Fernando Alonso’s former stablemate and Formula E driver Stoffel Vandoorne is a Le Mans rookie, taking a seat in the #11 SMP Racing BR Engineering BR1-AER. What Vandoorne lacks in experience, he makes up for in pure talent. With a day to go, Vandoorne is unruffled.

24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

Interview

Toyota has thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Manufacturers’ crown in Bahrain today (1 November), with a commanding performance in qualifying to lock out the front row of the grid for Saturday’s title-deciding finale.

Toyota has thrown down the gauntlet to its rivals for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Manufacturers&rsquo; crown in Bahrain today (1 November), with a commanding performance in qualifying to lock out the front row of the grid for Saturday&rsquo;s title-deciding finale.

For the third year in a row, Brendon Hartley put the #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR010 Hybrid on pole position around Bahrain International Circuit, where the Japanese outfit boasts an enviable record, having won 75 per cent of the WEC races held there to-date. Tomorrow, the New Zealander together with team-mates S&eacute;bastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa will aim to become the first Hypercar crew to successfully convert pole into victory this year.

Hartley wound up just under a third-of-a-second quicker than team-mate Nyck de Vries in the #7 Toyota, with Antonio Giovinazzi missing out on a spot on the front row by barely four hundredths in the best of the Ferrari 499Ps.

Neel Jani was the highest-placed Porsche driver in fourth in the independent Proton Competition entry &ndash; the Swiss star setting the pace in the final sector of the lap &ndash; with the two principal protagonists for the Drivers&rsquo; title set to line up alongside one another on row three. Behind the wheel of the #50 Ferrari, Antonio Fuoco edged out K&eacute;vin Estre in the championship-leading #6 Porsche by a mere 0.015s.

<h2>McLaren mastery in LMGT3</h2>

United Autosports hit their adversaries with the old one-two in the LMGT3 category, with Joshua Caygill and James Cottingham&rsquo;s McLarens separated by a scant two thousandths-of-a-second at the top of the timing screens as the former secured the British outfit&rsquo;s first pole position of the campaign.

Fuji pole-sitter Fran&ccedil;ois Heriau pushed the pair hardest in third to maintain Vista AF Corse&rsquo;s strong finish to the season with the Ferrari 296 GT3, as Sarah Bovy slotted the Iron Dames&rsquo; Lamborghini Hurac&aacute;n into fourth, ahead of Aliaksandr Malykhin in the recently-crowned #92 Manthey Purerxcing Porsche. Barely a second blanketed the entire LMGT3 top ten, setting the scene for a spectacularly close scrap on race day.

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain is scheduled to get underway at 14:00 local time (12:00 CET) on Saturday (2 November).

Watch all the action LIVE via the official <a href="https://discover.fiawec.tv/" target="_blank">FIA WEC app</a>.

For a full breakdown of the broadcast coverage for the 6 Hours of Bahrain, click <a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/how-to-watch-the-fia-wec-action-from-bahrain/8124" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

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FIA WEC : Toyota turns up the tempo in title battle with Bahrain front row lockout

Le Mans, Ignite your Senses | The 24 Hours of the Le Mans is eye-candy for spectators. The world’s greatest endurance race is a unique experience, where the backdrop changes hour by hour. Fine-tuned racing cars take turns to outshine each other as their drivers’ eyes adjust to the visibility levels.

<h2>Dazzling design</h2>

Cars competing in the Hypercar class (the top tier at the 24 Hours of Le Mans) are designed for looks as well as as performance. With millions of eyes agog, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota harness their designers&rsquo; ingenuity as they seek to make their mark on the race and the automotive world in general. In 2025, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/aston-martin-to-race-two-valkyrie-hypercars-at-the-2025-24-hours-of-le-mans-58803" target="_blank">Aston Martin willl be joining the field with the Valkyrie AMR-LMH</a>, bringing British elegance to the already spectacular scene. The line-up for the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025) could be part of the catwalk season! Forget Milan, the real prima donnas are at Le Mans!

