Porsche, Ferrari, Toyota… The different scenarios for the Hypercar Drivers’ title

The 2024 World Championship seasonEndurance will she crown Porsche at the 8 Hours of Bahrain? In the kingdom of the two seas, three crews can still hope to win the world title in the Hypercar category among drivers.

Leading the championship in the No. 6 Porsche, Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and André Lotterer have a very good chance of winning the Grail. In the worst case, where the Ferrari take pole and win, we will have to finish at least eighth ", sums up the German who will compete this Saturday in his last race with the Stuttgart brand.

Porsche can secure title with top 9 finish

It is 35 points ahead of the Ferrari n°50 victorious in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that the three men will present themselves in Sakhir. With the pole position of the Toyota #8 in Bahrain, a car that is not in the running for the title, there are only 38 points left to go for the winners. By not taking pole position, the #6 Porsche allows the #7 Toyota to keep a slim chance of the title on Saturday, at the finish of the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

Accompanied by Mike conway, who cannot claim the Drivers' title because of his withdrawal from the 24 Hours of Le Mans (following a fall from his bike), Kamui Kobayashi et Nyck de Vries are the ones who started the furthest after their retirement at Fuji (clash with the Porsche n°5). Probably too far, because only a victory coupled with a finish outside the top ten places of the n°6 – and regardless of the position of the Ferrari – would give them the title.

The only scenario that could lead the #963 6 to be tied with one of its pursuers would be a victory for the #50 Ferrari, if the #6 Porsche finishes 9th. However, in the event of a tie on points, the car with the most victories this season will be designated champion. The #6 Porsche already has two victories, in Qatar and Fuji, compared to one for the #50 Ferrari, at Le Mans. In the event of success for the Antonio Fuoco – Miguel Molina – Nicklas Nielsen trio in Bahrain, the two crews would therefore be tied on the number of victories.

The champions would then have to be determined by the greatest number of second places. With three appearances on the second step of the podium, against none for the 499P and two for the GR010, the n°6 would be crowned. If Kobayashi and De Vries must therefore hope for a miracle to win the world title, Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen are hardly more likely. A 10th place for the leaders in the championship would give them the crown on the simple condition of winning!

The different scenarios for the Drivers' title at the 8 Hours of Bahrain:

The Porsche No. 6 champion if: 

• She finished in the top 9 of the race in the Hypercar category, regardless of the result of her opponents.

The Ferrari No. 50 champion if:

• She wins the race and the Porsche n°6 does not finish in the top 9 of the Hypercar category

The #7 Toyota champion if:

• She wins the race and the #6 Porsche does not finish in the top 10 of the Hypercar category in the race

Ranking before the 8 hours of Bahrain:
1) Estre –Vanthoor – Lotterer (Porsche 963 n°6) – 150 points
2) Fuoco – Molina – Nielsen (Ferrari 499P n°50) – 115 points
3) Kobayashi – De Vries (Toyota GR010 n°7) – 113 points

Scale of points awarded for the 8 Hours of Bahrain: 1^er 38 pts, 2^e 27 pts, 3^e 23 pts, 4^e 18 pts, 5^e 15 pts, 6^e 12 pts, 7^e 9 pts, 8^e 6 pts, 9^e 3 pts, 10^e 2 pts, etc. Plus 1 point for pole position.

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