McLaren has taken a significant step towards formally confirming a future factory Hypercar program, RACER understands, following years of internal evaluation. Approval in principle for the program is understood to have been given in recent weeks at …
McLaren has taken a significant step towards formally confirming a future factory Hypercar program, RACER understands, following years of internal evaluation.
Approval in principle for the program is understood to have been given in recent weeks at McLaren, with work now underway on developing a fully-funded factory effort, most likely for a 2027 starting point. This would give the Woking-based brand three seasons of competition with its car before the current Hypercar regulation cycle – which was recently extended by two years – comes to an end in 2029.
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When last questioned by RACER, senior McLaren management suggested that the most likely scenario would be a factory program in the FIA WEC, with an IMSA presence looking a less likely bolt-on. There is also no appetite for customer cars at this stage.
The program would be for an LMDh rules prototype and, whilst there is no confirmation of a confirmed chassis partner, Dallara looks the most likely choice at present.
RACER believes there are plans for rapid steps forward for the program’s financial planning, with some sources suggesting a formal confirmation at Le Mans, 30 years after the British brand’s overall victory, is part of the over-arching strategy.
If and when confirmed, McLaren will join Aston Martin (2025) and Genesis (likely 2026 in FIA WEC with IMSA to follow) as confirmed future Hypercar factory programs, with several others continuing formal evaluation processes. At least one additional major manufacturer is a real prospect to join that list in the coming months.
Saturday’s FIA WEC season finale in Bahrain was followed up with the traditional Rookie Test held on Sunday. This year’s event proved to be particularly busy. A full 71 drivers took part in the pair of multi-hour sessions, with the majority of the …
Saturday’s FIA WEC season finale in Bahrain was followed up with the traditional Rookie Test held on Sunday.
This year’s event proved to be particularly busy. A full 71 drivers took part in the pair of multi-hour sessions, with the majority of the teams and manufacturers in the championship using it as a chance to evaluate new talent for the 2025 season and beyond.
Over the course of the day, Cadillac Racing’s Earl Bamber ran fastest. The Kiwi was the only driver to set a sub 1m50s, a 1m49.566s benchmark time for the GM brand’s set of “rookies” during the morning in the No. 2 V-Series.R.
Of the Hypercar newcomers present, Ferrari academy driver Arthur Leclerc ended up reeling off the quickest tour in the Le Mans-winning No. 50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P. His 1m50.460s put him fifth in the combined rankings. It was a standout performance, which was particularly impressive given the 24-year-old admitted afterwards that his time to prepare was limited.
“I didn’t have much opportunity to use the sim because of my Formula 1 development work. Before the weekend I checked the data, though, and met with some of the team members to learn the steering wheel and how to drive this car,” he told reporters.
While there appears to be no room at the inn at Ferrari AF Corse for the time being, there are signs that he’s been earmarked for a future role in the factory team. This would more than suit him, as a full-time driver in Hypercar, he explained, would come as a dream.
“Hopefully one day I can drive the Hypercar. In the next two or three years, I hope one day to be behind the steering wheel,” he said. “If you gave me every chance, I’d do F1 and Hypercar. But Hypercar would be my dream with Ferrari because I’d love to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“I have no idea what 2025 looks like, but something similar between single-seaters and endurance seems to be that you sign quite late,” he added when asked about his career plans in the short term.
Another driver who turned heads was MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, making his Hypercar debut with BMW Team WRT in the No. 20 M Hybrid V8. The Italian set a best time of 1m50.557s in the afternoon, putting him seventh in the combined times and 0.2s up on GP2 ace Victor Martins, driving the No. 36 Alpine A424.
BMW Motorsport
”I am really happy about today,” Rossi said. “From my first moment, I had a good feeling with the car and tires. I expected to suffer a bit more in warming up the tires, but here, with [it being] 50 degrees C, I didn’t have that problem.
“I tried both tire options — set my quickest on the mediums but felt good with the hard. This car has a lot of horsepower, but you have a good feeling and I like the braking without ABS. Sometimes you make mistakes but you can adapt it more to your style. It’s a proper race car, more stiff and precise and you have a lot of aero so it’s impressive.
“As for my time, I was a bit unlucky because I had two sets and with the second you can improve. With the first, I had a red flag, and with the second I spun in traffic. Luckily I managed another lap and set the 50.5s but there’s more potential there.”
Whether or not this outing will lead to anything further in prototype racing in the future is unclear. A firm decision on his 2025 GT3 program with BMW needs to be made first. Whether he will be back in the FIA WEC or concentrate on GT World Challenge is one of the key storylines of the offseason. The Italian admitted he’s leaning towards the world championship as the deadline for his final call approaches.
Along with Rossi, works drivers Max Hesse and Dan Harper also featured in BMW’s run plan. The pair used the outing to get a taste of life in the Hypercar factory team. As for the future, both have clear ambitions to climb back into the M Hybrid V8, though there’s nothing confirmed at this stage. Instead, further outings in GT3 cars and background simulator work for the Bavarian brand appear to be on the immediate agenda.
Gary Parravani/BMW Motorsport
Hesse told reporters: “I’d like to race the [Hypercar] car next year, but it’s not in my hands. We keep working; we have goals in GT racing. Whenever Andreas (Roos) feels like we are ready we will definitely say ‘yes’ but I don’t have a plan of how long.”
2024 Manufacturers’ World Champion Toyota hosted some interesting names, too. Their run plan featured track time for works-supported AKKODIS ASP driver Esteban Masson and LMEM nominee Reshad De Gerus in the No. 7 GR010 HYBRID.
