Davidson, Nakajima and Buemi stop Porsche from taking a farewell WEC victory with Bahrain win
Porsche bowed out of the FIA World Endurance Championship with second place from a troubled finale in Bahrain, as Toyota swept to victory by a clear lap.
Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Anthony Davidson took their fifth win of the year, and third in succession, by being the only LMP1 entry to enjoy a clear run. However, Davidson did manage to sustain a broken toe after he caught a door when running to the car to change drivers at short notice during a full course yellow.
Porsche got both of its 919 Hybrids onto the podium, but both suffered varying delays. The championshipwinning car of Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber and Timo Bernhard was second after losing time early on when they were forced to pit after just seven laps after a bollard became stuck under the front bodywork.
Nick Tandy then lost time in the sister 919 after a clash with a GTE Am car, with the slow tour back to the pits for repairs costing the car a lap and ensuring Tandy, Neel Jani and Andre Lotterer were third.
Julien Canal, Nico Prost and Bruno Senna won LMP2, with Senna and Canal taking the drivers’ crown.
Ferrari sealed the GTE Pro Drivers’ title after James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi finished second. Davide Rigon and Sam Bird took the class victory in their AF Corse-run sister car.
A fourth victory of the year for Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda and Paul Dalla Lana ensured Aston Martin the GTE AM title as a swansong for the current Vantage GTE model.