As winner of the last two races, the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ferrari-499p-hypercar-design-specifics-58000" target="_blank">Ferrari 499P</a> is a star of the show. The car perfectly combines the ferocity and refinement of Ferrari. Its fiery red livery and distinctive headlamps play on the heartstrings of the brand&rsquo;s tifosi and other longstanding admirers of the prancing horse. 
Meanwhile, the Cadillac V-Series.R represents the essence of American grit. Its imposing stature and unique visual signature are matched by its hallmark growl. More about that later in the series. 
Then there&rsquo;s the Peugeot 9X8, with its clever claw-shaped headlights a nod to its famous Lion logo. Its eye-catching elegance is a credit to French style.

However, the Hypercars don&rsquo;t get all the fans&rsquo; attention.&nbsp; The GT contingent is just as fascinating to behold. Luxurious yet feisty, the Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 sports spectacular aerodynamics. True to its Muscle Car moniker, the Ford Mustang LMGT3 exudes power. Drawing on its American heritage, its aggressive headlamps and angular shape spell brute force. The distinctive shape of the Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 is equally in keeping with brand legacy. Rounded headlamps and smooth aerodynamics are tell-tale signs. Resonant of the roadbound 911, this model is built to race.

<h2>Sun down, lights up</h2>

But it isn&rsquo;t all about the cars. At nightfall, the circuit becomes a light show. Glares, flashes and gleams dance before many an eye in a kaleidoscope of colour. The circuit takes on a luminescent glow, the streaks of headlamps like waving wands working the magic of Le Mans. The mesmerising dance draws crowds to the circuit year after year.

They come in thousands to take their fill of the feast for the eyes where each car is a masterpiece in motion.

.

<h2>Light to dark: challenging driving conditions</h2>

For drivers of course, the switch from day to night (and back) isn&rsquo;t just a change of scenery. It can be a huge challenge. Varying degrees of brightness affect visibility: a key element of anticipation when travelling at speed.

To Norman Nato, driver of the #12 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963, instinct comes into play: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s best to be at the wheel as the light changes. That way your eyes adjust gradually.&rdquo; At night, speed is perceived differently: &ldquo;You have the impression you&rsquo;re driving faster than you really are, especially during the first night practice. Braking distances are harder to assess.&rdquo;

Stoffel Vandoorne of Team Peugeot TotalEnergies describes accelerating with the #94 Peugeot 9X8: &ldquo;After dark, it&rsquo;s trickier. Everything seems faster and you have less visibility on corners.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s harder to gauge distance in the rear-view mirror too: &ldquo;All you can really see behind you are headlights. It can be unsettling, especially when there&rsquo;s lots of overtaking going on.&rdquo;

The two drivers employ different tactics when it comes to driving gear. Norman Nato doesn&rsquo;t use a tinted visor or special glasses. Stoffel Vandoorne keeps his helmet visor up at night. &ldquo;During the day, I lower it if it&rsquo;s sunny, but at night I prefer to keep it open.&rdquo;

Vision fatigue isn&rsquo;t a key issue for either driver. As Norman Nato stresses: &ldquo;Our tiredness isn&rsquo;t visual, it&rsquo;s more physical and mental because of stress and lack of sleep.&rdquo; Vandoorne agrees. &ldquo;The human body adjusts to light, which can make night driving difficult.&rdquo; To counter that problem, drivers undergo physical and mental training and perform stimulating wake-up routines before returning to the wheel after a rest.

Adjusting to light and dark is crucial to performance and the day-night element of the 24 hours of Le Mans makes the race as dazzling as it is demanding.

All in all, whether you come for the machinery, the beauty or both, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a unique visual experience. Changing backdrops, slick moves, sleek lines, streams of light: this is more than a motor race, it&rsquo;s a festival! It&rsquo;s a live performance, a work of art, a show like no other.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/fr/actualites/24-heures-du-mans-la-billetterie-ouvrira-le-mercredi-13-novembre-2024-59026" target="_blank">General sale tickets for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans can be purchased from Wednesday 13 November</a>. ACO Members have an earlier presale period from Wednesday 6 November.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans: a feast for the eyes

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain will mark the climax of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season with the stage set for an exciting showdown for the title between Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Ferrari AF Corse. Porsche currently leads the Manufacturers’ standings and will have high hopes of doubling up after clinching the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while Toyota and Ferrari are poised to seize any opportunity to overturn the situation and snatch the crown. With the race’s high stakes and extra points up for grabs, this grand finale promises plenty of drama before the dust settles on the 2024 season.

