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And so, we come to the end of another FIA World Endurance Championship season. Bahrain is the traditional season closer of the world's premier endurance racing series, having been on the calendar since 2012 and only missing one calendar year in 2018 due to the 'Super Season'.
Below we've collated each Hypercar team's stats from the race weekend, and have reviewed and rated their performances in the Middle East accordingly. Do you agree with them? Any you disagree with? Do let us know in the comments or on social media – we love a good discussion about racing here at Only Endurance.
Phil Oakley
BMW M Team WRT
Car #15
Dries Vanthoor, Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello
Qualified: 10th
Finishing position: 18th (DNF)
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.526
Fastest lap: 01:51.526 (Dries Vanthoor)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #20
René Rast, Robin Frijns, Sheldon van der Linde
Qualified: 16th
Finishing position: 8th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.130
Fastest lap: 01:51.279 (René Rast)
Number of pit stops: 8
BMW didn't really feature in any meaningful capacity at Bahrain. The #15 got into Hyperpole in the hands of Dries Vanthoor, but couldn't challenge the frontrunners in the race, mostly running outside the points with a high of eighth at one point as a result of pitstop strategy.
With a little under an hour to go, D. Vanthoor had to retire the car as he had what BMW have officially termed a 'right rear wheel issue', causing him to spin at turn 11, unable to move. Over the radio the Belgian said 'I think I've lost my tyre'. Kind of sums up their race really.
The sister car, the Shell-liveried #20 machine, fared a little better, finishing eighth and with a faster 20% average lap time and fastest lap, the latter courtesy of Rene Rast. But still: eighth is not what BMW or Team WRT go racing for.
Sheldon van der Linde said on the TV broadcast that he hopes the evo update to the car "fixes all our problems", so it'll be interesting to watch them next year as WRT race in IMSA for the first time, on top of their WEC commitments.
Rating: 5/10
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Proton Competition
Car #99
Neel Jani, Nicolas Pino, Nicolas Varrone
Qualified: 17th
Finishing position: 17th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.936
Fastest lap: 01:52.703 (Nicolas Varrone)
Number of pit stops: 7
A poor race for Proton. They never really threatened to run in the points, and were 18th and last in class for long stretches of the race. Their average pace was woeful, getting on for a second off the factory Porsches and half a second off the #15 BMW, who they were fighting with for some of the race. They were only saved from finishing last by the BMW retiring late on (see above).
Team principal and owner Christian Reid said over the weekend that it's unlikely that, without further funding, Proton will return to WEC next year. This means we face a WEC season, and indeed a Le Mans, with no Porsche 963s. While Proton clearly aren't on the same level as the Penske-run factory team at understanding the 963, not having them in WEC at all would be a huge shame. Here's hoping the situation changes over the winter.
Phil Oakley
Rating: 3/10
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA
Car #12
Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, Will Stevens
Qualified: 5th
Finishing position: 6th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.434
Fastest lap: 01:52.563 (Will Stevens)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #38
Earl Bamber, Jenson Button, Sébastien Bourdais
Qualified: 14th
Finishing position: 16th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.660
Fastest lap: 01:52.727 (Jenson Button)
Number of pit stops: 9
Winning either world championship was a long shot for Cadillac and JOTA, but it wasn't a bad race. The #12 car, generally the faster of the two this year, finished sixth and occasionally fought with the frontrunners, but lacked pace at Bahrain, a track hard on tyres.
It probably didn't help that the American manufacturer was handed a huge weight increase in the Balance of Performance this race, putting increased strain on the tyres and hurting straight line speed, which is important at Bahrain.
Phil Oakley
The #38 car fared less well. Button, in his final race as a professional racing driver, punted off innocent Thomas Flohr in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari, and finished 16th in the end, with Button completing the final stint, both of the race, the season, and his career.
'It was lovely to finish my career in the car crossing the line under the checkered flag,' said the 2009 F1 world champion.
'It definitely wasn’t a great race on our side of the garage but I still enjoyed the moment.
'When I got in the car we were near the back, struggling for pace and trying to save tyres for the end. I then had a few incidents that didn’t help, including contact with the 54 Ferrari GT.
'I went around the outside through turn 3, a line I’ve used many times, and thought I was clear, when I felt a hit from the rear that sent him spinning. It was unfortunate and I feel for him, but there really wasn’t anything I could do. It was genuinely a racing incident made tricky by another Hypercar on the inside.'
Rating: 6.5/10
Aston Martin Thor Team
Car #007
Harry Tincknell, Ross Gunn, Tom Gamble
Qualified: 9th
Finishing position: 15th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.076
Fastest lap: 01:52.176 (Tom Gamble)
Number of pit stops: 7
Car #009
Alex Riberas, Marco Sorensen, Roman De Angelis
Qualified: 6th
Finishing position: 7th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:52.814
Fastest lap: 01:51.038 (Alex Riberas)
Number of pit stops: 9
The result may not have been quite what was promised midway through the race, when Alex Riberas brilliantly took the lead off Kamui Kobayashi in the #7 Toyota and proceeded to open a 10 second gap.
