Porsche Lead Ferrari but Ferrari Still Control Manufacturer Title Race at Half Time

At the halfway point of the Bapco 6 Hours of Bahrain, the final race of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, the no92 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 of Patrick Pilet was leading the LMGTE field with a 28 second advantage over the two AF Corse Ferrari 458s.  A Full Course Yellow at the top of the hour meant that all the cars headed to the pits to take advantage of the slow period.  

The no91 Porsche of Michael Christensen was down in 6th place over 60 seconds behind his teammate and the championship points for the World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers is currently in Ferrari’s favour.  However, with 3 hours still remaining there is still plenty of racing action before the chequered flag is waved at 21h00.

Sixth place for the no91 Porsche would be good enough to present Austrian Richard Lietz with the World Championship title for GT Drivers.

The no99 Aston Martin Racing Vantage, which had started in 2nd place on the PRO grid was handed a three minute stop and go penalty for using an extra set of tyres over the team’s allocation.  This dropped the Vantage to the back of the field.

In the LMGTE Am class the no50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette, which had been leading for most of the previous 60 minutes, pitted with Kristian Poulsen handing over to Gianluca Roda at the top of the hour just before the FCY was delclared.  

The lead car at the end of the third hour as the full course yellow was declared was the no88 Abu-Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche of Klaus Bachler, which had started at the back of the grid to challenge for the lead.  It was a Porsche 1-2 in the GTE Am class as the no77 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche of Marco Seefried held second as all the cars headed to the pitlane to take advantage of the FCY.

The LMGTE Am championship contenders, the no72 SMP Racing Ferrari and the no83 AF Corse Ferrari were 6th and 5th respectively so the advantage remains with the Russian F458, with SMP currently holding a 19 point advantage over the Italian team.

