SPORTSCAR

United Autosports claimed its most prestigious victory in its 10 year racing history when Phil Hanson, Filipe Albuquerque and Paul Di Resta spectacularly won the 8 Hours of Bahrain today (14 Dec). Contesting only its seventh race with the Oreca chassis and fourth as a full FIA World Endurance Championship entrant, the British team recorded its maiden WEC class victory in utter dominant style with a faultless performance. United had previously scored six European or Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 race wins plus 11 other podiums – last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, Fuji and Shanghai WEC races and eight in the European or Asian Le Mans Series since its LMP2 category début in Europe in 2017. United now lie second in the LMP2 FIA World Endurance Team’s Trophy, three-points off the lead, with round five of the WEC being staged at the Circuit of The Americas in Texas on 23 February.

Porsche has concluded the 2019 year with another victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship. At the eight-hour race in Sakhir (Bahrain), the American Ben Keating and his two Dutchmen teammates Larry ten Voorde and Jeroen Bleekemolen won the GTE-Am class in their No. 57 Porsche 911 RSR. After claiming pole position, the Project 1 team has moved to the top of the overall classification thanks to their maiden victory. The Porsche GT Team (GTE-Pro) has enjoyed an outstandingly successful 2019 season, however the squad was struck by misfortune at the eight-hour race.

Porsche has scored the perfect qualifying result for round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Sakhir (Bahrain). Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria) claimed pole position in the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR. The reigning world champions Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) take up the race in the ca. 515-hp sister car with the starting number 92 from the second grid spot. In the GTE-Am category, the No. 57 Porsche 911 RSR fielded by the Project 1 team tackles the eight-hour race on the Bahrain International Circuit from the best starting position.