Toyota Continue 1-2 at Front; Fuoco Takes LMGTE Pro Lead

Headlines from 6 hours of racing at BAPCO 8 Hours of Bahrain......

Headlines from 6 Hours of racing at BAPCO 8 Hours of Bahrain......

Hypercar – Led by No.7 Toyota   

  • Kamui Kobayashi leads Ryo Hirakawa as Toyota extend lead at Bahrain with two hours remaining 
  • No.7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid adds to lead it took in fourth hour as they aim to score second win of season after prior success at Spa 
  • All-eyes though are on No.8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar as it positions itself for 2022 title 
  • Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa must finish ahead of the Alpine crew this evening and currently sit 32-seconds behind No.7 car 
  • Peugeot TotalEnergies suffer more stoppage issues on track but continue running with No.93 Peugeot 9X8 fourth and No.94 car in fifth 
  • No.93 pits again just before the six-hour mark arrives with Mikkel Jensen waiting to re-enter the fray 

LMGTE Pro – Led by No.52 AF Corse Ferrari  

  • James Calado gets his second stint at the wheel of the No.51 AF Corse 488 GTE Evo holding the lead it has enjoyed since the second hour until team orders come in to play just before six hours is reached 
  • Calado’s teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi completed a mammoth period in the cockpit and was able to slightly extend lead over sister No.52 Ferrari which is not in title contention 
  • But after latest pit stop AF Corse ask Calado to allow Antonio Fuoco through and into the lead at Turn 1 
  • Nick Tandy extends advantage in third place to the Porsche GT Team pair and has a 12-second lead to the No.91 Gianmaria Bruni driven 911 RSR-19 
  • Kevin Estre in No.92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 sits fifth in LMGTE Pro as German manufacturer looks to have lost any chance of fighting for 2022 titles 

LMP2 – Led by No.31 Team WRT  

  • WRT gains further advantage in LMP2 as Robin Frijns exploits fresh tyres and pulls away from opposition  
  • Dutch ace hands over to Rene Rast just before the six-hour mark  
  • Rast, on his out lap, collides with Inter Europol Competition car of Alex Brundle. Algarve Pro entry of James Allen also involved and incident is placed under investigation 
  • United Autosports race second and third with the No.22 United Autosports USA entry driven by Oliver Jarvis leading the William Owen occupied No.23 car  
  • Prema Orlen Team run in fourth position with Lorenzo Colombo back in cockpit. 
  • Robert Kubica had engaged in entertaining battle with Oliver Jarvis in sixth hour with the British driver managing to get ahead 
  • Championship chasing No.38 Jota Oreca-Gibson entry places fifth as Will Stevens, Antonio Felix da Costa and Roberto Gonzalez focus on accruing necessary points to clinch LMP2 title 
  • But Stevens makes fine move on Colombo to snatch fourth just as sixth hour ticks by 
  • Pro/Am leaders in LMP2 is still the AF Corse entry of Francois Perrodo, Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera. They lead a resurgent Ultimate Oreca-Gibson in close battle

    LMGTE Am - Led by No.85 Iron Dames Ferrari  
  • Iron Dames defending their hard-won lead as Michelle Gatting holds an eight second lead over the No.98 Northwest AMR entry driven by David Pittard 

  • British driver Pittard chips away at the Iron Dames Ferrari lead as it aims for an outside title chance 
  • No.46 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR makes significant progress in mid-phase of race as Matteo Cairoli is fastest driver on circuit and places third 
  • TF Sport entry still on target for LMGTE Am crown as Marco Sorensen runs fourth 

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