WEC down to the wire as Porsche, Cadillac chase Ferrari
It’s all eyes on Bahrani this weekend as the 2025 World Endurance Championship title fight comes to a head in the Bahrain desert on Saturday 8 November. After a dominant early season, Ferrari’s chase has since fallen apart to allow Porsche to arrive at the Sakhir circuit with a chance of wresting a goodbye title as the German team prepares to exit the series, basically in protest of its Balance of Performance shambles.
Ferrari takes a 39-point advantage over Porsche to the Bahrain finale with Cadillac a further 24 adrift. So, with 65 points on the table for a 1-2, Porsche will have to do better than third and fourth as it was in Japan last time out, and Ferrari worse than it fared in Fuji, to win. Because the same result as Fuji would see the two tie, and Ferrari take it on a count-back of wins…
Ferrari leadS the way to Bahrain
Ferrari crews, factory men Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado lead the Le Mans winning yellow car’s privateer trio of Philip Hanson, Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye by 14 points in the Drivers chase. Reigning Porsche world champions Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor are a further seven adrift and Cadillac men, Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens still in with a chance at 36 adrift with 38 points available. Hanson, Kubica and Yifei have already claimed the WEC Teams Cup for AF Corse.
Manthey trio Hardwick, Pera and Lietz (below) sit eleven points clear of the Alessio Rovera, Simon Mann and Francois Heriau’s AF Ferrari in LMGT3. TF Corvette duo, Fuji winners Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom van Rompuy’s and teammates Keating, Edgar and Juncadella also have outside chances of stealing the WEC LMGT3 title.
There are a few more pertinent points to consider on Saturday. It’s win or bust Cadillac’s star driver Jenson Button’s final race before the former Formula 1 World Champion retires from racing. Alpine will be out to win again following its maiden victory in Japan, BMW and Peugeot will want to make up for mostly forgettable seasons and Aston Martin has improved steadily, so a win in its maiden season will to the wailing V12s very well, too.
Will WEC cock Balance of Performance up again?
And then there’s that FIA Balance of Performance that some say ruined a brilliant season and others blame for Porsche’s exit. Will it once again unduly disrupt this weekend’s form? And will it be replaced with something new, like success ballast for 2025. All that will be on most people’s minds weekend too.
It all goes down over eight hours in Bahrain with practice Thursday, qualifying Friday and the Eight Hour starting midday European time this Saturday 8 November.