Toyota Gazoo Racing ended the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season in style. The team scored a commanding 1-2 finish in the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain. At the same time, Ferrari celebrated a historic double. They won both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships with the #51 crew of Calado, Giovinazzi, and Pier Guidi.
Toyota’s Double in Bahrain
The #7 Toyota with de Vries, Kobayashi, and Conway behind the wheel took victory in the final round. They were closely followed by their sister team #008 and their 1-2 marked their first win of the season. Their triumph ensured that five different manufacturers stood on the top of the podium across the eight-round season.
With only the #51 winning two rounds (in Imola and Spa), it is a testament to the championship’s competitiveness.
Early Action After the Start
Kobayashi started from pole in the #7 Toyota, leading cleanly through the opening laps. Behind him, Giovinazzi made quick progress in the #51 Ferrari, overtaking Duval’s Peugeot #94. He also benefited from a spin by di Resta in the sister car #93 at Turn 13.
The #83 of Kubica, another title contender, climbed from 12th to 9th in the early stages. At the same time the #50 Ferrari joined the top six thanks to Nielsen’s strong opening stint. Meanwhile, the #6 Porsche Penske, also with a mathematical shot at the title, faced an uphill battle from P18. Vanthoor put in a heroic drive to reach P11, a remarkable effort on a circuit where overtaking is not so easy.
Drama in the LMGT3 Class
In LMGT3, Iron Lynx initially controlled the race, ahead of the #87 Lexus and the #33 Corvette. The #78 Lexus of Robin suffered a technical failure and was wheeled back to the garage, while Iron Dames got spun by the #54 AF Corse Ferrari of Flohr at Turn 11.
A safety car was deployed after Button collided with Flohr while lapping him. Button was handed a 30-second stop-and-go penalty, while Flohr escaped unhurt. It was a bittersweet career finish for the British driver who previously announced this would be his last professional drive.
Once racing resumed, the #009 Aston Martin driven by Riberas briefly took the lead. It marked the first time the Valkyrie had ever led a WEC race.
However, after the next round of pit stops, Toyota reclaimed control, with the #7 leading and Ferrari #51 sitting comfortably in position to secure the title.
The Title Battle Tightens
With two hours remaining, the top four in Hypercar featured two teams only: Toyota and Ferrari. In LMGT3, the situation was similar considering the title chances. #92 Manthey held third positions, which was a position sufficient to secure them the championship title.
Same could be said about #51 Ferrari, as P3 would also be enough to grant them the title.
Chaos Unfolds Late in the Race
In the final 90 minutes, several teams made their last driver changes. The #38 Cadillac, already hit with a penalty for Button’s earlier incident, endured more misfortune when Bamber spun off, dropping the team to 16th.
With just 50 minutes to go, the #15 BMW triggered a yellow flag and subsequent Virtual Safety Car period when a wheel detached after a pit stop. While Aston Martin used the VSC period to pit advantageously, Peugeot lost ground with the unfortunate timing. The restart was followed by a brief Full Course Yellow to remove debris on the start/finish straight.
Gentleman Gesture at Ferrari
As the race entered its final 20 minutes, the tension of the full season peaked. All three Ferraris ran closely together: the #50 and #83 battling on track, while the #51 maintained third, enough to clinch the title. In the closing laps, Ferrari chairman John Elkann watched from the garage as the team ordered a swap between the #50 and #51 cars. The gentleman gesture ensured both could celebrate, the #50 on the podium, the #51 as world champions.
A late yellow flag on the final lap did nothing to dampen Ferrari’s joy. Tears flowed in the garage as the Prancing Horse marked its first-ever WEC world titles, for both drivers and manufacturers. It meant even more for the team that it was a clean sweep for them with #83 taking the title among the private teams.
Toyota, meanwhile, capped a difficult season with a morale-boosting 1-2 finish, setting the stage for a fierce 2026 campaign.