The 2023 World Endurance Championship (WEC) came to a rousing close at the Bahrain season finale, where the #8 Toyota trio of Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi, and Ryo Hirakawa secured the championship title with a dominant performance.
The race was a title decider, and the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid team dominated it from start to finish. The Toyota crew was never truly challenged, leading every lap outside of pitstop cycles. They successfully defended their 2022 championship, cementing their status as WEC champions for 2023.
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The pivotal moment occurred at the start of the race when Cadillac's Earl Bamber locked up, causing the #7 Toyota of Mike Conway to spin. Despite Conway's efforts to regain ground, he and his team couldn't match the pace set by the #8 Toyota. Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi, and Ryo Hirakawa extended their lead during the race, securing their title with a commanding 47-second margin of victory.
This marked the fourth championship victory for Hartley and Buemi and the second for Hirakawa. Despite winning more races (four compared to two), Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez couldn't clinch the championship due to their retirement in the double-points Le Mans 24 Hours. Ferrari emerged as Toyota's closest rival in the race, with Miguel Molina, Antonio Fuoco, and Nicklas Nielsen finishing third, making them the best of the 499P LMH cars. Tire degradation played a crucial role in determining the pecking order.
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In the LMP2 class, the WRT team clinched the last-ever LMP2 title in WEC. Louis Deletraz, Robert Kubica, and Rui Andrade secured their third victory of the season in the #41 ORECA 07, while their teammates in the sister #31 car, Robin Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg, and Sean Gelael, finished second.
In the farewell race for GTE cars, the Iron Dames team celebrated a memorable victory. Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey piloted the #85 Porsche 911 RSR-19 to first place. Their closest rival was the #777 D'station Aston Martin Vantage GT3 of Tomonobu Fujii, Casper Stevenson, and Liam Talbot. The Iron Lynx team led the majority of the race, but a late setback forced their retirement. The Iron Dames claimed their maiden victory in style. The WEC season finale in Bahrain brought thrilling action, championship glory for Toyota, and an emotional farewell to the GTE category, with the Iron Dames triumphant.