For Masson, this test provided him with a first taste of Hypercar driving after a brief spell with Swiss team COOL Racing testing an LMP2 car at Portimao last month. That, plus half a day of sim work at TGR Europe’s headquarters in Cologne, helped him prepare for Sunday’s track action.
“The aim for me is to become a pro driver, so going to P2 and doing this places me one step closer. My aim is to race the Hypercar in the near future,” he said. “I was happy with my season, Toyota was as well, so everything came together.
“[It’s] different to what I’m used to in single-seaters where you don’t need to change anything while driving. GTs was a step, but this is a big step. That’s the main difference, as the Hypercar isn’t that different, it’s just got more settings and weight and is much better in every sense. I’m just grateful … to drive the title-winning car.”
De Gerus, meanwhile, was nominated by Le Mans Endurance Management to drive the car which clinched the manufacturers title, meaning he didn’t know until late last night which of the three contending Hypercars he’d be driving. As it turned out, the ELMS LMP2 regular was quietly relieved that Toyota won the race, as he was most prepared to drive the GR010.
“Toyota has been amazing, and they had the car I wanted to test because they allowed me to discover everything. I had a chance to prepare well for this test with a seat fit and sim prep even without knowing if I would be driving with them,” he said.
Both drivers set their best laps in the afternoon on fresh rubber after using used tires during the morning. Masson’s quickest was a 1m51.871s, while De Gerus managed a 1m52.619s.
Their 2025 programs are not yet signed off, but both expressed an interest in racing prototypes next year, with De Gerus specifically making it clear that he is keen to return to the ELMS’ LMP2 ranks.
Elsewhere, Sunday was a big day for Phil Hanson, who turned his first laps aboard the privately-funded No. 83 Ferrari 499P, following the news prior to the season finale that he will be joining the team after a season spent with HERTZ Team JOTA. Next year Hanson will race alongside another former JOTA driver, Yifei Ye, and likely Robert Kubica, in the seat that was filled by Robert Shwartzman in 2024.
With Shwartzman leaving Ferrari for what is widely expected to be a drive in IndyCar next year, Hanson told RACER that it opened the door for an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
“Like anything in motorsport, it begins with a discussion, and once Ferrari knew it had a vacancy to fill it moved forward,” he said. “It’s an amazing chance for me, as it’s clear that AF Corse runs the No. 83 very closely to the No. 50 and No. 51. You can see that in the garage set-up and the results, and in terms of Le Mans performance, the 499P is the car to have.
“It’s sad to leave JOTA, but they are going to be in a really good place next year with Cadillac, and it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out. They will be a formidable force once they have the advantage of being a factory team.”
Across the day the Briton completed 65 laps, with a best time of 1m51.424s, set on the Michelin hard tires. His feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“It was a really cool day. Driving a new car on a track I raced at the day before is rare,” he said. “Inherently the car is very different to the Porsche, but still delivers a very different lap time. It was an exciting challenge learning how to deliver the time in an alternate way. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve had to adapt so quickly to something after developing habits; I was on autopilot at times.”
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Hanson’s previous team, HERTZ Team JOTA, didn’t take part in the test, but its new manufacturer partner Cadillac did, with the Mitas Racing-led Chip Ganassi Racing crew rolling the V-Series.R out for 2025 Action Express signee Fred Vesti and Corvette factory drivers Daniel Juncadella and Charlie Eastwood.
Sunday was officially the final day for Stephen Mitas’ team running the Cadillac after a two-year spell as the factory FIA WEC service provider on behalf of Chip Ganassi Racing. With the garage now packed up for the last time this season, the transition to the new JOTA era will accelerate. While Mitas Racing’s staff are not set to return to the FIA WEC next season, the team leader explained to RACER that he is busy plotting a return. His company will be working on a significant engineering project in the background in the immediate future, plus moving its operation to a new location in Stuttgart. Then, he said, they plan to make a comeback.
“We have a big project which will involve most of my people,” he explained. “We are looking at an alternative motor racing program next year, with the firm intention to return to the WEC in the very near future. We are working very hard.
“I must say, at this point I’m so thankful for Chip Ganassi, Mike Hull and Mike O’Gara. Working with them has been fantastic and I can’t say enough for the support and trust they’ve all given us. We look forward to maybe working with them again in the future.
“The chance to work with them over the past two years has opened up opportunities for us in the future. I’m hugely proud, honored and thankful for this experience.”
As for Cadillac’s Rookie Test drivers, Eastwood — fresh from a stellar outing in Saturday’s 8 Hours with TF Sport — set the fastest time, a 1m52.512s in the afternoon.
“The car was great to drive,” he said. “So fast on the straights, which we see in the races as they come past the GT cars like we’re stopped. A tricky car to drive and complex as well, and I think once you start to drive it more and more it will become quite rewarding. I had a really good last run in the car, good consistency throughout the run, which isn’t straightforward here in Bahrain.
“All in all, just loved the experience and hopefully it’s not my last time.”
Both French Hypercar manufacturers were out in force. At Peugeot, Sunday was a chance to test up-and-comers Clement Novalak and Theo Pourchaire, as well as young Danish prodigy Malthe Jakobsen, who has an important winter ahead of him before he steps up to the full-time factory roster next season.
For Alpine, its Academy F2 racer Victor Martins was the big name testing the A424. The 23-year-old set a best time of 1m50.717s in the afternoon session, putting him amongst the quickest drivers of the day.