RACE FACTS - 3 Hours

• 17:59:20 Audi #8 rejoins
• 17:58:43 Treluyer into Audi #7
• 17:57:46 Full Course Yellow for clearance of debris
• 17:56:52 Whole front left corner being changed on Audi #8
• 17:50:53 Audi #8 has driveshaft change
• 17:50:25 Toyota's #2 and #1 into 3rd and 4th place
• 17:49:17 Ligier #31 has rear suspension failure
• 17:47:09 Jarvis into Audi #8 but still in garage
• 17:45:15 Audi #8 into garage
• 17:44:41 Audi #8 into pits
• 17:43:23 Audi #7 leads from Audi #8
• 17:42:46 Porsche #18 drops to 3rd after pit stop
• 17:40:12 Ligier #26 takes 3rd in P2
• 17:39:37 Toyota #1 has nose change after incident with Alpine #36
• 17:38:53 Ligier #28 passes #36 Alpine for 2nd in P2
• 17:36:45 Spin for #30 Ligier
• 17:34:44 Porsche #88 takes 2nd in GTE Am from Porsche #77
• 17:30:01 Porsche #17 stops - Hartley stays in
• 17:29:21 P2 leader Alpine #36 spins after contact with Toyota #1 - Oreca #47 retakes lead
• 17:27:16 Alpine #36 now leads P2 from Oreca #47
• 17:26:18 Audi #7 stops- Lotterer stays in - Porsche #18 takes lead
• 17:25:05 Porsche #77 takes 2nd in GTE Am - Porsche #88 in 3rd
• 17:19:31 Audi #8 rejoins in 3rd - Duval still in car
• 17:16:52 Audi #8 into pits - Audi #7 takes lead
• 17:13:04 Corvette #50 retakes lead in GTE Am from Ferrari #83 and Porsche #77
• 17:11:54 Porsche #92 retakes lead in GTE Pro - Ferrari's #51 and #71 in 2nd and 3rd
• 17:10:34 Gibson #42 takes 3rd in P2 after early stop for Ligier #26
• 17:06:11 Alpine #36 takes 2nd in P2 from Liger #26
• 17:05:19 In P1 Privateer class Rebellion's #12 & #13 lead CLM #4
• 17:04:22 In GTE Am Aston #98 leads from Ferrari #83 and Corvette #50
• 17:03:34 In GTE Pro Aston #95 leads from #92 Porsche & #51 Ferrari
• 17:02:20 In P2 Oreca #47 leads from Ligier #26 and #36 Alpine
• 17:01:33 After 2 hours Audi's #7 & #8 lead from Porsche #18
• 17:00:35 Aston #98 takes lead in GTE Am - Porsche #88 now second
• 16:56:43 Porsche #18 reports brake temperature problem
• 16:52:33 Track limit caution for Ferrari #51
• 16:47:07 Leader Porsche #18 into pits - Lieb gets in - Duval leads in Audi #8
• 16:41:17 Ferrari #83 takes lead in GTE Am
• 16:40:30 Hartley in Porsche #17 up to 8th place
• 16:36:53 Leading Audi #7 stops - rejoins in 2nd - Porsche #18 leads
• 16:35:39 1:42.440 fastest lap for Duval in Audi #8
• 16:34:41 Porsche #17 stops - Hartley gets in
• 16:33:03 Audi #8 into pits - Duval gets in
• 16:28:51 Audi #7 takes lead
• 16:26:49 Porsche #17 passes Morgan #43 for 14th place
• 16:26:49 Porsche #17 passes Morgan #43 for 14th place
• 16:21:34 Porsche #17 now back up to 15th place
• 16:05:39 Rebellion #12 leads team mate #13 and CLM #4 in privateer LMP1
• 16:04:13 In GTE Am #50 Corvette leads #83 Ferrari and Porsche #77
• 16:03:09 In GTE Pro Porsche #92 leads from Ferrari's #51 and #71
• 16:02:18 In P2 Oreca #47 leads from #26 Ligier and #36 Alpine
• 16:01:13 After 1 hour Audi's #7 and #8 lead from Porsche #18
• 15:59:24 Oreca #47 retakes lead in P2 from #26 Ligier
• 15:56:53 BR01 #44 has reportedly got door open
• 15:55:30 1:42.818 fastest lap for Lotterer #7
• 15:54:37 Leader Porsche #18 stops - Dumas stays in and drops to 3rd
• 15:52:31 Aston #95 takes 2nd place in GTE Pro
• 15:51:43 Davidson into Toyota #1 and Sarrazin into Toyota #2
• 15:50:36 Ligier #26 Ligier leads P2 from #47 Oreca and #36 Alpine after first round of stops
• 15:49:16 Aston #98 takes 3rd in GTE Am
• 15:47:49 1:42.832 fastest lap by di Grassi in Audi #8
• 15:46:52 Loiterer now in Audi #7
• 15:45:42 Howson now in leading P2 #47 Oreca
• 15:43:48 Porsche #18 now leads
• 15:43:13 Leading Audi #8 into pits
• 15:39:32 Porsche #17 rejoins 4 laps down after losing nearly 9 minutes
• 15:35:18 Porsche #17 has throttle linkage problem
• 15:34:45 Ferrari #71 has contact with #44 BR01
• 15:30:57 Porsche #17 into pits - di Grassi in Audi #8 takes lead
• 15:30:07 Porsche #17 running slowly
• 15:28:48 Rebellion #12 leads team mate #13 and CLM #4 in privateer LMP1 class
• 15:23:59 Debris now removed from turn 3 by marshal
• 15:19:08 Porsche#92 takes lead in GTE Pro from Ferrari #51
• 15:15:15 Aston #97 now 3rd in GTE Am
• 15:14:28 Aston #99 rejoins 2 laps down after taking penalty
• 15:12:47 1:42.949 fastest lap for Audi #8
• 15:12:10 Corvette #50 reported to be losing fluid
• 15:11:16 Di Grassi in #8 Audi takes 2nd place from Porsche #18
• 15:10:11 Aston #99 stops to take 3 minute stop and hold
• 15:09:27 In GTE Am Corvette #50 leads from Porsche #77 and Ferrari #83
• 15:06:24 In GTE Pro Ferrari #51 leads from Porsche #92 and #99 Aston
• 15:04:40 ORECA #47 leads P2 from Ligier's #26 and #28
• 15:03:22 Porsche #17 leads Porsche #18 and Audi #7 at end of first lap
• 15:01:31 Porsche #17 leads on first lap
• 15:00:31 Green Flag
• 15:00:18 Sunset will be 16.46 local time (13.46 GMT)
• 14:55:22 Fassler and di Grassi will start Audi's #7 & #8
• 14:54:25 2 formation laps start
• 14:54:08 Buemi will start in outgoing WEC champions Toyota #1
• 14:51:59 Bernhard and Dumas will start Porsches #17 & #18
• 14:47:47 Alex Wurz will start Toyota #2 for his last WEC race
• 14:44:39 Ait temp 24.6C Track temp 33.3C
• 14:42:21 Aston #99 will have to serve a 3 minute stop and hold penalty for using 5 sets of tyres during free practice