Preview: BAPCO 8 hours of Bahrain

Text & Images: Rick Kiewiet

The FIA World Endurance Championship heads to the desert for the season-ending BAPCO 8 Hours of Bahrain (6-8 November), with both the Hypercar and LMGT3 titles still up for grabs. The Bahrain International Circuit (5.412 km) will host the final showdown of the 2025 campaign, with eight hours of racing from day into night.

The Championships' decider

The Hypercar championship remains tightly contested. Ferrari leads both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ standings, holding a 39-point advantage in the former and a slim 13-point lead in the drivers’ battle with its #51 499P. Two of Ferrari’s crews are still mathematically in contention for the drivers’ crown, setting the stage for a decisive finale.

Porsche Penske Motorsport enters the Bahrain finale with an outside shot at both titles. The #6 crew of Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, reunited with Matt Campbell, trails Ferrari by 21 points in the drivers’ standings, while the brand is 39 points behind in the manufacturers’ championship. The race also marks the last WEC outing for Porsche’s factory Hypercar program, ending a three-year era in WEC in which the factory 963 won three races (Qatar & Fuji in 2024 and CotA in 2025) and secured the 2024 Drivers' title.

In LMGT3, Manthey’s Porsche 911 GT3 R continues to defend its championship lead, facing close pressure from Vista AF Corse and TF Sport. With weight adjustments applied to several competitors and success ballast playing a factor, the eight-hour endurance format will test the depth and consistency of every team.

Driver Updates

Bahrain introduces a number of driver changes for the finale. Théo Pourchaire steps into the #94 Peugeot 9X8, replacing Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of his full-season program with the French manufacturer in 2026. At Porsche, Laurin Heinrich makes his WEC debut in the #5 963, replacing Michael Christensen alongside Julien Andlauer and Mathieu Jaminet. Matt Campbell rejoins the #6 Porsche, restoring the Lone Star Le Mans-winning lineup with Estre and Vanthoor.

Aston Martin returns Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis to its Valkyrie Hypercars for the first time since Le Mans, building on the team’s strong performance in Japan.

Looking ahead to 2026, Ferrari has secured James Calado with a multi-year extension, ensuring continuity in its factory driver lineup, while Mathieu Jaminet departs Porsche after a decade-long factory career, marking the end of a highly successful partnership in both GT and Hypercar competition.

BoP: Cadillac takes biggest hit

The Bahrain BoP introduces a number of changes that could influence the title decider. The Cadillac V-Series.R receives a reduction in low-speed power, paired with a slight increase at higher speeds and a weight increase, making it the third-heaviest Hypercar on the grid.

Ferrari’s championship-leading 499P benefits from a modest weight break and a small first-stage power boost, giving the car a slight edge. Porsche faces an increase in minimum weight and a reduction in first-stage power, partially offset by higher-speed performance gains, while Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid enjoys a weight reduction and a first-stage power increase.

Alpine, which won the last round in Fuji, carries additional weight with a first-stage power cut, though it sees some high-speed compensation, and Peugeot receives a small weight increase with minor power reductions. Aston Martin’s Valkyrie experiences a small second-stage power reduction, its first adjustment since Le Mans.

LMGT3 BoP adjustments are also significant, with the championship-leading Porsche 911 GT3 R, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, and Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R all carrying double-digit weight increases. Ferrari’s 296 GT3 and Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo also see weight additions, while BMW M4 GT3 EVO and Ford Mustang GT3 benefit from weight reductions.

Success ballast plays a key role in shaping the field, with the AF Corse #21 Ferrari and TF Sport #81 Corvette carrying the heaviest additional weight, followed by Manthey Porsche and United Autosports McLaren. Minor power adjustments affect Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin, Ford, and Corvette entries, with the Lexus RC F GT3 left unchanged since Fuji. These adjustments will be crucial in dictating race pace and strategy over the long eight-hour stints.

Rookie test line-up

The FIA WEC Rookie Test takes place the day after the season finale, giving young drivers and rising stars a chance to sample Hypercar and LMGT3 machinery. Participating drivers and teams include:

• BMW M Hybrid V8: Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde, both with limited prototype experience but decorated GT campaigns.

• Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH: Mattia Drudi, stepping up from the team’s LMGT3 lineup.

  
  

• Aston Martin Vantage GT3: Gray Newell, competing in GT World Challenge America Pro-Am.

  
  

• Toyota GR010 Hybrid: Sacha Fenestraz, making his first Hypercar outing, alongside Ben Barnicoat in his second Hypercar rookie test.

  
  

• Peugeot 9X8 LMH: Alex Quinn and Mathias Beche, both European Le Mans Series LMP2 racers, joined by 2026 signing Nick Cassidy.

  
  

• Ferrari 296 LMGT3: Nicola Lacorte and Matias Zagazeta, potentially joined by Tom Fleming in the championship-leading #21 car.