Alpine
Martins said his previous F1 testing experience proved useful in preparing for his Hypercar debut, despite there being key differences between the two formulas.
“There are many things that are different, like energy management, but there is lift and coast in both. It’s easy to get used to it though,” he said.
“I just wanted to have a clean day, not make mistakes, give back the car to the team and get a first taste.”
Going forward, this doesn’t appear to be a prelude to a move into full-time sportscar racing. The Frenchman was keen to stress that fighting for a seat in F1 remains his goal.
“For next year I am not sure what I will be doing, but I will be doing what myself and my manager think is the best way to reach F1,” he explained.
“Being part of the academy brought me here (in Bahrain) and I am super happy. It was my first time in an endurance car and I had expectations, though working with so many people is quite new.
“It hasn’t changed what’s in my mind, though. I dream about F1. This is something to consider, but not in the short term — in the future.”
For the LMGT3 cars in the field, there was a wide array of talent on hand for the teams to work with as they push to sign up drivers for 2025 and sample Goodyear’s new ‘Medium Plus’ tyre compound, which is set to debut in the second half of next season.
With budgets quickly escalating — RACER understands that the money required to run a single car now exceeds the 5 million euro mark for most teams — the pressure is on to convince the Bronze and Silver prospects to commit before winter testing begins.
Of the 37 drivers who took to the track in the class, Lexus IMSA driver Ben Barnicoat’s 2m01.772s was the benchmark. The quickest “rookie” was AMR Driver Academy inductee Mahaveer Raghunathan, who set a 2m02.623s in the No. 55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari. He was just 0.02s quicker than Aurelien Panis in the No. 78 Lexus.
Looking ahead, following Sunday night’s annual end-of-season beach party in Manama, multiple tests for WEC teams in Bahrain are scheduled over the coming days.
First up is a Michelin tire development test Monday, which all but one of the manufacturers are believed to be staying on for.
The track time will include the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH’s first laps with other Hypercars on the same track. A number of prospective drivers for the program are due to take part as the British brand and partner team Heart of Racing prepare for the IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona later in the month.
The only omission is Cadillac, which will not run due to the clashing handover of the program from Ganassi to JOTA.
Lamborghini, meanwhile, is understood to be staying on after the tire test to complete more running as it continues to ponder what the future of its LMDh program looks like.
The clear headliner from today’s FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain was MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, who made his first Hypercar test with BMW Team WRT. The Italian completed 69 tours of the Sakhir circuit over the two sessions in the No. 20 M Hybrid …
The clear headliner from today’s FIA WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain was MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, who made his first Hypercar test with BMW Team WRT. The Italian completed 69 tours of the Sakhir circuit over the two sessions in the No. 20 M Hybrid V8, setting a best time of 1m50.557s to go seventh in the combined rankings.
Speaking with reporters at the end of the day, the 45-year-old Italian made clear he really enjoyed the experience behind the wheel.
“I am really happy about today,” he said. “From my first moment, I had a good feeling with the car and tires. I expected to suffer a bit more in warming up the tires. But here with the 50 degrees I didn’t have that problem.
“I tried both tire options, set my quickest on the mediums but felt good with the hard. This car has a lot of horsepower, but you have a good feeling and I like the braking without ABS. Sometimes you make mistakes but you can adapt it more to your style. It’s a proper race car, more stiff and precise, and you have a lot of aero so it’s impressive.
“The line with the Hypercar is also similar to the motorcycle line because you stay on the track and in a GT you cut everything. So this car is more similar to a bike.
“As for my time, I was a bit unlucky because I had two sets and with the second you can improve. With the first, I had a red flag, with the second I spun in traffic. Luckily I managed another lap and set the 50.5 but there’s more potential there.”
One of the biggest LMGT3 questions heading into the off-season is whether or not Rossi will return to WRT in 2025. When asked about his plans for next season, he said he hasn’t yet made a final call and is still deciding between a GT3 campaign in FIA WEC or GT World Challenge.
“I haven’t made my mind up, but I have quite a lot of pressure from BMW to remain in the WEC because it’s more important for them. But I haven’t decided — some things are better here, some better there. Now it’s more WEC,” he said.
“Anyway, I will race in the GT World Challenge finale in Jeddah, and then I will decide what I am going to do. It will be one or the other.”
Rossi’s experience today appears to have been an eye-opener. But will it lead to further outings in a prototype?
“I have to say after today coming back to GTs will be a little more difficult,” he said. “Next year, no. If I had the chance in the future, why not? The first test was very good.”
It feels fitting that after the closest, most dramatic FIA WEC season to date, the major honors were split across the top three Hypercar manufacturers, with Toyota, Porsche and Ferrari all taking a slice of the pie. Porsche’s No. 6 crew held on to …
It feels fitting that after the closest, most dramatic FIA WEC season to date, the major honors were split across the top three Hypercar manufacturers, with Toyota, Porsche and Ferrari all taking a slice of the pie.
Porsche’s No. 6 crew held on to claim the Hypercar drivers’ world championship despite finishing down the order in the finale. Toyota snatched the manufacturers’ crown in the final hour of the season with a spirited drive from Sebastien Buemi. And Ferrari, despite missing out on a title, will look back on the 2024 season fondly after claiming its second Le Mans victory in a row back in June.
It really was a remarkable campaign, one which had a bit of everything. It produced its fair share of thrills and spills on track and off, regular doses of drama and controversy and a number of historic milestones.
