Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The Bahrain International Circuit is preparing for its first Bahrain Motorsport Festival this weekend as the World Endurance Championship speeds into the kingdom to thrill petrol-heads and race fans.
The second-biggest event on the calendar behind only Formula One, the WEC’s ninth round and season finale will see the conclusion of a thrilling fight for the Drivers’ Championship. Aside from the WEC, the three-day event from Thursday to Saturday is also set to feature action in the CIK-FIA Karting World Championship and CIKFIA Karting World Junior Championship, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East and the MRF Challenge.
There will also be plenty to enjoy off the race track with the Action-Ha entertainment programme. The Manufacturers’ Championship was sewn up by the Porsche team at the last round in Shanghai, as the trio of Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber and Timo Bernhardt started from pole and flawlessly steered their Porsche 919 Hybrid to first place at the chequered flag.
They completed 195 laps as they cruised all the way to the finish. Despite the manufacturers’ battle being over, the drivers are still firing on all cylinders to claim the individual crown. The No 2 Porsche team of Marc Lieb, Neel Jani and Romain Dumas are the current leaders and favourites to claim the accolade, but the Toyota trio of Kamui Kobayashi, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway are just 17 points behind and are the only other contenders, with 25 up for grabs for a win.
Before the Bahrain race, Jani said: “We’ve won two races this year, and in the others we’ve finished consistently. However, our long-term goal has always been the two championships. We’ve got one in the bag, so now we’re going full tilt for the other. We’d love to sew it up with a win in Bahrain.”
They will face stiff competition from the No 1 Porsche team, who have dominated the second half of the season, winning four races, but are out of contention due to a retirement and a couple of very poor finishes earlier in the season.
The team will be desperate to win in Webber’s final ever race, as the Australian is retiring from all form of motorsport at the age of 40. He said: “I will miss the sheer speed, downforce and competition, but I want to leave on a high and I’m very much looking forward to my new tasks. “I have liked sharing a car and the chemistry between Timo, Brendon and me is special and something I’ll always remember. It will be strange getting into the race car for the very last time in Bahrain, but I will thoroughly enjoy every moment.”
The Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain is the only stop of the WEC in the Middle East. Scheduled for a 4pm start, it is one of only a few races that begins in the daylight and ends under floodlights at night. Tickets for the festival are now available.
They cost BD20 apiece for the entire three-day weekend, while those aged 12 years and below can get in for free.
Tickets can be purchased online at BIC’s official website www.bahraingp.com, by calling the BIC 17450000 or at Bahrain City Centre, either at the BIC stand or at Virgin Megastore.
