The final race of the season brought the competitors of the FIA World Endurance Championship to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC). The final round kept its promises over the 5.412km track. The circuit, especially demanding with 60% of a lap going full throttle, and merciless on the tyres, as it is very abrasive, has been a regular stop in the championship for 12 years. For their first participation on this track, Akkodis ASP Team quickly adapted to the track conditions and did not miss out on demonstrating their speed.
The first two free practice sessions set the tone. At the wheel of the #78, Kelvin van der Linde set the best time with 2’02.079s (3rd lap) and the sister car rounded out the top 6 with Jose-Maria Lopez (#87). A few hours later, the two Lexus RC F GT3 confirmed their strong performance. Esteban Masson got the best time in the #87, and Conrad Laursen in the #78, who had quickly adapted to the car, was P5. After the three sessions, Kelvin van der Linde (#78) and Esteban Masson (#87) were the quickest LMGT3 drivers, with Kelvin taking the track record.
Qualifying took place at a brisk pace and for the second time in a row, Arnold Robin (#78) made it to Hyperpole. The Frenchman settled onto the 5th row (P10) of the LMGT3 grid, and Takeshi Kimura (#87) on the 9th (P17).
Saturday at 2 o’clock, the lights went green for the final confrontation of the season. It was scorching hot out (34°C), but they all behaved for the start of the race, P10 and P17 for Arnold Robin (#78) and Takeshi Kimura (#87) respectively.
The race quickly came to life in the pack and the two Lexus cars adapted their strategy for a long and difficult race: gaining positions but taking it as easy as possible on the car. After 50 minutes of racing, the #78 saw its progress interrupted when a suspension element broke. Arnold Robin managed to make it back to the pits and the mechanics tried determinately to fix the problem, but the car was not able to head back on track.
In the #87, Esteban Masson followed Takeshi Kimura for the second stint. Incisive and opportunistic, the young Frenchman climbed bit by bit and settled the Lexus in P9. He would keep that position for the entirety of the 3rd stint by keeping a regular pace. Esteban Masson returned behind the wheel for the fourth hour of racing, relayed then by Jose-Maria Lopez. Victim of a contact with the #99 (who would receive a penalty not long after) shortly after having taken the wheel, the Argentinian went back through the pits, dropping from P9 to P17 but was determined to win those places back.
Heading into a triple stint, he manged to keep the pace all the while dealing with breaks in rhythm caused by the Full Course Yellow moments. With only 2h30 to go, Takeshi Kimura got back in the car. The race was once more disrupted by a car going off track which triggered the Virtual Safety Car (VSC). This special procedure is used in the event of an incident while wating for the safety car to enter on track.
With 2 hours to go, the #87 was under investigation for not respecting the VSC procedure. Another VSC was launched a little bit before Esteban Masson was to take over. This time, the safety car stayed on track for 20 or so minutes. The #87 received a drive through penalty for not respecting the VSC procedure. However, with 1h15 to go, the car stopped on the side of the track, with a broken accelerator pedal. Evacuated by the track marshals, the car would not make it to the end of the race…
Akkodis ASP Team has finished their first season in the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain and has taken stock of the lessons learnt during this exciting apprenticeship. The 2025 season is the next objective to continue making progress.