With the dust settled during the off season, there will be so much to unpack and reflect on before the WEC paddock reconvenes next year in Qatar for next season. Right now, though, it’s time to celebrate the newly crowned champions after the wild end to the season in Sakhir.
For Porsche Penske Motorsport, it was a truly memorable day, even if it wasn’t quite the fairytale ending that everyone within the organization dreamed of.
Having claimed a sweep of IMSA GTP titles, a GTD PRO championship with AO Racing and the FIA WEC LMGT3 and Hypercar World Cup honors with Pure Rxcing and HERTZ Team JOTA prior to Bahrain, completing the set in the Middle East with both Hypercar titles felt almost inevitable.
WEC season finales never fail to produce drama, and on this occasion, the wily old fox that is Toyota pulled off the upset, coming in and stealing the manufacturers’ title after a late-race showdown between Buemi and Matt Campbell.
The safety car periods and a full course yellow which bunched up the field and set up a nail-biting final hour played a huge role. They allowed the pole-sitting No. 8 Toyota to recover from its dramas earlier in the race by the time it emerged from the pit lane for the final time. All of a sudden, having looked down and out with three hours to go, Toyota’s outlook changed. Buemi was strapped in, held a tire advantage over Campbell ahead in the No. 5, and had a chance to cap off an amazing performance with one final overtake for the win.
A dream come true for Buemi and company, with post-race emotions and sheer exhaustion overflowing. Jakob Ebrey/Motorsport Images
“When I jumped in towards the end I was like P10, and I knew how hard it was to make progress, so I didn’t think we could come back,” Buemi explained. “But what happened was, with my tire advantage I was able to make moves every lap or two and we managed to execute a shorter stop at the end, jumping the No. 6 Porsche, the Ferrari, and it meant all I had to do was to catch the No. 5.
“It was like a dream as suddenly I knew we could win. It felt like everything was going our way, unlike the rest of the whole season. It might be the best drive of my career.”
A truly special drive indeed, with so much at stake, to deliver Toyota a fourth consecutive Hypercar manufacturers’ title in a row and the only win from pole by a team in the class this season. It also helped take the sting out of the sister car’s torrid outing, as ultimately, with the No. 6 Porsche’s troubles, both sets of drivers’ title contenders from Toyota and Ferrari will rue the missed opportunity.
The No. 7 retired with a fuel pump issue, which according to TGR’s team principal-driver Kamui Kobayashi, damaged the engine and severely blunted the car’s performance. The decision to park the car was a painful one to make, but it allowed the entire engineering staff to shift focus to the No. 8’s charge.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Le Mans-winning No. 50 499P finished the race, but way down the order in 11th after struggling for outright pace throughout and losing valuable time to a puncture.
The season’s ups and downs gave us a split set of champions, much to the delight of Porsche’s leading crew of (from left to right) Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. Jakob Ebrey/Motorsport Images
It all meant that the drivers’ honors went the way of Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre and Andre Lotterer, despite their struggles and first non-points finish of the season.
All three drivers played their part this season, delivering a consistent run of results en route to being crowned Hypercar drivers’ world champions for the first time. In a field this deep, racking up two wins and two second-place finishes in eight races was no easy feat. It’s a title run that will be looked back on for a long time to come.
“When you see how competitive the field is, it’s special,” Lotterer, who departs Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Hypercar program with his head held high, said in the post-race conference.
“Before in LMP1, Le Mans was what everyone wanted, and if you won the championship it was just OK. Now with so much competition, the world championship has great value. Today wasn’t the best day, but we had the luxury to afford it. We will go home happy, target achieved.”
“This year has been amazing,” added Vanthoor. “I’ve never worked with a group like this, with my teammates, engineers and mechanics. It hasn’t sunk in, but today is one I will never forget.”
Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 HYBRID snatched the victory and the Hypercar manufacturers’ world championship from Porsche under the floodlights Saturday in the FIA WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain after a pair of safety cars and a full course yellow in the closing …
Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 HYBRID snatched the victory and the Hypercar manufacturers’ world championship from Porsche under the floodlights Saturday in the FIA WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain after a pair of safety cars and a full course yellow in the closing hours created high drama.
With a relatively tame first half, the season finale came alive in the final three hours, as the string of yellows kept the field bunched up and set up a sprint finish. Battles raged up and down the order in both categories with time winding down and the ambient temperature falling, producing a number of surprise results — in the case of Hypercar, having championship implications.
As for the titles, the No. 8’s charge to the front in the final hour saw Toyota claim manufacturers’ honors out of nowhere. The pole-sitting car looked down and out when it was turned into a spin in the opening hour by a TF Sport Corvette, costing the 2023 champions valuable track position, but they never gave up, and through a combination of willpower and tire strategy, found a way back into contention.
When Sebastien Buemi was strapped in for the run to the flag, he was in the zone and on a mission. After the final round of pit stops, which saw the car climb to second, he found himself in a straight fight with Porsche’s No. 5 car for the championship.
Buemi then promptly caught and passed Matt Campbell with a bold move for the win with 39 minutes remaining. The Australian was unable to respond once Buemi found a way through and eventually crossed the line third.
Second place slipped away in heartbreaking fashion on the final lap, when Antonio Giovinazzi found a way past in the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari, which led the majority of the race but lost precious time to a longer final pit stop.
“That was maybe my best drive,” Buemi said. “The early contact put us on the back foot, but it’s always a long game and our strategy was to make sure we saved some great tires for the end of the race.
