Toyota and Lexus dominate final poles of the season
The Bahrain 8 Hours qualifying session concluded with Toyota and Lexus taking the top positions in their respective classes. The Japanese brand stood out after a steady Friday, with Kamui Kobayashi placing the #7 GR010 in first position on the front row, ahead of the #8.
In LMGT3, Lexus claimed the top spot thanks to Gehrsitz, ahead of two Iron Lynx Mercedes cars in the first and second rows, with another Lexus from Akkodis ASP Team following. Track conditions were similar to Thursday evening, with temperatures near 35°C.
Hyperpole Hypercar: Toyota secures 1-2 at Sakhir
Toyota dominated Hyperpole in Sakhir, achieving an impressive 1-2 finish. Kobayashi set a time of 1:46.826, nine-tenths faster than Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51 499P, who was the best Ferrari in seventh place with the fastest time in the final sector. Ferrari teammates Antonio Fuoco and Robert Kubica finished 11th and 12th, respectively. The Porsche #6 driven by Kevin Estre ended last after locking up at turn one, likely costing him a chance at Hyperpole.
Despite a significant power restriction, the Cadillac V-Series.R #12 of Lynn managed fifth place, +0.717 seconds behind Toyota’s Kobayashi. Toyota capitalized on a track favorable to the GR010 Hybrid, benefiting from weight reduction and increased power. The pace predicted in practice was confirmed in qualifying.
On a track like Bahrain, tire management is crucial. The hard compound is expected to play a key role over the eight-hour race. The medium tires lost peak grip after one or two flying laps, and Giovinazzi managed only a single competitive lap across both sessions.
Kubica, 12th in the AF Corse #83, explained Ferrari’s struggles: “It was actually a decent lap. Yesterday we didn’t do qualifying simulations; we hope the race pace is better tomorrow.” This indicates Maranello’s engineers focused mainly on race pace, leaving qualifying as a secondary priority. Ferrari has emphasized it will not favor the factory car over privateer entries in the Drivers’ Championship, keeping the Constructors’ Championship as the main goal.
The Peugeot cars finished third and fourth, still showing strong single-lap pace, although heavily influenced by BoP. Aston Martin Heart of Racing finished sixth and ninth after leading the first afternoon session. The Porsche #5 of Julien Andlauer ended eighth, over a second behind the GR010s.
The #6 car of Estre will face a challenging race start from 18th. He locked the front axle on his first flying lap, but teammate Vanthoor remained confident: “Kevin unfortunately had a lock-up. Not ideal, but tomorrow is a long race. We’ll fight and try everything until the end.” Similar recovery occurred at Fuji, where the #6 climbed to the top ranks despite early setbacks.
The Alpine cars were only 13th and 15th, struggling on a complex track like Sakhir. The A424s showed insufficient downforce and mechanical limitations. BMW fared better, with the #15 Vanthoor tenth (+1.310 seconds) and the #20 van der Linde 16th after a lock-up at turn one.
Hyperpole LMGT3: Lexus shines
Lexus, with a strong performance from Gehrsitz, claimed pole in LMGT3. The RC F proved revitalized by Goodyear hard compounds, now excelling even in tire management over single laps. Tire degradation was significant during qualifying, making improvements after three flying laps nearly impossible.
The #87 Schmid finished fourth behind the Iron Lynx Mercedes #60 and #61. Gilbert, tenth on the #60, commented: “It was fantastic, I’m really happy. I made a couple of mistakes, but I’m content. Tomorrow will be tough.” The AMG GT3 remains competitive thanks to gentle tire wear, providing a solid foundation for the race.
Ferrari closed eighth with Simon Mann, +1.102 seconds from Lexus #78. The 296 LMGT3 again struggled in qualifying due to a harsh BoP, carrying the heaviest weight (#21 at 1389 kg) and limited power. Rovera previously explained the difficult situation to Sportscar365: “Honestly, we struggle a lot here. We slide a lot and have very little grip. Goodyear’s new hard tire is really bad for us. It’s the first time I’ve felt this way in the car.”
He also emphasized the need to adjust setup for race pace, keeping the LMGT3 title as the ultimate goal. Hardwick qualified 17th in 2:04.520, while Pera remained confident: “We’ve already shown in the past what we can do in the race.” Van Rompuy, another title contender, ended 14th, noting: “We tried something for the cool conditions, but it didn’t help in qualifying.”
It’s clear teams focused almost entirely on race pace, with qualifying as secondary. At the start, the #21 can rely on Heriau for strong opening stints. Porsche #92 remains a threat, historically capable of strong race recoveries. The Corvette #81, third in the championship, has also performed well in extreme heat.
Race outlook: close competition expected
The upcoming Bahrain 8 Hours promises a complex race for all teams. Hypercar and LMGT3 cars appear closely matched over long stints, highlighting strategy and driver performance. Despite a more permissive BoP, the 499Ps still lack full confidence from the track. Porsche and Cadillac remain competitive.
Peugeot and Aston Martin may prove difficult to overtake on Bahrain’s straights unless tire management allows. The opening hours will focus on managing gaps, with more aggressive strategies likely as evening approaches. Cadillac V-Series.R impressed in qualifying, although flying laps are typically their strength. Much remains to be seen during the race.
Toyota looks set for a strong performance: the GR010 Hybrids showed excellent pace in practice, boosting confidence for drivers and engineers after a challenging season. With high temperatures expected, recovering positions in the early laps will be crucial. At Fuji, Vanthoor could not pass the slower Peugeot ahead due to dirty air.
Failing to overtake early could trap cars in traffic, forcing careful tire management and complicating subsequent passes for Michelin-shod entries.
The race starts Saturday at 12:00 Central European Time, marking the final round of the 2025 WEC season.
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