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The latest motorsport circus travelled to the Middle East for its inaugural round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain with German motor racing aces Audi shining brightest.
Its R18 e-tron Quattro Hybrid cars claimed a one-two at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
According to the teams, the welcome they received was as warm as the weather; rich praise considering the temperature at the start of the weekend racing was in excess of 40 degrees.
Off track a larger than predicted crowd numbering a few thousand (it takes time for new things to take off in this part of the world) were entertained throughout the day with plenty of French/Arab-related activities, a live performance of singer Majid Al Mohandis and a fireworks display to greet the winning drivers at the end of the ‘6 Hours of Bahrain’ contest.
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the FÈdÈration Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
Pierre Fillon, ACO president, said the BIC team had made everyone involved in the championship ‘feel at home’ in Bahrain, adding: 'The first Le Mans-style endurance race in the Middle East has been a big success, with an enthusiastic local crowd getting their first taste of the Spirit of Le Mans.'