“When I jumped back into the car, we were down in 10th and I honestly thought we had no chance to come back, but with our tire advantage I was able to make some moves and I knew the No. 5 would begin struggling at some point. In the end, everything fell into place perfectly.”
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“We saved tires for the end and Seb delivered,” added teammate Brendon Hartley. “We wanted to spoil the Porsche party and we did. It feels good to get a win going into the winter break.”
Despite Toyota’s miraculous turnaround, all was not lost for Porsche. In the drivers title race, Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor clung on in the No. 6 963, despite finishing outside the top 10.
It was a roller coaster outing for the trio, who endured their worst result of the season after spending more than half the race recovering from a messy start.
Vanthoor, who was behind the wheel when the lights went out, dropped from sixth to dead last on lap one following contact with title rival Miguel Molina in the No. 50 Ferrari at Turn 4. A metronomic run for multiple hours put them back in podium contention, but their hard work was undone when a drive-through penalty for an FCY violation and two 5s time penalties for incidents dropped them to 11th.
Luckily, an equally disastrous outing for their title rivals in the No. 7 Toyota and No. 50 Ferrari allowed them to seal it with a non-points finish.
The No. 7 retired with a recurring fuel pump issue which struck hard after Nyck de Vries took the lead in the fifth hour and the No. 50 limped home in 12th.
Ferrari’s Le Mans-winning 499P failed to feature, struggling for pace after the contact at Turn 1 forced Miguel Molina in for an early nose change, then suffered a puncture when it was hit by an Alpine in the penultimate hour.
“A horrible race — a really horrible one,” Vanthoor said after becoming a Hypercar world champion. “But we did the baseline for this throughout the season, with great strategy and a great car. That’s why we are world champions today.
“It has to sink in. It’s one of the best days of my life. Besides this race, we were flawless; we were the perfect group.”
For Peugeot, Saturday’s race didn’t produce a fairytale end to its tough season, but the No. 93 9X8 finishing fourth will serve as a confidence boost for the team ahead of winter. Mikkel Jensen pushed hard at the end and managed to beat the No. 35 Alpine home.
UPDATE: The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari lost its second-place finish to a post-race penalty for using too many tires during the race (28 instead of 26), and is now classified 14th after being handed a 4m55s time penalty for the infraction. Peugeot therefore took third and the No. 5 moves up to second.
Second win of the year for Vista AF Corse’s Ferrari in LMGT3. JEP/Motorsport Images
LMGT3 had high drama as well. Vista AF Corse’s No. 55 Ferrari held off TF Sport’s Corvettes to claim the Italian team’s second victory of the season and second in a row after the sister car won in Fuji.
Alessio Rovera was masterful late in the race, surviving a lengthy duel with an emotionally charged Charlie Eastwood, racing this weekend in memory of his late father.
“We managed to do it. My teammates (Simon Mann and Francois Heriau) did an amazing job managing the tires early, because the key was the last three hours,” Rovera said.
“I had new tires at the end and the fight with the Corvette was really nice. It was fair because we didn’t touch. It’s a win we deserved because we were really close to podiums all season.”
Eastwood followed Rovera home in the No. 81, crossing the line 3s back, ahead of Daniel Juncadella in the No. 82. It wasn’t a win, but it was by far the most impressive outing from the new Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R in WEC competition yet.
“It kind of sums up our season again — a story of what could have been without the safety car,” Eastwood’s teammate Rui Andrade summarized. “We were ahead by about 40s beforehand. We were in a good rhythm and had good pace, but I was kind of in no man’s land because we didn’t take tires on my second stint.
“We were hoping the strategy would pay off, and Charlie would get new tires and back into the lead. Nevertheless, I’m really happy to finish the season with such strong races back-to-back-to-back. Since COTA, the car has been super-strong and the team has done a great job making it faster and faster.”
Off the podium, the No. 60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini came from nowhere to take fourth and Morris Schuring steered Manthey EMA’s Porsche to fifth.
Further down the order, the two McLarens that locked out the front row in Qualifying fell away after a strong start to the race. The No. 59 ended up sixth and the No. 95 dropped to eighth. They finished ahead of the title-winning Pure Rxcing Porsche which could only muster ninth, and both the Iron Dames Lamborghini and Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
All three looked to be in the running for victory in the second half of the race due to the timing of the first safety car, which fell at the right time and enabled them to rise up the order. In the late-race melee, though, they faded and failed to retain top five positions.
The FIA WEC’s season finales in Bahrain have never failed to produce drama, with titles seemingly always on the line and the pressure for underperforming teams and drivers to deliver ratcheted up ahead of the off-season. It’s often an emotional …
The FIA WEC’s season finales in Bahrain have never failed to produce drama, with titles seemingly always on the line and the pressure for underperforming teams and drivers to deliver ratcheted up ahead of the off-season.
It’s often an emotional occasion too, and this year is no different. Up and down the paddock there are several milestones to note as eras come to an end and new beginnings approach.
A handful of them come at Porsche, which is gunning for a historic sweep of FIA WEC Hypercar titles with its factory 963s in the hope of adding to the Penske-run factory outfit’s suite of successes in IMSA’s GTP class this year.
Looking beyond the championship battles, a spotlight currently shines on its factory driver roster because change is afoot. Porsche’s decision to shift to competing with two drivers for the full season in 2025 has led to two key departures and one key hire, with Andre Lotterer and Fred Makowiecki out and Julien Andlauer in.