After securing the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title, Porsche Penske Motorsport has its sights set on bringing the FIA WEC crown to Germany with its 963. Porsche tops the Manufacturers&rsquo; table heading into the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain while K&eacute;vin Estre, Andr&eacute; Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor lead the Drivers&rsquo; championship.&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve improved considerably in the second year of our global programme and unfailingly made the most of our opportunities,&rdquo;&nbsp;says Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport Vice President.&nbsp;&quot;I expect nothing less at the upcoming race weekend in Bahrain. If we approach our mission with the same concentration and consistency as in the previous rounds, then we&rsquo;ll achieve our goal: 2024 World Champions in the manufacturer and driver categories.&quot; 
Porsche Penske Motorsport has prepared the 963s for this season finale at its Mannheim factory as well as conducting a track test at the Weissach development centre.

&ldquo;We have an incredibly exciting weekend ahead of us,&rdquo;, says Vanthoor, who will take the wheel of the #6 Porsche 963. &ldquo;Considering the championship standings, one might think that everything is wrapped up &ndash; but that&rsquo;s definitely not the case!&nbsp; It looks promising, but with 1.5 times as many points awarded in Bahrain, the standings are still wide open. If we manage to approach this competition with the same consistency and concentration as the previous races, maybe our high hopes will be fulfilled. Last year, we weren&rsquo;t particularly strong in Bahrain. However, we&rsquo;ve understood exactly why that was. We want to tap our true potential.&rdquo;

<h2>Toyota Gazoo Racing&#39;s fate in its own hands</h2>

Toyota Gazoo Racing will be going all-out to see off Porsche and Ferrari and retain its Manufacturers&rsquo; championship title at the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain. The Japanese constructor has picked up two wins this season at the 6 Hours of Imola and the Rolex 6 Hours of S&atilde;o Paulo. A third success in Bahrain would see them&nbsp;wrap up the title for the sixth consecutive season. Toyota currently trails Porsche in the Manufacturers&rsquo; championship standings by 10 points. Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries still have a slim chance of taking the Drivers&rsquo; crown but, to do so, they must win the race with their teammate Mike Conway, and hope that the #6 Porsche crew strike a blank. It is worth noting that Toyota has won the last seven 8-hour races in Bahrain.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the end of an exciting and challenging season,&rdquo; acknowledges&nbsp;Kamui Kobayashi, Team Principal and driver of the #7 car. &ldquo;As a team we have enjoyed some great moments as well also some difficult ones, like the last race at Fuji Speedway. The competition has been incredibly tough all season but thanks to the big effort from everyone, we go into the last race with the destiny of the manufacturers&rsquo; World Championship still in our control.&nbsp;We know that a win will give us the title so that is our target, and everyone will give their maximum to achieve it. We need a perfect weekend and we&rsquo;re ready for the challenge.&rdquo;

<h2>Ferrari AF Corse plans to race for eight hours, then do the maths</h2>

Obviously, the Ferrari AF Corse camp harbours similar ambitions to Porsche Penske Motorsport and Toyota Gazoo Racing: win the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. The prancing horse currently lies in third place in the Manufacturers&rsquo; table, 27 points behind Porsche. As for the Drivers&rsquo; standings, Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen are in second place, 35 points adrift of Lotterer, Estre and Vanthoor. Therefore, like Toyota, Ferrari must win the race to keep alive its hopes of scooping the title.

