The Porsche GT Team finished the final race of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in positions two and four. In the 8-hour race in Bahrain, the number 92 Porsche 911 RSR owned by Kévin Estre (France), Neel Jani (Switzerland) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) was deservedly in the lead in the thrilling final phase and thus on course for the title, but then it was hit by a Ferrari and spun. The race management did not punish the competitor. The structurally identical, around 515 hp sister car of Gianmaria Bruni from Italy, Richard Lietz from Austria and Frédéric Makowiecki from France finished the sixth and final round of the season in fourth place in the GTE-Pro class. At the end of the long-distance year, Porsche finished second in the manufacturers' championship.

“A sad day for Porsche Motorsport,” comments Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Motorsport. “Our competitor flipped our leading vehicle and won that way. We cannot understand that the race management first issued a penalty and then withdrew it. Our drivers and the entire team deserve the greatest respect. Everyone fought fair and clean for eight hours and thrilled the audience. I would like to express my thanks for that. Until the end of the race it was really great advertising for motorsport today. "

“For us it was a sad end to an extremely exciting race. Unfortunately, we were turned off the track by a competitor, ”says Alexander Stehlig, Head of Operations at the FIA WEC, summarizing his impressions. “We cannot understand the decision of the race management. At first it was said that the two leading cars would have to swap places after contact - so our Porsche would have moved up to the top again. A little later, the race management withdrew this announcement during a pit stop of our number 92. So we could not achieve our goals despite a fair and open fight. That's why we protested. "

Up to the final, the protagonists had met at eye level in tough competition and fought an exciting battle over 7:45 hours. After the start, Estre took first place from pole position, and as the race progressed, the top cars took turns in the lead. Clever decisions by the strategists at the pits of the Porsche GT team and flawless ideas from the drivers ensured that Christensen at the wheel of the 92 went into the last quarter of an hour of the season finale as the leader - until Alessandro Pier Guidi (Italy) with his Ferrari hit the rear of the Porsche 911 RSR met.

The team in the number 91 sister car had a lot of bad luck in the second half of the race. Bruni, Lietz and Makowiecki's 911 RSR took the lead several times in the first four hours, but initially fell behind due to a pit-stop penalty. A little later, a rear wheel that was not properly attached caused considerable vibrations and, as a result, small damage to the rear left. The team had to make an additional pit stop, and from then on Bruni fought with blunt weapons and brought the 515 hp nine-eleven to the finish in fourth place.

In the GTE-Am class, the German customer teams Dempsey-Proton Racing and Project 1 repeated their successes from the previous week in the same place. Christian Ried from Germany, works driver Matt Campbell from Australia and Jaxon Evans from New Zealand drove in second place at the wheel of the Porsche 911 RSR with starting number 77. The identical car owned by the Norwegian Egidio Perfetti and the two Italians Matteo Cairoli and Riccardo Pera took third place. The British team GR Racing came in tenth, the number 88 Dempsey-Proton Racing retired after a spin.

The Porsche GT Team finished the 2021 season after six races with 277 points in second place in the manufacturers' championship. In the drivers' championship, Kévin Estre and Neel Jani collected a total of 166 points on their way to second place. Teammates Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz finished the year in third place with 111 points. In the team classification of the GTE-Am category, Dempsey-Proton Racing was in third place at the end of the year.

Driver comments after the race
Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR # 92):“The disappointment is enormous! Our team worked perfectly and brought us to the top with an optimal strategy. In the last half hour of the race, our tires deteriorated a lot. I had to pull out all the stops to stay ahead. I kept the Ferrari behind me fairly at all times - but then it pushed me off the track. That was it with the chance to win and the title dreams. "

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR # 92):“We fought hard and fair and deservedly were at the top. A few minutes before the end there was a collision with the Ferrari. First of all, the race management decided that he had to give us back first place. While we drove to the due refueling stop, this decision was then cancelled and we did not regain our position. I don't think that's fair. ”

Neel Jani (Porsche 911 RSR # 92): “ We were champions up to eight minutes before the end of the race and then we lost it. If someone overtakes us nicely, then we have no problem and he is the deserved winner - but not with one ram. The team did a great job and did a top job, the strategy and the pit stops were mega. I can only thank Kévin and Michael for this season. "

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR # 91): “At the end of a race like this, I'm honestly happy that it's over. It looked so good for us now. We were in the lead and were really quick. Then there was a bad pit stop, then a defect and also a penalty. Much did not go as we had hoped for us. Unfortunately, that's the way it is in motorsport sometimes. We'll quickly hook it up. ”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR # 91):“I think you can't do motorsport long enough to have seen it all. The whole race was actually exciting and nice to watch - until contact with the 92nd. From my point of view, what came after that was very questionable from a sporting point of view. Our own pace was good, the Porsche was easy to drive. But we bet on a risky strategy and unfortunately lost. ”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR # 91):“I really feel sorry for my colleagues in car number 92 - the battle for the world championship should never be decided that way. We do sports. Fairness is part of sport. At the end of the race I couldn't find them anymore. I can imagine exactly how much disappointment there is now in the team. At first things went very well for us. We had an extremely fast car, but we couldn't translate it into a win. It hurts. Our chances were really good, but it wasn't meant to be. ”

Christian Ried (Porsche 911 RSR # 77):“That was a great race and a great end to the season. We improved to third place in the championship, it couldn't have gone any better. The fight of Jaxon Evans and especially Matt Campell at the end was awesome - I was about to have a heart attack. Matt didn't feel super happy with the car in the last stint, but he attacked well and was able to close the gap further and further. Then on the last lap, in the last corner, he even moved up to second place! Super cool! "

Matteo Cairoli (Porsche 911 RSR # 56):“We would have liked to have secured third place in the championship, but unfortunately the Dempsey-Proton Racing car overtook us on the last lap - after all, it was a Porsche. I have to admit, however, that I am very disappointed. We'll attack again next year. ”

Results race
GTE-Pro class
1. Calado / Pier Guidi (GB / I), AF Corse, Ferrari 488 GTE # 51, 233 laps
2. Estre / Jani / Christensen (F / CH / DK), Porsche GT Team, Porsche 911 RSR # 92, 233 laps
3rd Serra / Molina (BR / E), AF Corse, Ferrari 488 GTE # 52, 233 laps
4th Lietz / Bruni / Makowiecki (A / I / F), Porsche GT Team, Porsche 911 RSR # 91, 231 laps

GTE-Am class
1. Perrodo / Nielsen / Rovera (F / DK / I), AF Corse, Ferrari 488 GTE # 83, 230 laps
2. Ried / Campbell / Evans (D / AUS / NZ), Dempsey-Proton Racing, Porsche 911 RSR # 77, 229 laps
3. Perfetti / Cairoli / Pera (N / I / I), Team Project 1, Porsche 911 RSR # 56, 229 laps
10th Wainwright / Barker / Gamble (GB / GB / GB), GR Racing, Porsche 911 RSR # 86, 224 laps
DNF. Andlauer / Jefferies / Al Qubaisi (F / GB / UAE), Dempsey-Proton Racing, Porsche 911 RSR # 88, 90 laps