Marshall Pruett recently described Dane Cameron’s situation on the IMSA side of the Porsche equation as “bizarre”. The American is another driver from PPM’s stable who finds himself moving on, despite winning the IMSA GTP Drivers’ title and the Rolex 24 this year.
Lotterer finds himself in an eerily similar position. Tomorrow, he will fight for the FIA WEC Hypercar Drivers’ title (and the Manufacturers’ title) with Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre in his final outing for the factory prototype team.
The 42-year-old German will leave Porsche Penske Motorsport at the conclusion of a highly successful, turnaround season for the brand’s flagship sportscar program.
To this point, the three-time Le Mans winner has helped the No. 6 963 capture victories at Qatar and Fuji, putting himself and his co-drivers 35 points clear at the top of the table, meaning he wields the chance to end 2024 on the highest of notes tomorrow.
Lotterer could echo IMSA counterpart Dane Cameron in winning a championship for Porsche on his way out the door, but the three-time Le Mans winner is hoping to continue his career elsewhere next year. JEP/Motorsport Images
Looking ahead, Lotterer’s future in the sport isn’t clear, though he’s adamant that he isn’t ready to hang up his helmet just yet. He’s understood to be in discussions with multiple manufacturers for 2025 and beyond, and may even find a landing spot with Porsche outside of the factory Hypercar program.
“They (Porsche) made the decision (not to renew his 963 program contract) a while ago, and I understood they were going to stick to that regardless of how the season went. They have their agenda, so I need to focus on mine and I look forward to continuing,” he told RACER.
“Of course there are options with Porsche elsewhere, there is loyalty because I’ve been with the (VAG) group for a long time, since 2010. The aim was always to grow old together, but the thing is, I don’t want to stop driving yet. I want to decide when.
“It’s not an easy marketplace though. There are a lot of drivers, it’s hard to find somewhere that ticks all the boxes and has a strong foundation. I don’t want to continue just for the sake of it. But I think my value is here (in the WEC), I don’t think I’ll be back in Formula E or Formula 1.
“So I said to Porsche: ‘Let’s finish the year with a title and see where we go from there.’”
Fred Makowiecki holds a different outlook as he exits stage left, after more than a decade of service for the brand. He reflects on his time with Porsche – which included wins at Le Mans and the Nürburgring 24 Hours – fondly, because, in his words, “there have been so many special moments.” But he feels ready to move on.
“I want to finish well and give Porsche a Manufacturers’ title,” he said. “But this is all a reflection on myself. I asked what I wanted as a person. I was open with Urs (Kuratle, Porsche’s Director of Factory Racing) and Thomas (Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport), I asked to leave, they listened to what I had to say and accepted my decision. After 11 years you have to realize what makes you happy in racing and life, and I need a new challenge.
“I got the chance to race with one of the biggest manufacturers worldwide. But that doesn’t mean it’s all easy or perfect. When you are somewhere for a long time there are aspects that don’t go the way you want them and make you want change.
“This all came step by step. For sure the hard season with car No.5 this year hasn’t helped because I felt that problems we had took too long to fix.”
Makowiecki’s decision to end his long relationship with Porsche stemmed largely from the desire to try something new. Image via Porsche AG
Reports out of France suggest that he’s heading to Alpine, though nothing has been announced at this point. The Frenchman was not willing to go into detail or disclose plans for the future when RACER spoke to him this week.
“Let’s finish here first. There are plenty of rumors,” he said. “We are in a world where people are convinced of something even if they are just suspicious. At the moment nothing is confirmed, let’s finish with Porsche first. For sure I will not retire, I want to be on the grid but with a slightly different approach to the last couple of years.”
Have these situations been tough to manage at Porsche and Penske, with the season reaching its natural crescendo and plenty still to play for?
“Not at all, they’ve been acting 100 per cent professional all the way through, which is great to see,” Laudenbach told RACER. “They are giving everything here for themselves and the team. For sure it’s a special situation, but it occurs on a regular basis in our job.”
On the other side of the coin, there’s Julien Andlauer. The Frenchman is primed to step up to the factory roster after rising up the ranks via the brand’s junior program and is eager to get the 2025 campaign – which he will spend racing alongside Michael Christensen in the WEC – going.
In amongst the galaxy of stars in Hypercar this season, the 25-year-old has found ways to stand out, which is particularly impressive considering he’s been driving a customer-run Porsche 963 all year and had no previous prototype experience to build on heading into the campaign.
His performance during the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps back in May was perhaps the most memorable of his career to date. In that outing he steered Proton’s Porsche to the front of the field, making a number of daring overtakes along the way. It turned heads and is still referenced in conversations across the WEC paddock to this day.
Did that get the phone ringing and seal his fate?
“For sure it helped!” he laughed. “But this year I had amazing teammates in Neel (Jani) and Harry (Tincknell) who helped me improve all year. Being fast is not the only thing, you have to be the complete package in and out of the car, which is what I’ve focused on. I knew I needed to be a smart driver.
“I kept in contact with Porsche all year and at one point they said they were considering me, without putting pressure on. They just wanted me to get experience. They knew changes would happen, but couldn’t confirm anything until meetings around Petit Le Mans. Originally I was given indications I may do IMSA, but in the end, I will be in the WEC.”
Either way, Andlauer has been chosen to bolster Penske’s line-up and help it fight for a world title and the 963’s first Le Mans win. And having already spent a full WEC season driving the car under his belt, he has an opportunity to make an impact straight away.
