Ferrari AF Corse’s Antonio Giovinazzi led the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 8 Hours of Bahrain after they resumed six hours of running.
With 75% of the WEC 2024 season finale completed, the first virtual safety car period continued the tension.
The fight for the lead was closely matched, though Ferrari AF Corse held the honour after six-hours of green flag running.
Toyota just lost their jump on the #51 Ferrari 499P for the lead as the race entered past the halfway point.
It was gained during the pit stop cycle, but the #7 driven by Nyck de Vries quickly founded himself passed by Alessandrio Pier Guidi.
A brief full-course-yellow was called for debris at the exit kerb at Turn 8, and so the #51 continued ahead after the race resumed.
Unfortunately for de Vries, he reported misfire issues in the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid with Kamui Kobayashi having encountered such issues earlier on.
The Dutchman was advised to short-shift and refrain from using the kerbs.
After falling six-seconds behind, de Vries was caught and overtaken by Frederic Makowiecki (#5 Porsche Penske 963) and the #12 JOTA Porsche of Callum Ilott.
Tyre degradation and tyre management has always been crucial upon the WEC’s visit to Bahrain, and slightly different tyre strategies were at play between the medium and hard Michelin compounds.
As the front runners began their the pit stops, Paul di Resta (#94 Peugeot 9X8) fought with Matthieu Vaxiviere’s 36 Alpine A424 for P6.
First major disruption of the race
The first virtual safety car period was called after the #88 Proton Ford Mustang LMGT3 caught fire and driver Giammarco Levorato parked the car.
Marshals extinguished the fire as a multitude of cars, though not everyone, elected to pit before the VSC became a safety car (SC).
Twelve minutes before the hour, the race continued with the gaps having been reset by the SC.
Ilott led the way but was overtaken by Giovinazzi into T1.
Meanwhile, Laurens Vanthoor (#6 Porsche Penske 963) and Ryo Hirakawa (#8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid) battled for fifth position.
Vanthoor eventually took the place at T4, thus opened the door to Nicklas Nielsen (#50 Ferrari) to take sixth, meaning Hirakawa slipped back to seventh.
After their woes and troubles, the #7 Toyota GAZOO Racing entrant was pulled into the garage and became the second Hypercar to retire after the #20 from earlier on.
Giovinazzi led ahead of Ilott and Makoweicki. The Vanthoor brothers followed, with the #15 WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 of Dries Vanthoor in front of L. Vanthoor.
VSC resets seemingly dominant TF Sport lead
TF Sport’s #81 held a momentous 30-second lead before the virtual safety car was called.
It reset the gaps within the LMGT3 category, and so the tension was back on in the class.
Upon their restart, Rui Andrade was challenged quickly by Iron Dames driver Sarah Bovy.
She made a cunning move on the outside of Turn 4 in her #85 Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2.
Alex Riberas quickly followed through in his #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3 EVO, which put Andrade into fourth.
Andrade soon opted to pit for Charlie Eastwood to take over driving duties.
At the sixth racing hour, before she was overtaken, Bovy held the lead ahead of Riberas.
United Autosports’ #59 McLaren 720S LMGT3 EVO of Nico Costa held third position.
In fourth and fifth were the two Manthey Porsches, with Klaus Bachler’s #92 Manthey PureRxing Porsche 911 LMGT3.R in front of Morris Schuring’s #91 Manthey EMA Porsche.
