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From press release
Toyota Racing took second first racing victory of the 2013 FIA WEC at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, as Audi secured constructors' championship. Ferrari also won constructors' title in GT after a brilliant win of the 458 AF Corse.
Toyota drivers Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin took victory by 1m10s over the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler but both teams suffered mixed fortunes during the race, two-thirds of which was run in darkness at the magnificent Bahrain International Circuit.
An engine issue caused the retirement of the pole-winning No.7 TS030 Hybrid of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima just before the end of the second hour, while a drivetrain problem caused the unusual sight of an Audi retirement for the World Drivers' Champions, Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.
Despite being unclassified for this 8th and final round of the 2013 FIA WEC season, the trio had secured enough points in Shanghai to be assured of the title.
Despite the LMP1 Privateer title being wrapped up some time ago by the uncontested Rebellion Racing, the Swiss team's last race with the Lola-Toyota ended in spectacular fashion with an engine fire just before the clock hit 90 minutes gone.
In LMP2 G-Drive Racing's No.26 ORECA 03 Nissan won its fourth race of the season in the hands of Roman Rusinov, Mike Conway and John Martin, but second in class for the No.24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan of Olivier Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson was enough to give the French team the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams.
It was a day of extreme highs and lows for many of the entrants in the LMGTE Pro and Am classes of the 6 Hours of Bahrain. At the chequered flag for the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, it was Ferrari and AF Corse who were celebrating after winning three titles including the coveted World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers by a margin of 8.5 points over Aston Martin.
The No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander dominated the race after the first 40 laps, crossing the finish line to wild applause from the AF Corse team who - like the two drivers, performed faultlessly throughout the race. Following the demise of the two LMGTE Pro Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8s, both to an engine problem, Ferrari was unchallenged in securing the World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers and, for Bruni, the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers.
Aston Martin Racing had been looking in line to win the GT Manufacturers' title, thanks to the No.99 Vantage V8 of Bruno Senna, Pedro Lamy and Richie Stanaway but suffered heartbreak when it was brought into the pits with the terminal engine issue. This followed the earlier retirement of the No.97 Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke who had been leading the LMGTE Pro Drivers' points classification going into the race.
Softening the blow for Aston Martin Racing was the double success of a race win for the No.95 Vantage V8 of Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard, and the sealing of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers' title for Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall. Their fifth place finish, secured with their team mate Roald Goethe, was enough to confirm that the title was theirs.
Toyota Racing took second first racing victory of the 2013 FIA WEC at the 6 Hours of Bahrain, as Audi secured constructors' championship. Ferrari also won constructors' title in GT after a brilliant win of the 458 AF Corse.
Toyota drivers Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin took victory by 1m10s over the No.1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler but both teams suffered mixed fortunes during the race, two-thirds of which was run in darkness at the magnificent Bahrain International Circuit.
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| Stéphane Sarrazin, Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson (Photo: Toyota) |
An engine issue caused the retirement of the pole-winning No.7 TS030 Hybrid of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima just before the end of the second hour, while a drivetrain problem caused the unusual sight of an Audi retirement for the World Drivers' Champions, Loïc Duval, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.
Despite being unclassified for this 8th and final round of the 2013 FIA WEC season, the trio had secured enough points in Shanghai to be assured of the title.
Despite the LMP1 Privateer title being wrapped up some time ago by the uncontested Rebellion Racing, the Swiss team's last race with the Lola-Toyota ended in spectacular fashion with an engine fire just before the clock hit 90 minutes gone.
In LMP2 G-Drive Racing's No.26 ORECA 03 Nissan won its fourth race of the season in the hands of Roman Rusinov, Mike Conway and John Martin, but second in class for the No.24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan of Olivier Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson was enough to give the French team the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams.
It was a day of extreme highs and lows for many of the entrants in the LMGTE Pro and Am classes of the 6 Hours of Bahrain. At the chequered flag for the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, it was Ferrari and AF Corse who were celebrating after winning three titles including the coveted World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers by a margin of 8.5 points over Aston Martin.
The No.51 Ferrari 458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander dominated the race after the first 40 laps, crossing the finish line to wild applause from the AF Corse team who - like the two drivers, performed faultlessly throughout the race. Following the demise of the two LMGTE Pro Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8s, both to an engine problem, Ferrari was unchallenged in securing the World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers and, for Bruni, the World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers.
Aston Martin Racing had been looking in line to win the GT Manufacturers' title, thanks to the No.99 Vantage V8 of Bruno Senna, Pedro Lamy and Richie Stanaway but suffered heartbreak when it was brought into the pits with the terminal engine issue. This followed the earlier retirement of the No.97 Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke who had been leading the LMGTE Pro Drivers' points classification going into the race.
Softening the blow for Aston Martin Racing was the double success of a race win for the No.95 Vantage V8 of Nicki Thiim, Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard, and the sealing of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers' title for Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall. Their fifth place finish, secured with their team mate Roald Goethe, was enough to confirm that the title was theirs.