Double trouble in LMGTE Am heading to Bahrain

With just over a week before the final race in the FIA World Endurance Championship season, the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain, we have a look at the war of the classes, starting with those can take glory in the LMGTE Am category. 

It’s an Aston or an Aston which can win the FIA Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Teams, with the #33 TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR heading its Northwest AMR #98 rival. 

The #33 car sits on 123 points to the #98’s 103, meaning that if the TF Sport car finishes ahead, or both cars fail to finish, the title goes the way of #33.

For the #98 car to win, it has to score more than 21 points than its rival. To do this, the #98 must finish third or higher and the various permutations run thus: 

The #98 takes pole, wins and the #33 finishes fourth or lower. 
The #98 finishes second and the #33 finishes eighth or lower, having not taken pole. 
The #98 can also take pole and finish third with the #33 finishing ninth or lower. 
The #98 finishes third and the #33 finishes tenth or lower, having not taken pole.

As we have seen this season, anything can happen! The title fight is very much still alive.  

In terms of driver line-ups in contention for the FIA Endurance Trophy for GTE Am Drivers, the #98 line-up of Paul Dalla Lana, David Pritchard and Nicki Thiim has remained unchanged through the season so all three are tied on points. In the #33 car, Henrique Chaves was not in action in Sebring so it’s Ben Keating and Marco Sorensen who are going for gold in the #33.

Away from the top step, the #77 Dempsey – Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR – 19 is in third in the standings, with a car number appropriate 77 points on the board and the driver line-up of Christian Reid, Sebastian Priaulx and Harry Tincknell have contested the full season together. 

Closing fast with some very strong performances in the last two races, the #85 Iron Dames Ferrari 488 GTE EVO sits on 69 points, with Rachel Frey the only driver to have been present in every race. 

Also of note...

The 2022 GTE Am Drivers’ title going to an Aston Martin crew means the marque will equal Ferrari’s four titles in the class, with Aston drivers having previously secured the championship in 2013, 2014 and 2017.

Last time out, the GTE Am at #8hBahrain 2021 finished with a Ferrari win, from two Porsches to complete the podium.

GTE Am championship-leaders TF Sport have suffered mixed fortunes in Bahrain. The British team were not classified at the first 8 Hours of Bahrain in 2019, before finishing P8 at the season finale. In 2021, they won the 6 Hours of Bahrain, before again retiring from the 8-hour race.

Northwest AMR driver Nicki Thiim is a four-time winner in Bahrain.