BMW To The Top Under The Bahrain Floodlights

Bahrain Weekend Practice Summary: BMW Tops FP2; Aston Martin Maintains Competitive Edge

In a dynamic second practice session at the Bahrain weekend, BMW Team WRT showcased impressive form, with Sheldon van der Linde clocking the fastest time of 1:48.790 in the #20 M Hybrid V8 LMDh prototype. This mark not only surpassed the morning’s best lap by Aston Martin’s #009 Valkyrie but also placed van der Linde as the only driver to dip under the 1:49 barrier.

As temperatures cooled and the floodlights illuminated the circuit, BMW’s performance stood out, positioning them strongly ahead of final practice and qualifying sessions scheduled for tomorrow. Van der Linde expressed confidence moving forward, stating, “We are in good shape for qualifying.”

Aston Martin’s #009, driven by Marco Sorensen, followed closely in second place, highlighting a productive night for the THOR Team. Sorensen said, “It’s been really positive. Decent results, but we’re not too worried about that. We need to work more on race pace.”

The remainder of the top five featured a diverse field, with Peugeot’s #93 taking third, Toyota’s #7 in fourth, and Porsche’s #5 rounding out the top five. Noteworthy was the #51 Ferrari, which also secured a competitive position.

In contrast, the #99 Proton Porsche was notably absent from the track, having failed to complete a lap, while the #15 BMW came under investigation due to an incident involving Ryan Hardwick and Raffaele Marciello at Turn 12.

The LMGT3 category also displayed strong competition, with the #78 Lexus, piloted by Finn Gehrsitz, seizing the top position with a lap of 2:02.613. Notably, all eight manufacturers in the top eight spots were represented, with the formation including the Iron Dames’ Porsche, the #33 TF Sport Corvette, and Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin.

Track activity will resume tomorrow with Free Practice 3, available for live viewing on YouTube at 12:00 local time.