We had to wait until the last 2024 qualifying session to see the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley take its first pole position of the year in Sakhir, thanks to a great lap from the New Zealander in Hyperpole.
Toyota which led strongly from the first 12 minutes, with Nyck de Vries who set the reference time in 1’47″498 with the GR010 Hybrid n°7, 33 thousandths ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi (Ferrari 499P n°51 – Ferrari AF Corse ) and 52 thousandths ahead of Robin Frijns (BMW M Hybrid V8 n°20 – BMW M Team WRT).
The 1’48” bar almost had to be lowered to reach the Hyperpole since only three Hypercars above 1’48” per lap passed, namely the two main rivals for the Drivers’ title with the #50 Ferrari – Ferrari AF Corse of Antonio Fuoco, the Porsche 963 n°6 – Porsche Penske of Kévin Estre, as well as the Porsche n°99 – Proton Competition of Neel Jani.
Disappointment in the French clan, since no Alpine A424 (14th and 17th times for Ferdinand Habsburg and Mick Schumacher), nor any Peugeot 9X8 (15th and 18th times for Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne, the latter with a canceled lap) do not rise to Hyperpole. Also eliminated from the race for pole are the Porsche n°38 – Hertz Team JOTA, the Ferrari n°83 – AF Corse, the Cadillac V-Series.R n°2 – Cadillac Racing and the Lamborghini SC63 n°63 – Lamborghini Iron Lynx.
In Hyperpole, Brendon Hartley was easily the fastest, being the only one to go under 1’47” per lap in 1’46″714, more than three tenths ahead of de Vries. Toyota secures the front row for the second time this year after Interlagos in Brazil.
Followed by Antonio Giovinazzi (Ferrari no. 51) and Neel Jani, best representative of the Porsche clan with the 963 no. 99 – Proton Competition. The two leaders of the Drivers’ classification will start side by side on the grid with the #50 Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco and the #6 Porsche of Kévin Estre 5th and 6th. The two BMW M Hybrid V8s bring up the rear in the top 10 of this latest Hyperpole 2024.
© FIA WEC screenshot
The full times are HERE
The 8 Hours of Bahrain will begin tomorrow at 12 p.m. French time.
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