Porsche at Bahrain to grabs two remaining titles

WECHyperCar

Oct 28

After securing all titles in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (Porsche pocketed nine titles), Porsche now sets its sights on winning the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC with the 963. At the final round of the year in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), two world championship titles are still up for grabs in the top Hypercar class. Winning the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships would crown an extremely successful year for Porsche. “Our team has converted the penalty kick in the IMSA title fight. Now, we also want to win the FIA WEC championship” declares Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at 24 Hours of Le Mans. Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor in #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

The final round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship at Bahrain is a huge challenge for teams, engineers and drivers with high daytime temperatures, falling temperatures at dusk and fine sand sweeping over the asphalt. Tyre wear is a major consideration on the Grand Prix circuit with its 15 turns. A steady pace over a full stint is regarded as the key to success. For the eight-hour race in Bahrain, points will be multiplied by a factor of 1.5 and rounded up (38-27-23-18-15-12-9-6-3-2).

Porsche leads the World Manufacturer Championship

Porsche Penske Motorsport tackles the eight-hour race in Bahrain this coming weekend, as the leaders of the manufacturers’ classification with 161 points. A maximum of 39 points are still up for grabs for pole position and overall victory in the eight-hour race. The Toyota factory team is ten points behind, with Ferrari currently trailing Porsche by 27 points. If Porsche wins in Bahrain or is the best-placed Hypercar works team, the WEC title is in the bag. If the best Porsche Penske Motorsport racing car finishes second, no Toyota should win. If the Japanese brand misses out on victory, a position directly behind the best Toyota is enough. Ferrari still has an outside chance.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Lusail and Le Mans. Both Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963. Top: Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki in #5 car. Bottom: Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor in #6 Porsche.

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “Bahrain is always a very special race. The tyre wear is substantial, and the strain from heat and race length is significant. There are still a lot of points up for grabs there. Throughout the season, we’ve been among the frontrunners in almost every race. I’m sure that’ll also be the case in Bahrain. We’d like to wrap up the season with another success – be that a win or at least a podium finish. We want to do everything we can to secure the world championship manufacturers’ title.” Source: Porsche

Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor lead the World Driver Championship

In the drivers’ world championship, Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor rank first rank first with 150 points after seven of the eight races of the season. They are trailed by the Ferrari trio in the #50 car (115 points) and the #7 Toyota with 113 points. In any case, an eighth place in the race is enough for the #6 Porsche 963 crew to secure the coveted title.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at 6 Hours of Imola. Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor with #6 Porsche 963.

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #6): “We have an incredibly exciting weekend ahead of us. Considering the championship standings, one might think that everything is wrapped up – but that’s definitely not the case! It looks promising, but with 1.5 times as many points awarded in Bahrain, the standings are still wide open. With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the race with somewhat mixed feelings. If we manage to approach this competition with the same consistency and concentration as the previous races, maybe our high hopes will be fulfilled. Last year, we weren’t particularly strong in Bahrain. However, we’ve understood exactly why that was. We want to tap our true potential. Winning the championship would be an absolute dream come true for everyone in the team.” Source: Porsche

Two FIA WEC titles already secured

Hertz Team Jota, the FIA World Cup for private Hypercar

Hertz Team Jota has already secured the FIA World Cup for private Hypercar teams in Japan. Bahrain will be the last WEC race for the Hertz Team Jota with its Porsche hybrid prototypes from Weissach: the customer squad, which won the WEC race in Spa-Francorchamps this year, is switching brands for the 2025 season.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps. Will Stevens, Callum Ilott and Norman Nato won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with Hertz Team Jota #38 Porsche 963.

Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “I’m really looking forward to Bahrain. Historically, we’ve done pretty well on this track as a team. Last year we were quite competitive there and after securing the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams, I think we now have the confidence to head into Bahrain with a more aggressive strategy. We’d like to end the season on a high with a successful weekend and obviously, as our last race on this journey with Porsche, it would be even nicer to conclude the season strong for the brand too.” Source: Porsche

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Left: Proton Competition #99 with Julien Andlauer, Neel Jani and Harry Tincknell. Right: Hertz Team Jota #38 with Jenson Button, Phil Hanson and Oliver Rasmussen.

Oliver Rasmussen (Porsche 963 #38): “Bahrain is the last race of the season, which makes me a bit disappointed because we’ve had a good run, and we underlined our potential. Finishing in the points in Fuji was a perfect example that we’re capable of really good stuff. Everything has to play out in Bahrain. I know the car is going to be good, which is always reassuring. It’ll be an exciting weekend with an eight-hour race. That’s two hours longer than normal – so anything can happen…”

Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #99): “I always enjoy visiting Bahrain. Coming into the winter, being on a great track in warm, sunny conditions is always a treat. Things haven’t always gone our way in previous races. Mostly small things went wrong, but they had a big impact on our performance. I’m hoping we can put this behind us. We want to realise our full potential at the end of the year and show the world our maximum performance.” Source: Porsche

Manthey PureRxcing in LMGT3 class

In the LMGT3 class, Manthey PureRxcing took home the championship crown early at the previous round in Fuji, Japan, with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R shared by Klaus Bachler, Joel Sturm and Alex Malykhin has dominated the team and driver standings of the FIA Endurance Trophy.

Joel Sturm (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “We already took home the title at the last race in Fuji. Now, we want to enjoy the best possible end to the season in Bahrain and welcome the winter with a win – or at least another podium finish. We plan to thoroughly enjoy our last race of the year and leave our mark on the season.” Source: Porsche

Timetable (CET)

Thursday 31 October

10:15-11:45: Free Practice 1

15:30-17:00: Free Practice 2

Friday 1 November

10:00-11:00: Free Practice 3

14:40-14:52: Hypercar Qualifying

15:00-15:10: Hypercar Hyperpole

Saturday 2 November

12:00-20:00: 8 Hours of Bahrain