&ldquo;As always, we head out onto the track to do our best.,&rdquo; insists Antonio Fuoco, driver of the #50 Ferrari 499P and winner of this year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans.&nbsp;&ldquo;We know that the 8 Hours of Bahrain will be an extremely challenging race, not least because our direct rivals have been highly competitive throughout the season and will be very determined heading into this last event. Our philosophy, however, is to pursue every avenue, and in this spirit, we approach a race that will be long and full of variables. As we saw in past seasons, we know that in Bahrain, the race result is always unpredictable.&quot; 
Teammate Nicklas Nielsen adds: &ldquo;Last year in Bahrain, we finished on the podium at the close of a demanding season. This year, we return to the Sakhir circuit knowing more about the track and our car. The race won&rsquo;t be easy, but we must give it our all, and only after the 8 hours can we do the maths. After winning at Le Mans with Antonio and Miguel, my dream is to bring a world title to Maranello.&rdquo;

As the curtain comes down on a&nbsp;gripping season, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain promises a ferocious battle through to the final turn. Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Ferrari AF Corse are ready to give their all in their quest for the world title. Every second, every pit stop and every ounce of strategy could shake up the final standings.

The race will go green at 14:00 local time (UTC +3) on Saturday.

FIA WEC – Porsche, Toyota and Ferrari set for ultimate battle in Bahrain

Young British racer Phil Hanson is set to join AF Corse’s Hypercar programme. He will drive the #83 Ferrari 499P currently occupied by Yifei Ye, Robert Kubica and Robert Shwartzman.

He may only be 25 years of age, but Phil Hanson has already built up an impressive track record in endurance. In addition to LMP3 and LMP2 titles in the Asian Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series and the FIA WEC, he topped the LMP2 podium at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of the #22 Oreca 07-Gibson alongside United Autosports teammates Filipe Albuquerque and Paul Di Resta. These impressive results opened the doors to Hypercar &ndash; the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA WEC &ndash; as he was recruited by Hertz Team JOTA to share the wheel of the #38 Porsche 963 with Jenson Button and Oliver Rasmussen.

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday 2 November will therefore be Hanson&rsquo;s final race in Hertz Team JOTA colours before switching to the AF Corse garage the following day.&nbsp;The WEC Rookie Test will be the stage of Hanson&rsquo;s first outing in the #83 yellow Ferrari, marking the start of his preparation for the 2025 season.

Will Hanson&rsquo;s transfer to AF Corse signal the start of the traditional close-season game of musical chairs among drivers? As the countdown to the 2025 season begins, this significant switch could indeed trigger a series of strategic transfers among the discipline&rsquo;s big hitters. Which other major changes in the pipeline are set to reshuffle the FIA WEC&nbsp;pack? Watch this space&hellip;

FIA WEC – AF Corse signs up Phil Hanson for the Ferrari 499P

24 Heures du Mans 2019

The paddock is busy today, now the countdown to the race is in hours rather than days.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s all systems go in the SMP Racing camp. The workplace atmosphere is busy, yet relaxed and friendly. Vandoorne confirms: I worked with some members of the team in GP2 in 2014 and 2015. Fortunately. It helps to have a good relationship already there. We did Spa together too, so now I feel at home among them.

Now with several Le Mans track sessions under his belt, Vandoorne feels less of a novice as he contemplates the race. &ldquo;Sure, I&rsquo;ve never done Le Mans before, but I&rsquo;ve been in motorsport for years. I&rsquo;ve driven several types of car, from Formula 4 at the Le Mans Auto Sport Academy to Formula E with HWA Racelab and I think I&rsquo;ve got the right skills for this race. His steely calm is admirable and no doubt one of the keys to his success.&nbsp;The SMP Racing #11 BR1-AER qualified in fifth place, with a best lap of 3:16.665, clocked by Vandoorne himself.

Keep a close eye on the car when the &ldquo;new boy&rdquo; takes the wheel in the race itself, starting at 15:00 tomorrow.

&nbsp;

PHOTO : LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, QUALIFYING,&nbsp; THURSDAY 13 JUNE 2019. Stoffel Vandoorne follows the action from the garage between stints.

24H LE MANS

24 Hours of Le Mans - Stoffel Vandoorne (SMP Racing) (3/4) The day before

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