8 Hours of Bahrain 2024

The 8 Hours of Bahrain started in 2012, and was created for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s inaugural season. The race was initially six hours, before expanding to eight in 2019. It has been the final round of the season since 2015. In 2021, due to the COVID pandemic, there were two races at the circuit, creating the WEC’s first double header.

Bahrain International Circuit is a 15-corner, 5.412-km circuit, located in Sakhir, Bahrain. It broke ground in 2002 before opening in 2004, with that year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix marking the first in the Middle East. The circuit was designed by famed architect Hermann Tilke, who also designed the Sepang, Shanghai and Yas Marina circuits. The circuit has an FIA Grade 1 license and five different layouts for series to use.

Bahrain International Circuit plays host to many high-profile racing series, including Formula 1, its feeder series FIA Formula 2 and 3, and Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East. It has previously held events such as Australian V8 Supercars, the FIA GT Championship and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Porsche first took part in the top class of the 8 Hours of Bahrain in 2014, when it was a six-hour race, with the team joining the LMP1 category in the Porsche 919 Hybrid. There has been Porsche representation in the GT classes since 2013, with the Porsche AG Team Manthey joining the grid with the Porsche 911 RSR that year.

Porsche took victory in the top class in 2015, with the #18 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani securing victory at the season finale as the sister #17 car claimed the championship crown. In the LMGTE Pro class, Porsche has taken three victories - in 2015, 2019-20 and 2021 - under both its Manthey and Porsche GT Team guises.