Aston Martin Dominates Opening Practice at FIA WEC Bahrain
In the opening practice session for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain, the Aston Martin THOR Team’s #009 Valkyrie set a commanding benchmark time of 1:49.697. Marco Sorensen piloted the Valkyrie to a 1.455-second lead over the nearest competitor in the Hypercar class, marking the only sub-1:51 lap of the session amid ambient temperatures of 29 degrees Celsius.
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari claimed second place with a time of 1:51.152, while the second Valkyrie, #008, rounded out the top three, clocking in 1.9 seconds slower than the leading Aston Martin. Peugeot’s #93 9X8 secured fourth position, and the #51 Ferrari completed the top five.
Notably, title contenders struggled, with the #6 Porsche finishing 14th and the #12 JOTA Cadillac placing 16th, both over three seconds behind the #009 Valkyrie.
In the LMGT3 category, Proton Competition’s #77 Ford Mustang GT3 led with a time of 2:02.681, driven by Ben Barker. The competing AKKODIS ASP Lexus RC F LMGT3 entries occupied the second and third spots, with the #87 finishing at 2:02.737, closely trailing the Ford. WRT’s #46 BMW was fourth, while the championship-leading Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche, driven by Richard Lietz, posted a time of 2:03.758.
The 90-minute session, primarily uneventful except for a brief Full-Course Yellow, sets the stage for Free Practice 2 at 17:00 local time.
FP1 Results:
- 1. #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie: 1:49.697
- 2. #83 AF Corse Ferrari: 1:51.152
- 3. #008 Aston Martin Valkyrie: +1.9 seconds
- 4. #93 Peugeot 9X8: N/A
- 5. #51 Ferrari: N/A
Further updates will follow as the event progresses.
