lane now. Conway is really going for it. The Vanwall in replay, he got clonked into a spin as well and we have also seen the LMP2 cars being jockeyed around. Both United cars went off the road. That was a closing door. No opportunities.
Meanwhile, Neel Jani is now right on Jean Eric Vergne's six, look. Phil Hanson and Tristan Vautier, the incident being reviewed by the stewards. Peugeot struggling now. They will have to be kinder to their tires as the race goes on. Peugeot under pressure from porsche and Laurens Vanthoor makes his move. The #10 Vector Sport car is now in the lane too from the LMP2 lead. Gabby Aubry, Sean Gelael, Phil Hanson, and Rui Andrade are all pitting and so is the #31. Smaller fuel cell than the Hypercars or the GTE cars. All cars using Total's 100% renewable fuel made from wine waste, and no, it is not the part you drink when you are enjoying a fine cab sav with your meal. Don't worry.
Mike Conway now all over the back of Will Stevens. Conway is coming in a big hurry. Sebastien Buemi in the sister car ahead. Toyota, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota. The deal is for Conway, Will Stevens will not roll over like a big dog to have his tummy scratched. Buemi is babying the tires and saving petrol as we speak. Buemi has cleared traffic and gained five seconds in the process. Toyota #8 are thinking championship. They have the speed and they don't even have to win, get second or third, if the sister #7 wins. But believe you me, Buemi is in push mode.
He has to rein it in though, fiddling with his tools in the cockpit while Mike Conway is perhaps rolling the boulder up the hill currently. In traffic they are using more energy according to the tank, to the energy meter. Ian James has gone by Luis Perez Companc. The Aston Martin's tire development is a year behind. They are stymied because of the factory GTE Pro cars going away at the end of last year. Debris on the road and a brief local yellow. That could have resulted in a Full Course Yellow but it was at pit exit. So, it was not totally on the circuit itself.
Mike Conway doing all he can to scythe and slice through traffic. Conway got balked against Stevens. In LMP2 right now, Gabby Aubry is 20 seconds up the road from everyone else. Conway right up behind Stevens and now Neel Jani is haranguing Laurens Vanthoor. Will the customer Porsche's be able to beat the factory works cars? It is possible. Matteo Cressoni still leads GTE Am in the Iron Lynx Porsche followed by Sarah Bovy and Liam Talbot. Neel Jani has pace but cannot quite pass Laurens Vanthoor. Again, Penske Porsche vs. Proton Competition Porsche, both 963 models.
In LMP2 it is a battle for fourth, make that third. Sean Gelael leapfrogs David Heinemeier Hanson, the Danish amateur driver. No further investigation with the race start. That was only a racing deal. No trouble. Alessandro Pier Guidi is asked about tires and tells team manager Justin Taylor, we'll stick to the plan. Mike Conway seems to be losing time to the leaders but he has a long time to make a move here. This is two hours longer than a regular WEC race. The gap is growing at the top of the shop. Mike Conway continues to push. We have seen tire strategies of hard and medium Michelin's being blended. Hard and medium, mostly. We expect Ferrari and Cadillac to go for the hardest tires until tonight when we end in the darkness.
At Cadillac there are three hard tires ready to go. Mike Conway has passed Ferrari #50, and he is on Stevens' six and goes right by him! Conway taking no prisoners! Holy cow! He licks the stamp and sends it! We are still in the first Hypercar stint and only LMP2 cars have stopped. Thomas Flohr in and out of the lane as is Luis Perez Companc. Alessandro Pier Guidi being told Mike Conway will soon be on his six and Andre Negrao is passed by Phil Hanson. Alpine in their final LMP2 team. Phil Hanson will be racing in GTP in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship at JDC-Miller Motorsports in their #5 Porsche 963.
Cadillac #2 is ready for a nose change and a full set of Michelin tires. The #33 Corvette of Ben Keating passes Franck Dezoteux. The #33 Corvette team won the GTE Am title way back at Monza in July. Mike Conway has passed a lot of cars trying to go for it against Alessandro Pier Guidi, the energy/fuel tanks are nearly empty as Laurens Vanthoor nearly gets sideswiped by Thomas Flohr! Maybe it was the other way 'round. Conway in the lane and so is Matteo Cressoni in GTE Am. Will Stevens moves up to third place.
Penske Porsche and Toyota both in for fuel, for about half the Hypercar field. Toyota #8, #38 Porsche, and Ferrari #51 continue. Hard tires on the car and you can only change tires after fueling. The rattle guns at the ready. Left side tires only. Double stinting right side tires. Earl Bamber in the #2 Cadillac has of course had a nose change. Phil Hanson passes Andre Negrao and is now passing David Heinemier Hanson. We have other LMP2 battles but I missed who it was. Porsche #6 now pitting and of course the two car teams do not double stack both their cars at the same time.
Sebastien Buemi gets left side tires and he has a healthy lead over Mike Conway. Conway will be going at it hammer and tongs. Laurens Vanthoor now in as well.
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