While F1 dealt with torrential rain in Brazil, the World Endurance Championship enjoyed a thrilling season finale in a warm and dry Bahrain on Saturday.
Porsche headed into the 8-hour title-decider hoping for a double whammy across both WEC championships, but a gripping epilogue saw Toyota come out on top to seal the Manufacturer’s crown.
The showdown opposed Toyota’s Sebastian Buemi and Porsche’s Matt Campbell who offered fans an electrifying final stint. Once Buemi - who had progressed through the field earlier in the event following a contact with a backmarker - got the measure of his rival, the Swiss driver pulled away to win by over 27 seconds from the #51 works Ferrari.
However, a tyre allocation infringement warranted a penalty that demoted the Italian car and elevated Porsche’s #5 contender back into the runner up spot.
While Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa celebrated their race win and Toyota’s title, Porsche Penske found consolation with André Lotterer, Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor who deservedly wrapped up the WEC’s Drivers’ Championship despite a lacklustre display at Sakhir.
“That was a horrible race!” commented Vanthoor. “We haven’t made many mistakes this year, but I made up for that today! Still, we have been laying the foundations for this season-long, with a great strategy and great car, and that’s why we are world champions now.
"It’s been an amazing year. I’ve never worked with a team like this before, from my team-mates to the mechanics and engineers. This is one of the best days of my life and I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet. It’s something I will never forget.”
