8 Hours of Bahrain

Ferrari wrapped up the season in third place in the Manufacturers’ championship; Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen (winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi finishing second and eights, respectively, in the Drivers’ standings.

At Sakhir AF Corse’s number 83, 499P, piloted by Yifei Ye, Robert Shwartzman, and Robert Kubica, finished eights, securing second place in the independent team’s standings.

The race. The 499P number 51 led the race for over six hours. Towards the end, in a heated contest for the podium, the number 51 Ferrari made an early last pit stop and climbed to second position amid the melee following the last round of stops.

Following the race, the Stewards issued Decision No. 40, penalising car number 51 and relegating it to 14th position.

According to the document, the car used 28 tyres rather than the 26 permitted for Qualifying and the Race.

In fact, the team respected the 26-tyre limit. However, because of a mistake, during the race they used the tyres fitted to the car for the grid formation instead of those scrubbed during qualifying and intended for the race.

These two tyres were not considered as part of the contingent allocated by the team, hence the Stewards' decision.

The race was less fortunate for the drivers of the 499P number 50. Molina suffered a contact at the start, which damaged the front flicks, slowing his pace and requiring a nose change at the first pit stop. Nielsen and Fuoco made up ground to reach the top five, but another collision an hour before the finish resulted in a left rear puncture, costing positions and forcing an early stop to change tyres.

The statistics. Ferrari’s impressive season will be remembered for two victories and five podium finishes across eight races. The official cars secured a historic win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while the Giallo Modena-liveried 499P triumphed at the Lone Star Le Mans at COTA (USA). 

Over the season, the three Ferraris achieved five podium finishes, as previously mentioned, across three events: first and third places at Le Mans for cars number 50 and 51, third place at Spa-Francorchamps for car number 50, first and third places at COTA for cars number 83 and 50.

Independent teams. AF Corse closed the season in third place in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams, with two victories—at Imola and COTA—and six class podiums in Qatar, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Austin, and Bahrain. 

In the Drivers’ standings, Ferrari’s official drivers Ye and Shwartzman, alongside Kubica, finished the season in ninth place.

See you soon. As the curtain falls on the 8 Hours of Bahrain, with the Rookie Test scheduled for Sunday, 3 November, on the same track, the World Endurance Championship will return to the spotlight in Qatar in 2025, which will host the FIA WEC Prologue (21-22 February) and the season opener (28 February).

First used by Formula 1 in 2004, the circuit boasts various hi-tech facilities, especially the VIP Tower, an eight-storey building from which guests can view the entire track. The circuit is 5.417 km long and a firm drivers' favourite, offering many places where they can pass their rivals.

With a combination of fast and slow corners and an unusually long straight, the main difficulties are a lack of grip and tyre wear. The wind continually blows the desert sand onto the asphalt. To overcome this problem, the organisers have developed a bitumen with a very special grain that always ensures sufficient grip.