Mike Conway's World Championship fight concludes this weekend in Bahrain with the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver looking to overcome the 15-point deficit and claim his third World Title at the season finale of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.
The most winningest team in 2023, having scored four race wins from six races, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López in the #7 GR010 HYBRID find themselves in a four-way World Championship battle with their #8 stablemates and both of the Ferraris.
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López are aiming to set a new WEC record of five victories in a single season in their #7 GR010 HYBRID as they keep up the pressure in the battle for their third World Championship crown in four seasons. Mike and his #7 teammates are currently second in the standings heading to Bahrain, 15 points behind their TOYOTA GAZOO Racing teammates in the #8 GR010 HYBRID, with 39 points still available at the 8-hour season finale.
Bahrain International Circuit is Mike's most successful circuit having scored five overall victories at the venue - including his maiden victory with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing back in 2014. The 5.412km circuit has also been a happy hunting ground for the team over the years. It has won eight of the 11 WEC races there since 2012 and is aiming for a seventh successive victory and sixth consecutive one-two this weekend.
The challenging 15-turn layout is particularly demanding on tyres, made even trickier by the changing conditions expected during Saturday’s race, which starts in the early afternoon but runs into the night, when temperatures typically drop after sunset.
Mike and the team will begin their challenge on Thursday when free practice begins with two 90-minute sessions. A final one-hour practice on Friday morning sets the scene for the grid-defining qualifying, before the 8 Hours of Bahrain begins at 14:00 local time, 11:00 GMT, on Saturday 4 November.
Mike Conway:
“I enjoy racing in Bahrain, which has been a good circuit for me over the years; I won my first WEC race with Toyota in 2014 and I became World Champion there twice. On our car, we are still fighting for the title this year as well and we will give everything to win the race. We can only give our best and see what happens with the sister car. It’s been a fantastic season and to win five of seven races would be an incredible achievement, regardless of what happens in the championship.”
