The stage is set…

After 15 months and 58 hours of racing, the stage is set for the finale of Season 8 of the FIA World Endurance Championship. And what better place to hold it than in the sunny Kingdom of Bahrain, the venue for final rounds of WEC seasons since 2015?

It has, of course, been an extra-ordinary season thanks to the global health pandemic which turned the world upside down but, as the chequered flag falls on the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday, 14 November at 22h00 (local time), tightly contested championship crowns will be claimed and the celebrations (albeit distanced and COVID-proof) will begin.

Starting in September 2019 with the 4 Hours of Silverstone, the WEC paddock moved on to the two Far Eastern rounds – the 6 Hours of Fuji and the 4 Hours of Shanghai – in October and November. Just ahead of the Christmas holiday season, the first half of Season 8 wrapped up with the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

Allowing for the sea freight to make its way to North America, and in order not to clash with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, the next round was the 6 Hours of COTA in late February, what was to have been the first of a US double-header.

But, just days before the start of activities for the 1000 Miles of Sebring event in March, COVID-19 struck and the WEC’s 2020 appearance at the historic track was cancelled. The decision was taken rapidly to postpone the TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans until August and September 2020 respectively, and a venue was sought to round out the 8-race season. 

Bahrain International Circuit stepped in and so we find ourselves once again being warmly welcomed by BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and all his colleagues. What a season!