“It’s a super program to join and the timing is amazing, they struggled a lot last year but they’ve been fantastic this year,” he said. “I will arrive with my backpack full of experience and try to get straight on the same level as the others. I know I just need to keep doing what I am doing and see if it matches with the big boys.”
The Porsche 963’s front suspension looks set to be updated ahead of the 2025 FIA WEC and IMSA seasons, according to Urs Kuratle, Porsche’s factory LMDh racing boss. If given the green light by the rule-makers, this will be the car’s second “Joker” …
The Porsche 963’s front suspension looks set to be updated ahead of the 2025 FIA WEC and IMSA seasons, according to Urs Kuratle, Porsche’s factory LMDh racing boss. If given the green light by the rule-makers, this will be the car’s second “Joker” evolution after the German marque debuted sensor updates ahead of the 2024 Rolex At Daytona back in January.
“We have wishes, we handed in our wishes to the governing bodies — IMSA and the ACO — and once we get approved we will introduce the changes to the front-suspension parts for the [IMSA] test at Daytona at the end of the month,” Kuratle told RACER.
The updates to the suspension, Kuratle believes, should have an impact at a variety of circuits next year, by providing 963 teams more flexibility with setup.
“This is an area that the engineers and drivers gave feedback on [and] we thought it was a route to explore,” he said. “It will give us more adjustments to the suspension. Throughout the year it will help us, it will make the 963 a more equal car at every track.
“Testing [at France’s Paul Ricard circuit and on the dyno] with it has been positive, and once we were sure we handed in the paperwork. We are just waiting for it to be approved so we can start producing parts and distributing them. We need to be ready for the race at Daytona (next January), getting the cars equipped and with relevant spares.
“We have to be careful because you only have so many ‘Jokers’ you can make. It has to make sense, and it has to make sense in the rules. But we are confident it’ll make the car better.”
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This news comes after Porsche previously shelved its plans to update the 963 with a new 90-degree crankshaft earlier in the year to counteract vibration issues with the car.
“It’s [about saving] tokens but to be really honest, it’s even more the money,” Kuratle told RACER back in June Le Mans week when asked why its plans to shift to the new crank were being scrapped. “If we would have to change the crankshaft for a good reason it will cost us a lot of money because we will have to update the customer cars as well. But the reliability of the 963 has improved a lot and it (vibrations) doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore.”
Brendon Hartley set a 1m46.714s in this evening’s Hypercar Hyperpole session in Bahrain to claim pole position for tomorrow’s FIA WEC season finale, leading a front-row lockout for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Hartley’s flyer in the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID came …
Brendon Hartley set a 1m46.714s in this evening’s Hypercar Hyperpole session in Bahrain to claim pole position for tomorrow’s FIA WEC season finale, leading a front-row lockout for Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Hartley’s flyer in the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID came with more than four minutes left on the clock. It was fast enough to put him three-tenths clear of Nyck de Vries in the sister No. 7 car which slotted in second moments later with a 1m47.037s.
“Big thanks to my teammates for trusting me to do qualifying,” Hartley said. “Yesterday we were not happy with the car, we’ve turned it around. It’s never perfect but I learned from Quali 1, and in Hyperpole the car came alive. It’s been a tough year for car 8 so we want to finish the year on a high.”
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The second row of the grid will be occupied by the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P and the No. 99 Proton Competition Porsche after strong efforts from Antonio Giovinazzi and Neel Jani respectively.
The No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari will start fifth, 0.8s off. Crucially though, both of the drivers’ title-contending crews from Toyota and Ferrari (in the No. 7 and No. 50) will start ahead of the points-leading No. 6 Porsche which will line up sixth on the grid ahead of the No. 5.
A few key cars failed to make it into the top-10 shootout, including the Cadillac Racing V-Series.R — which took pole last time out — and both Alpine A424s.
After having his penultimate lap deleted for track limits, Alex Lynn pushed on his final flyer at the end of the session but would only climb to 13th from the bottom of the pile in the Cadillac.
“That was my lap,” Lynn told RACER. “That was going to be the one before it was deleted, as it’s a one-lap shootout here really because of deg.”
Mick Schumacher, meanwhile, ended up 17th in the No. 36 Alpine. The German ran wide and off-track at the final corner in the closing seconds of the session after improving through Sectors 1 and 2.
The No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari which won Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas will also start outside the top 10 (in 12th), as will the pair of Peugeot 9X8s that set the pace in two of the three practice sessions prior to qualifying. The No. 94 claimed 15th on the grid ahead of the No. 93 that will start last after having three of its laps deleted due to a technical infringement. Jean-Eric Vergne explained that the car suffered with power issues, which caused the engine to cut out and ultimately led to the infringement.
“We should have the pace to be able to fight for points tomorrow though,” he added.
Josh Caygill, Nicolas Pino and Marino Sato celebrate pole with the United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo. JEP/Motorsport Images
In LMGT3, United Autosports locked out the front row with its pair of McLaren GT3 Evos with head-turning efforts from Josh Caygill and James Cottingham.
Caygill put the No. 95 on top, delivering United its first LMGT3 pole and McLaren its second this season (after Inception took pole at Le Mans) with a 2m02.201s. But there was almost nothing to separate the two McLarens, as Cottingham placed the No. 59 second with a time just two thousandths off.
“We had a really good car for quali,” Caygill said. “We worked on race setup and tire management in practice and never showed our ultimate pace. I was happy with the lap, lost a bit at the last corner but overall it’s good.”
The top three in the class were completed by the No. 55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari, Francois Heriau steering his 296 to a 2m02.367s in the Hyperpole shootout.
