Marco Sorensen powered Aston Martin Valkyrie to the top of the timesheets in opening practice for 2025 WEC Bahrain 8H.
Thursday’s opening practice session for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship Bahrain 8 Hours unfolded as an intense and eventful kickoff to the season finale at the Bahrain International Circuit.
Sorensen piloted the Heart of Racing Team’s No. 009 Aston Martin Valkyrie to an impressive best lap time of 1:49.697, establishing an early benchmark that remained unmatched throughout the practice.
The remarkable lap put Aston Martin nearly one and a half seconds clear of its nearest rival among the 18-strong Hypercar field, underscoring the team’s strong form and positioning as top contenders for the Bahrain finale.
The 90-minute session held in the heat of midday began smoothly, with the Bahrain circuit’s fast, flowing corners perfectly suiting the Valkyrie’s balance and allowing Marco Sorensen to extract maximum performance early on.
The track conditions, characterized by intense heat and an abrasive surface, added complexity to the setup and tyre management, both critical factors teams focused on from the outset.
Apart from a brief full-course yellow period towards the end, the ninety minutes passed without significant incidents, enabling all teams to complete extensive runs aimed at refining their cars’ setups for both qualifying and the endurance race.
No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P secured second place in the opening session with Robert Kubica, Nicklas Ye, and Mike Hanson behind the wheel, finishing 1.455 seconds off the top mark.
Meanwhile, the No. 007 Aston Martin Valkyrie driven by Tom Tincknell, Tommy Gamble, and Richard Gunn, also posted competitive times, finishing just two seconds behind the leaders.
The presence of two Valkyries in the top 3 demonstrated Aston Martin’s resurgence as a formidable competitor in the closing event of the season.
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The fourth spot belonged to the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8 piloted by Paul Di Resta, Frederik Jensen, and Jean-Éric Vergne who marks his final outing with the French team, adding emotional weight to their Bahrain campaign.
The championship-leading No. 51 Ferrari 499P was fifth fastest in the hands of Antonio Giovinazzi, followed by the No. 8 and No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrids driven by Sébastien Buemi and Mike Conway, respectively.
The No. 36 Alpine A424 of Frederic Makowiecki, the No. 50 Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco and the No. 5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 of Julien Andlauer rounded out the top ten.
The sister No. 35 Alpine A424 finished 11th ahead of the No. 94 Peugeot with No. 20 M Hybrid V8 marking the first BMW Hypercar in 13th.
The No. 6 Porsche ended up 14th, while the No. 99 Proton Porsche 963 and No. 12 JOTA Cadillac finished 15th and 16th, both with best times more than three seconds off the benchmark.
The No. 38 JOTA Cadillac and BMW’s No. 15 M Hybrid V8 finished at the bottom of the 18-car Hypercar field after a delayed start to the session, ending up 4.4 seconds off the pace.
In LMGT3, Ben Barker set the pace in opening practice for 2025 WEC Bahrain 8H with a best time of 2:02.681 piloting the No. 77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3.
The two Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3s were second- and third-fastest, with Jose Maria Lopez in the No. 87 car leading Ben Barnicoat in the No. 78, while the two Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVOs completed the top five in class.
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