After taking pole in Bahrain, Hartley wants to "finish in style with a victory"

Toyota could not have hoped for a better preparation for the final round of the 2024 season. The two Japanese Hypercars will start from the front row on Saturday, at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, with pole position for Brendon Hartley on the n°8 in front of the n°7 of Nyck de Vries. The Japanese firm – who has a tiny chance of winning the Drivers' ranking with the No. 7 – aims for the Constructors title against Porsche, and is ideally placed on the grid to go for a new world crown.

For the New Zealand poleman, who is no longer in contention for the Drivers' title, a victory in Bahrain would be a great way to conclude a difficult season for the crew of the No. 8, champion in the 2023 season. Brendon Hartley, however, believes that the task will not be easy against Porsches that he considers formidable in race pace over long runs, especially since the No. 8 Toyota should, logically, help its sister car in the quest for the world title.

Brendon Hartley (Toyota n°8), poleman for the 8H of Bahrain : “A big thank you to the team. Ryo and Seb trusted me for the Hyperpole and it’s always nice to do it. It’s the only lap you can do with low fuel and new tyres. Thursday was quite a difficult day, we weren’t happy with the car. We changed a few settings and I’m much happier today. A big thank you to the mechanics and engineers because the car was very good. The first qualifying went well. I don’t think I warmed up the tyres enough for the lap and it was a bit disjointed. I made a mistake in the last sector but I knew there was time left and I adjusted the tyre preparation for the Hyperpole and I feel like I really put the tyres in the right window, the lap went well.”

“It’s nice to be on pole for the last round. It’s been a tough year for us so we’re really hoping to finish on a high with a win. The first part of the job is done but we have a big challenge tomorrow. Looking at the long runs, the Porsche looks incredibly fast. So I wouldn’t say that pole position gives us absolute confidence for the race. It was the Porsche that looked the strongest in Free Practice. But we know that pole position is a big advantage, especially with such a competitive and difficult to overtake field. So it was a priority, knowing that [Porsche] looked a bit quicker on the long runs. And if I mentioned Porsche, it’s only because they’re the manufacturer we’re fighting for the title with. It’s all about [Saturday].”

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