Sarah Bovy placed the Iron Dames Lamborghini on the second row in fourth with her effort, ahead of the title-winning Manthey Pure Rxcing Porsche which will start tomorrow’s race fifth.
After topping two of the three practice sessions, AKKODIS ASP only managed to sneak one of its Lexus RC F LMGT3s into Hyperpole, though Arnold Robin was unable to improve on 10th. The No. 78 will start behind the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, Fuji-winning Vista AF Corse Ferrari and the pair of TF Sport Corvettes, which will line up sixth through ninth.
D’Station’s Aston Martin came closest to making it into the second part of the LMGT3 sessions, qualifying 11th with a time from Clement Mateu that was just a tenth off making the cut.
Both Team WRT BMWs also failed to make it through, along with the No. 91 Manthey EMA Porsche and both Proton Ford Mustangs.
Tomorrow’s eight-hour WEC season finale at the Bahrain International Circuit is set to get underway at 2pm local time.
IMSA’s official test at Daytona International Speedway later this month is set to be a significant one for multiple reasons. Along with being the first appearance for GTD cars with torque sensors ahead of the 2025 WeatherTech Championship, it will …
IMSA’s official test at Daytona International Speedway later this month is set to be a significant one for multiple reasons. Along with being the first appearance for GTD cars with torque sensors ahead of the 2025 WeatherTech Championship, it will mark the first run at an IMSA-sanctioned event for Aston Martin’s Valkyrie AMR-LMH ahead of its debut in IMSA GTP and FIA WEC Hypercar next year.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s head of endurance motorsport, gave RACER an update on the V12-powered car’s development today at the Bahrain FIA WEC round, confirming that the British manufacturer and partner team Heart of Racing will be in attendance in Florida with a single car. It will represent another important milestone for the revived Valkyrie project.
“We’re progressing well — the car has run well, the feedback around it is positive, but racing is about competition. We know it will be a challenge, which is why we’re coming,” he said when asked about the steps taken in recent months during testing. “We’ve got some formidable competition, so you can’t underestimate the quality and caliber of people here. We’ve taken that into account and set ambitious and appropriate targets.”
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Aston Martin has completed about 6,800 miles of running with the Valkyrie AMR-LMH at multiple circuits. Aston and Heart of Racing will also participate in a Michelin tire test next week in Bahrain with a single car, before heading to the Daytona test with a second chassis.
“In Daytona, you’ll start to see a direction of travel as the teams are building, with support from the UK and U.S. team to make sure we are putting our best foot forward rather than splitting into two teams,” Carter saidwhen asked if the IMSA test will give an indication of which key engineering staff members and drivers will make up the IMSA team.
With the car close to being homologated ahead of the 2025 IMSA and FIA WEC seasons, Carter noted that the process of finalizing the car’s spec is on track.
“It’s fine,” he said, “we’ve had mega support from the FIA, ACO and IMSA and everyone is working together.”
However, no firm decision has been made on where the car will make its global race debut. Will it be at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, or the FIA WEC season opener in Qatar a month later?
“We have our plan, we are going with our plan, and we have regular review meetings,” he said. “We will make the appropriate decisions at the appropriate time.”
Peugeot’s Hypercar team followed up its head-turning Free Practice 1 performance yesterday with another session-topping time in FP3 in Bahrain this afternoon. The No. 93 9X8 ended up on top ahead of the final WEC qualifying session of the season …
Peugeot’s Hypercar team followed up its head-turning Free Practice 1 performance yesterday with another session-topping time in FP3 in Bahrain this afternoon.
The No. 93 9X8 ended up on top ahead of the final WEC qualifying session of the season with a 1m49.443s, set in hot, sunny conditions by Jean-Eric Vergne. The sister car also lapped quickly, with Paul di Resta putting the No. 94 fourth with a 1m50.028s.
It will be fascinating to see whether or not Peugeot’s work during practice, which featured 90 minutes of running on used tires in Free Practice 2 last night, translates into a strong performance in tomorrow’s race.
“It’s obviously just practice; we were quick in FP1 too,” Peugeot driver Mikkel Jensen said. “It’s all about when you use new tires as tire deg is brutal. It’s all setup work for the race, that’s what we’re focused on.”
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Second was taken by the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, after Yifei Ye’s 1m49.662s. Third — sitting between the No. 83 and No. 94 — was the No. 63 Lamborghini SC63, with a hot lap of 1m50.014s.
The two Alpines were fifth and sixth, 1.1s and 1.7s off Vergne’s time respectively. Further down the order, Ferrari’s title-contending No. 50 499P hit trouble and completed just seven laps during the hour.
The car spent much of the session in the garage receiving attention from mechanics after the team discovered an electrical issue related to a cable in the front motor. Its best time was a 1m:51.162s, still good enough for seventh in class.
In LMGT3, after AKKODIS ASP topped the times in both sessions yesterday, it was the championship-winning Manthey Pure Rxcing Porsche that finished the session with the best lap as the Bronze drivers prepared for qualifying.
Alex Malykhin was the only driver to complete a sub-2m04s time in the No. 92, with a 2m03.897s that will surely serve as a confidence boost.
Arnold Robin was only marginally slower though in the No. 78 ASP Lexus, which continues to show real promise during the early stages of the event. The Frenchman reeled off a 2m04.041s to go second.
The No. 55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari ended up third, with the Heart of Racing Aston Martin fourth and the No. 82 TF Sport Corvette fifth.
