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In an electrifying climax to the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, Toyota’s No. 8 GR010 Hybrid driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa secured an unexpected victory that awarded Toyota its sixth consecutive manufacturers’ title. The win represented a remarkable comeback after Toyota had fallen behind mid-race, only to take advantage of multiple safety car interventions that reset the field and allowed for strategic adjustments.
Toyota’s late-race resurgence saw Buemi making a decisive pass on Matt Campbell’s No. 5 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry, which had been a frontrunner for Porsche’s bid for a manufacturers’ title sweep. Buemi managed to clinch the lead with just 39 minutes remaining, eventually pulling away to create a 27-second margin by the finish. Porsche, despite missing the manufacturers’ crown, celebrated a triumph in the drivers’ championship for their No. 6 car team of Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Andre Lotterer, despite the team’s disappointing 11th-place finish in Bahrain.
One of the significant race dynamics was the No. 7 Toyota, which initially challenged for victory but suffered from early contact with Cadillac’s Earl Bamber and eventually encountered mechanical setbacks that hampered its performance. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s No. 50 car, piloted by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, faced its own disappointments; a late-race tire puncture contributed to a slide down the order and ultimately saw Ferrari stripped of its provisional second-place points.
In the highly competitive LMGT3 class, the No. 55 AF Corse Ferrari emerged victorious in the last race of the season, overcoming intense competition from TF Sport’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 entries. AF Corse’s Alessio Rovera held onto the lead in the final stages, securing Ferrari’s second consecutive LMGT3 class win after a prior victory at Fuji, and further solidifying Ferrari’s presence in GT racing despite the title loss in the Hypercar class.
This Bahrain finale highlighted Toyota’s strategic adaptability and persistence, allowing them to retain their dominance in endurance racing even as Porsche and Ferrari presented robust challenges. With this victory, Toyota continues to set the standard in WEC’s Hypercar category while new regulations and competitive shifts hint at an even more dynamic competition for next season.