OK, yes, it was a bit deceiving as Riberas was on brand new tyres while those around him were on older rubber. But still: it made us all believe the Valkyrie could equal or better the IMSA Petit Le Mans podium Aston Martin and The Hear of Racing had achieved a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately it wasn't to be. While in the lead, Riberas got a penalty for a VSC procedure error, causing him to slip down the order. It was a penalty the #009 never recovered from, to finish 7th, 23 seconds off the #12 Cadillac.
The #007 Valkyrie ran well in the early stages and was in or around the mid top 10 positions for most of the race. However, unfortunate pit stop timing put paid to any points. Tincknell, running 5th with a little under an hour to go, pitted just before the safety car was called for D. Vanthoor's stricken BMW at turn 11. Naturally, the rest of the field stopped under the VSC and the #007 got jumped in the order.
Gunn, who had replaced Tincknell at the wheel for the final stint, restarted the race 15th and was unable to make progress in the final half hour or so.
But, the Valkyrie showed its potential and that, with a season of racing now under its belt, will be better prepared to take on the frontrunners in 2026. Exciting stuff!
Rating: 7.5/10
Porsche Penske Motorsport
Car #5
Julien Andlauer, Laurin Heinrich, Mathieu Jaminet
Qualified: 8th
Finishing position: 14th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.265
Fastest lap: 01:52.184 (Julien Andlauer)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #6
Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell
Qualified: 18th
Finishing position: 13th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.195
Fastest lap: 01:51.660 (Kévin Estre)
Number of pit stops: 8
Not the kind of race Porsche Penske Motorsport would have wanted for its final appearance in WEC with the 963.
No points at all, dropping them to third in the manufacturers standings behind Toyota, on account of the latter's 1-2 and maximum points in Bahrain.
Neither car ever really looked like troubling the frontrunners throughout the race. Estre did manage to move through the field quickly in the opening hour, from last on the grid to 12th by lap 30, maybe giving the German manufacturer a brief glimmer of hope.
Bahrain is a track the 963 doesn't suit, though. The Porsche has never been at its best when faced with high track temperatures — see Le Mans this year when the 963 came into its own during the night when the track surface cooled, only for the pendulum to swing back to Ferrari in the daylight. Add to that an abrasive circuit, adding tyre degradation issues into the mix, and poor Balance of Performance, and it was never going to be a standout weekend for Porsche.
They did run as high as third due to differing pit stop strategies, but dropped back immediately after pitting. It was a similar story for the #5 car, which had Laurin Heinrich making his 963, WEC, and Hypercar/GTP debut.
The #5 was running in 10th but similar bad luck to the #007 Aston Martin was to befall them. Andlauer pitted the car shortly before the VSC with under an hour to go, meaning they got jumped when others who were yet to pit stopped under caution.
'We did everything we could and opted for a bold strategy,' said Laurens Vanthoor.
'Unfortunately, it didn’t pay off. Instead of fighting for the world championship, we lost second place in the championship to Toyota. We’d expected Porsche Penske Motorsport’s farewell WEC race to unfold differently.'
Rating: 5/10
Alpine Endurance Team
Car #35
Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin
Finishing position: 11th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.085
Fastest lap: 01:51.384 (Charles Milesi)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #36
Frédéric Makowiecki, Jules Gounon, Mick Schumacher
Finishing position: 12th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.213
Fastest lap: 01:51.804 (Frédéric Makowiecki)
Number of pit stops: 8
After the highs of that race win at Fuji, Alpine may have been hoping for more from Bahrain.
As it is, they didn't score any points in the Middle East season finale. However, the results betray Alpine's true pace in the race, which was better than it seemed.
Both cars were running in the top 6 just before the VSC, in the mix for good points and a decent end to a relatively strong season for Alpine.
However, like others in the class, they pitted a little too early – or the VSC came a little too late, whichever way you want to look at it – and dropped down the order significantly when others pitted under yellow.
At the restart Milesi sat 10th and Makowiecki in 12th, with Mikkel Jensen in the #93 Peugeot between them, in his last race for the French squad. Ahead was Malthe Jakobsen in the sister #94 Peugeot.
Phil Oakley
It was looking good for Milesi to score at least a solitairy point, a consolation prize. But in the last 15 mins, a tussle between all four cars meant Jensen came out on top, in front of teammate Jakobsen in 10th. French-on-French action, then, denying Les Bleus points in the final race of the year.
Alpine have updates to the A424 coming next year, so they'll be hoping that, like BMW, these can launch them into more regular contention for podiums and wins in WEC. They also have new drivers joining them, not least Antonio Felix da Costa making his return to WEC, possibly replacing a likely-outgoing Mick Schumacher.
