The Japanese manufacturer made the decisive move in the Hyperpole, with Kobayashi ahead of the New Zealander Hartley. Seventh time for the Ferrari 499P number 51 of Giovinazzi-Calado-Pier Guidi, ahead of its direct rivals for the title
Everyone was waiting for her and, at Bahrain 8 Hours, Toyota he didn’t miss his appointment. Considered among the big favorites on the eve of last year’s results, the Japanese company placed one double in qualifying with Kamui Kobayashi ahead of Brendon Hartleyrespectively on GR010 Hybrid numbers 7 and 8. The seventh position of the best Ferrari, number 51 fighting for the title, doesn’t leave too much of a bad taste in the mouth: the most dangerous rivals are behind, starting with the number 83 of AF Corse in livery Modena yellow12th, to get to Porsche number 6, 18th and last. Slightly ahead, however, is the other crew still mathematically in the running, that of Cadillac number 12, which will start from the fifth spot on the starting grid. The race is scheduled for Saturday 8 November at 12.00 pm Italian time and will take place over eight hours. The appointment is historic on several fronts for Ferrari: an overall world title has been missing since 2008when the constructors’ division arrived in Formula 1, while in the premier endurance class the last one arrived 53 years ago, in 1972.
Toyota on the shields
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The expectations of the day before saw Toyota among the favorites for race pace and Aston Martin extremely competitive in qualifying. The two Valkyries confirmed the sensations by finishing first and second in the qualifying session, which guaranteed access to the Hyperpole for the top ten. Of the four crews fighting for the title, only two qualified: the Ferrari number 51, first in the championship, and the Cadillac number 12, the furthest of its rivals. Eliminated in Ferrari 499P number 83 took 12th placewith Robert Kubica at the wheel, remained out of the top ten by just 49 thousandths. Ranked even worse Porsche number 6 of the reigning champions Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, accompanied in this case by Matt Campbell: it did not go beyond 18th and last place. In the decisive Hyperpole session Toyota expressed its maximum potential, improving significantly with both cars and thus placing a one-two finish with Kobayashi and Hartley. Third and fourth place for the two Peugeotstrailing by just over three tenths, with the young Malthe Jakobsen ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne. Disappointment for Aston Martin: neither of the two drivers improved in the decisive session and the two Valkyries will thus start from sixth and ninth place.
All open in LMGT3
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Ferrari arrived in Bahrain with the possibility of competing for the drivers’ title, and consequently the team title, also in the Lmgt3 category. Despite the ballast due to the latest results and the championship position, car number 21 of François Heriau, Simon Mann and Alessio Rovera it defended itself well in qualifying, with the first two drivers involved, and classified eighth. Its direct rival, the Porsche number 92 of Manthey 1st Phorm, is in much more difficulty Hardwick-Pera-Lietzwhich will fire seventeenth. Only eleven points divide the two teams. Pole position went to Lexus number 78 from Robin-Gehrsitz-Barnicoat.
Hypercar: the ranking
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Here’s how the top ten crews ranked in the Hyperpole of the 8 Hours of Bahrain (the driver with the best time goes first):
- Toyota #7 (Kobayashi-Conway-De Vries) in 1’46″826;
- Toyota #8 (Hartley-Buemi-Hirakawa) at 0″151;
- Peugeot #94 (Jakobsen-Duval-Pourchaire) at 0″340;
- Peugeot #93 (Vergne-Di Resta-Jensen) at 0″382;
- Cadillac #12 (Lynn-Stevens-Nato) at 0″717;
- Aston Martin #009 (Sørensen-Riberas-De Angelis) at 0″798;
- Ferrari #51 (Giovinazzi-Calado-Pier Guidi) at 0″900;
- Porsche #5 (Andlauer-Jaminet-Heinrich) at 1″044;
- Aston Martin #007 (Gunn-Gamble-Tincknell) at 1″210;
- BMW #15 (D. Vanthoor-Marciello-Magnussen) at 1″310.
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