TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is ready for an FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title showdown when a rollercoaster 2024 season reaches its climax in the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday 2 November.
The team heads into the season’s eighth and final race with a mission to retain its manufacturers’ World Championship against strong competition from Ferrari and Porsche. In the seven races so far, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has earned two victories, and a win in Bahrain will guarantee the title for the sixth successive season.
Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries retain a slim chance of the drivers’ title but to do so, they must win the race, alongside #7 GR010 HYBRID team-mate Mike Conway, and hope the #6 Porsche crew fail to score points. Last year’s Bahrain winners, and outgoing drivers’ World Champions, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa will fight for their second win of the season in their #8 GR010 HYBRID in Saturday’s race, which begins in daylight and ends after sunset.
“Bahrain is the last race of an exciting season, and we go there fighting for the manufacturers’ World Championship, which is one of the team’s big targets every year,” said Hartley. “Historically we have gone well in Bahrain and the circuit always seemed to suit our car, so hopefully that’s a positive sign for the coming week.
“It’s a longer race than normal so it’s more important than ever to execute a clean race and get our strategies right. I know the whole team has worked hard to prepare and we can’t wait to get started.”
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has a formidable record at the Bahrain International Circuit, having won the last seven WEC races there, including six consecutive one-two finishes. In total it has won nine of its 12 races in the island kingdom, earning six pole positions and five front-row lock-outs.
The challenge is tougher than ever this year against an 18-strong Hypercar field including title rivals Ferrari and Porsche, who are both are in the fight for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ crowns. Alpine, BMW, Cadillac and Peugeot showed speed at Fuji Speedway and are expected to join an exciting battle for honours.
The 5.412km Bahrain International Circuit is the traditional venue for WEC’s season finale, having hosted the last race in eight of the 11 seasons since WEC’s return in 2012. Its 15-turn lay-out features a mix of high-speed and slower corners and is renowned for being abrasive with high grip levels, creating a particular challenge in terms of tyre management.
Practice for the Saturday race begins on Thursday with two 90-minute sessions, one in daylight and the other under lights, and concludes on Friday. The grid will be decided during the qualifying and Hyperpole sessions, starting at 4.40pm local time (2.40pm CET) on Friday, while the 8 Hours of Bahrain starts at 2pm (midday CET) on Saturday.
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