Phil Oakley
The #35 car may see changes too, with Paul-Loup Chatin possibly on his way to Genesis and Ferdinand Habsburg maybe leaving too.
Rating: 6/10
Peugeot TotalEnergies
Car #93
Jean-Eric Vergne, Mikkel Jensen, Paul Di Resta
Qualified: 4th
Finishing position: 9th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.132
Fastest lap: 01:51.756 (Mikkel Jensen)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #94
Loïc Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Théo Pourchaire
Qualified: 3rd
Finishing position: 10th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.048
Fastest lap: 01:50.987 (Malthe Jakobsen)
Number of pit stops: 8
A decent race for Peugeot, scoring points with both cars – that's four races on the trot where that's happened.
Starting from the second row, though, the race felt like it offered much more. The 9X8 was fast in a straight line – see Jakobsen's excellent battles with both Antonio Fuoco and Ryo Hirakawa, frustrating both of them when they passed him by simply repassing them on the straights – but suffered from high tyre wear.
High tyre wear isn't so much of an issue in qualifying, because it's a single lap. But over a race distance this obviously matters, and so Peugeot fell back over the course of the 8 hours. This is more of a problem at Bahrain for reasons already discussed.
But, Peugeot have improved substantially over the course of the year with a 9X8 that's still proving to be trickier to master than its predecessor. It'll be interesting to see if the French squad can improve further in 2026, before, as is rumoured, a new car arrives in 2027.
Tim Fullbrook
Rating: 7/10
Ferrari / AF Corse
Car #50
Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen
Qualified: 11th
Finishing position: 3rd
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.032
Fastest lap: 01:52.013 (Nicklas Nielsen)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #51
Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado
Qualified: 7th
Finishing position: 4th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.082
Fastest lap: 01:51.556 (James Calado)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #83
Philip Hanson, Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye
Qualified: 12th
Finishing position: 5th
Top 20% average lap time: 01:53.422
Fastest lap: 01:52.492 (Robert Kubica)
Number of pit stops: 8
The 499P is now, almost unarguably, the benchmark in WEC.
Ferrari have stolen that crown from Toyota, who've been in that "benchmark" position for so long. Maybe the Japanese manufacturer will take it back in 2026 with heavily revised GR010.b But until then, this is Ferrari's crown.
They took both world championships, with no upsets coming from Porsche or Cadillac, who were both unable to challenge the rapid, reliable 499P.
While qualifying wasn't as good as it maybe could have been, the race pace for the two factory cars was just a bit behind the dominant Toyotas. This enabled both cars to move up through the field and, at times, look like they could take the fight to the #7 and #8 cars.
While they couldn't quite manage that, it was still a good performance for Ferrari. A trouble-free race for both red cars that enabled them to take both championships. Job done.
A word on the yellow satellite #83, as well. While the race pace was a bit off the factory cars, they were still quick and took fifth. Kubica, Ye and Hanson finished as runners-up in the drivers' championship, took the Hypercar world cup trophy at a canter, and won Le Mans earlier in the year.
Rating: 8/10
Toyota Gazoo Racing
Car #7
Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, Nyck De Vries
Qualified: 1st
Finishing position: 1st
Top 20% average lap time: 01:52.457
Fastest lap: 01:50.173 (Mike Conway)
Number of pit stops: 8
Car #8
Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa, Sébastien Buemi
Qualified: 2nd
Finishing position: 2nd
Top 20% average lap time: 01:52.642
Fastest lap: 01:51.263 (Sébastien Buemi)
Number of pit stops: 9
What can we say about Toyota at Bahrain? 8 consecutive WEC wins, four consecutive front row lock outs. This, more than any other perhaps, is the track they're best at overall.
The 8 hours always looked like theirs to lose. Conway and Hartley started from the front row and never looked likely to lose the lead early on. They split the strategy at the first stop – Hartley not taking tyres and continuing on the used rubber, while Conway did get new tyres – which in theory meant the #8 would have fresher tyres for the latter part of the race.
In the end this wasn't necessary, such was the pace they had. The #8 likely would have won if Ryo Hirakawa hadn't got a penalty mid-race for overtaking under yellow flags. He lost roughly 28 seconds taking the resulting drive-through, dropping him to sixth.
But he and teammate Buemi made their way back up to second, although they were unable to catch the sister car in time to win.
Apart from this single mistake, Toyota didn't really put a foot wrong all race. The GR010 is known to be good on its tyres and that trend continued at Bahrain, where management of the rubber is of key, race-winning importance.
The #7 led the vast majority of the race, with the #8 leading just over 20 laps in total. Other than the brief interlude where the #009 Valkyrie led and the occasional pitstop-enforced laps where other cars may have taken the lead very briefly, it was Toyota's race for the entire 8 hours. A well-deserved win to send the current iteration of the GR010 out on a high.
Phil Oakley
Rating: 9.5/10
Feature image: DPPI / WEC
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