Championship points round-up: who is leading who?
Three rounds into FIA WEC Season 8 and the World Championship title fight has heated up in all four categories: LMP1, LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am.
A memorable race played out at the recent 4 Hours of Shanghai and the points table now reflects some ultra-close battles.
In the LMP World Endurance Drivers’ Championship, Shanghai runners-up Brendon Hartley, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima have moved into the lead. They are just three points ahead of their Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mates José María López, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi.
The LMP1 World Endurance Championship witnessed Rebellion Racing make some inroads into Toyota Gazoo Racing with the gap now reduced to 27 points. Meanwhile, Team LNT collated 12 points to boost their total to 29 for the season.
The World Endurance GT Drivers’ Championship sees Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen extend their lead after registering a first win of the season in their quest to retain the title. The maximum points came after James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi were disqualified from the top step of the podium after post-race technical checks.
Estre and Christensen’s gap to Porsche stablemates Gimmi Bruni and Richard Lietz is now 10 points heading into round 4.
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The World Endurance GTE Manufacturers’ standings sees Porsche extend its lead to 22 points ahead of Aston Martin, while Ferrari sit third - 37 points adrift of the British manufacturer.
In LMP2, Racing Team Nederland had a tough weekend in China with fifth in class, but Frits van Eerd and Giedo Van Der Garde still remain on top. However, the gap is now reduced to just two points after Jackie Chan DC Racing’s trio of Ho-Pin Tung, Will Stevens and Gabriel Aubry took a second consecutive runners-up position at their home event.
The LMGTE Am category sees Charlie Eastwood, Jonny Adam and Salih Yoluc take the lead in the GTE Am Drivers’ FIA Endurance Trophy after a second consecutive victory at Shanghai.
The TF Sport trio usurp the No.83 AF Corse squad of Emmanuel Collard, Nicklas Nielsen and Francois Perrodo who finished fourth.
Round 4 of the World Championship – the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain – takes place in just under a month’s time (12-14 December).
