Kobayashi Leads Toyota Front-Row Lockout For Bahrain Finale

Bahrain International Circuit: Kobayashi Secures Pole for Toyota at FIA WEC Season Finale

Bahrain, October 14, 2025

Kamui Kobayashi clinched Toyota Gazoo Racing’s first pole position in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) since 2024, leading the charge at the Bahrain International Circuit during Hyperpole qualifying. Kobayashi’s impressive time of 1:46.826 in the #7 GR010 was 0.151 seconds faster than teammate Brendan Hartley, who qualified second with a time of 1:46.977.

“This is really the last race for us with this car…we got pole position, which makes me very proud,” Kobayashi stated, reflecting on the season’s challenges and the significance of the moment.

Peugeot TotalEnergies secured the second row with Malthe Jakobsen in the #94 9X8 finishing third and Jean-Éric Vergne fourth in the #93 entry. The Cadillac Hertz Team Jota followed closely with Alex Lynn securing fifth place in the #12 V-Series.R, while Aston Martin’s Marco Sørensen rounded out the top six in the #009 Valkyrie.

Antonio Giovinazzi qualified seventh in the #51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, while the remainder of the top ten included a mix of Porsche, Aston Martin, and BMW entries. Notably, the #51 Ferrari was the only 499P to reach Hyperpole, with both Antonio Fuoco and Robert Kubica narrowly missing the cut, finishing 11th and 12th respectively.

Alpine Endurance Team faced disappointment, with neither of its A424s advancing to Hyperpole. Notably, Kévin Estre struggled aboard the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, qualifying 18th.

In LMGT3, Finn Gehrsitz secured his second career pole with a blistering 2:01.661 in the #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3. Gehrsitz remarked, “It was an incredible lap…everything needs to fit perfectly, and now it paid off.”

The Iron Lynx team showcased strongly, with Lorcan Hanafin and Lin Hodenius filling the second and third spots, respectively, in their Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 entries. Clemens Schmid in the #87 Lexus and Timur Boguslavskiy in the #31 BMW M4 completed the top five, while the championship-leading #21 Ferrari finished eighth, marking a critical moment as title contenders battled for positioning.

The 2025 FIA WEC season culminates tomorrow with the 8 Hours of Bahrain, beginning at 14:00 AST, where tactical strategies and endurance will be put to the ultimate test in the season’s finale.

Qualifying Results Summary

• LMP1 Hyperpole

  1. Kamui Kobayashi (#7 Toyota GR010) – 1:46.826
  2. Brendan Hartley (#7 Toyota GR010) – 1:46.977
  3. Malthe Jakobsen (#94 Peugeot 9X8)
  4. Jean-Éric Vergne (#93 Peugeot 9X8)
  5. Alex Lynn (#12 Cadillac V-Series.R)

• LMGT3 Hyperpole

  1. Finn Gehrsitz (#78 Lexus RC F LMGT3) – 2:01.661
  2. Lorcan Hanafin (#60 Mercedes-AMG)
  3. Lin Hodenius (#61 Mercedes-AMG)
  4. Clemens Schmid (#87 Lexus RC F)
  5. Timur Boguslavskiy (#31 BMW M4)

The stage is set for what promises to be a climactic season finale.