Porsche to Run Three-Driver GTE-Pro Crews at 8H Bahrain

Michael Christensen and Frederic Makowiecki are set to return to Porsche’s GTE-Pro lineup for the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season in Bahrain.

The former Porsche WEC full-timers are shown alongside the manufacturer’s current full-season pairings on the provisional entry list for the eight-hour race on November 6.

Christensen is again teaming up with Kevin Estre and Neel Jani in the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR-19 while Makowiecki joins Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz in the sister No. 91 car.

Porsche will engage its regular two-man crews for the 6 Hours of Bahrain on Oct. 30, which takes place the weekend before the final round as part of a double-header event.

The three-driver strategy for the longer race means that Christensen and Makowiecki will have joined Porsche’s Pro lineup for half of the 2021 season’s rounds, after their appearances at the 8 Hours of Portimao in June and the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month.

The team expanded to three drivers at Portimao as part of its preparations for Le Mans, in between two-driver outings at Spa and Monza.

Porsche stuck to two-man GTE-Pro crews for the two previous eight-hour WEC races held at Bahrain International Circuit during the 2019-20 campaign.

Ferrari has entered its full-season pairings of Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado and Daniel Serra/Miguel Molina for both upcoming Bahrain rounds.

Pier Guidi and Calado lead Estre and Jani by 12 points in the FIA World Endurance GT Championship following their recent Le Mans class win alongside Come Ledogar.

The Bahrain entry lists feature the same 32 cars and the same driving rosters bar the Porsche setup.

As reported in April, Glickenhaus Racing will forgo the WEC’s trip to the Gulf island nation, leaving only three cars in the top Hypercar category.

It’s understood that the Podium Advanced Technologies and Joest-supported American automaker is working to return to action at the 1000 Miles of Sebring next March.

Toyota Gazoo Racing, which is testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this week, will end the season with its usual two-car setup and the familiar driver combinations.

Alpine Endurance Team’s single-car entry with the grandfathered Alpine A480 Gibson LMP1 is also consistent with what the French squad has run at the previous events.

There are no surprises on the 11-car LMP2 grid, which is complete except for one to-be-confirmed driver in the ARC Bratislava Oreca 07 Gibson.

Kessel Racing will join the GTE-Am field for the double-header with its Car Guy-liveried Ferrari 488 GTE Evo.

The team made its WEC debut at Portimao in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Takeshi Kimura, Scott Andrews and 2022 Peugeot Hypercar driver Mikkel Jensen will continue to represent Kessel after forming the No. 57 car’s lineup in Portugal and France.