Spirit of Le Mans to come alive in Bahrain in WEC season finale

BIC is all-set to welcome back the Spirit of Le Mans, with the season finale of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) on 1-2 November. The Kingdom’s fans will be in for an incredible treat when many of racing’s biggest global stars get into some of the fastest and most technologically-advanced cars around and put on a show – the 13th time WEC has visited the island, and raising the curtain on BIC’s international programme for 2024/2025.

Spectators will enjoy the very best of endurance racing action with a packed field of more than 30 entries. These ultra-quick racing machines feature motoring’s biggest international brands, and will light up BIC’s 5.412-kilometre track for an experience like no other.

Competition will be held in the WEC’s two categories – the top-tier Hypercar division and the lower-rung LMGT3 level – featuring well-known drivers of the calibre of former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, grand prix-winner Robert Kubica, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi as well as Formula E title-holders Sébastien Buemi, Jean-Éric Vergne, Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne.

Amongst the Hypercars, Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, BMW, Alpine, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Peugeot will all be hitting the track, with six different winners from the seven WEC rounds held so far this season signifying the highly competitive nature of the series’ headlining class. In LMGT3, cars from iconic brands are similarly set to bring the heat, including Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ford, Lexus, Chevrolet and Porsche.

Off-track, there will be plenty of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, from BIC’s famous giant ferris wheel – a favourite amongst race-goers at the circuit’s major events – to simulators, reaction games used by professional racing drivers and a classic car show. Myriad actvities for children will include LED bumper cars, carnival rides, a mini-train and a bouncy castle.

Tickets are now available for purchase at bahraingp.com, costing just BD5.5 for adults and BD2.75 for children for the two-day race weekend. Hospitality packages are also on offer via the BIC Special Le Mans Spirit Club Pass. These are priced at BD290 apiece, excluding VAT, for the two days, with discounts for tables of ten. The package includes a special dining and drinks offering in an exclusive setting of premium lounges overlooking the pit-lane and main straight.

For every ticket sold, a proportion of the revenue, matched by event partner Bapco Energies, will be donated to a fund that directly supports the planting of new mangroves in Bahrain. 

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship, said:

“We are delighted to be returning to Bahrain for the 2024 FIA WEC season finale. It is an event that has been a mainstay on the calendar, and with good reason. Bahrain International Circuit invariably generates fantastic racing and demands total commitment from drivers and teams alike – making it a fitting venue for champions to be crowned.

“Our partners at BIC have as ever pulled out all the stops to put on a sensational spectacle both on and off-track, and for that, we offer our heartfelt thanks to Shaikh Salman and his hard-working team. We are very much looking forward to a thrilling weekend of top-drawer endurance racing entertainment to conclude another captivating WEC campaign.”

Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of BIC, added:

“The WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain, powered by Bapco Energies, forms the centre-piece of the early part of our racing season in Bahrain. We are deeply proud to have been part of WEC since its beginning, representing the very best of global endurance racing.

“Our race continues to grow each year, and this is testament to the amazing spectacle WEC puts on, with its outstanding line-up of Hypercars and GT contenders alike going wheel-to-wheel in Bahrain from day to night.
“2024 will see the return of WEC’s Open Paddock, which makes for a unique experience for all those attending, while the off-track entertainment throughout the weekend creates an enjoyable atmosphere for the whole family.

“It is a tremendous honour to once again be hosting the WEC season finale. It is only fitting that we end another thrilling championship campaign on a high note, and we are looking forward to delivering just that.”