WEC’s stars arrive as BIC set for weekend endurance racing spectacle

On-track action flags off on Thursday with WEC and PCCME practices
BIC to welcome fans for weekend of non-stop racing and entertainment on Friday and Saturday, from 10.30am on both days
Grandstand tickets still available for those wishing to make last-minute purchases

The superstars of this weekend’s WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain, powered by Bapco Energies have arrived on the island and the Spirit of Le Mans is very much alive in the Kingdom of Bahrain!

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, has been bustling with activity over the past few days as the teams and officials in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) have begun setting up their garages and stations ahead of Thursday’s (Editor’s note: 31 October) start of on-track action.

BIC will be opening its doors to fans on Friday and Saturday (Editor’s note: 1 and 2 November), as the practice sessions taking place on Thursday will be held behind closed doors.

Gates will be open on both days at 10.30am. On Friday, gates will close at 6.30pm, and on Saturday at 10pm.

Grandstand tickets are still available for fans wishing to attend the WEC 2024 season-finale. They cost BD5.5 for adults and BD2.75 for children for the two-day race weekend.

Tickets can be bought online at bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17450000.

All tickets sold will help make a positive environmental impact in the Kingdom, as BIC and Bapco Energies have brought back the ground-breaking Green Ticket Initiative, which will greatly contribute to achieving the national target of quadrupling mangrove coverage across the Kingdom by 2035.

Race-goers will be able to enjoy plenty of top-class racing with the WEC’s Hypercars and LMGT3 contenders along with the supporting Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME).

The WEC’s star-studded field will be headlined by a cast of WEC, Formula 1, and other FIA series World Champions, including ex-F1 World Champion Jenson Button, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, grand prix-winner Robert Kubica, and other popular drivers such as Mick Schumacher, Sebastien Buemi, Kamui Kobayashi, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniil Kvyat, Mike Conway, and Paul Di Resta, to name only a few.

On Thursday, action will include two 90-minute WEC practice sessions, one being held in daylight conditions from 12.15pm to 1.45pm, and then the other under lights at night from 5.30pm to 7pm.

The PCCME will also have its pair of practices on Thursday, both over 45 minutes. The first will take place at 11.15am, and the next at 4.15pm.

The racing will intensify on Friday, with a third hour-long WEC practice being held from 12noon to 1pm. That will set the stage for the Qualifying sessions, starting from 4pm with the LMGT3 category and then from 4.40pm for the Hypercars.

Also on Friday, the PCCME will be holding qualifying at 11.10am. Race one will follow later in the early evening at 5.45pm.

The second PCCME race will be held on Saturday morning at 11am, and that will be followed by the weekend’s highly anticipated main event: the WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain, powered by Bapco Energies, flagging off at 2pm and ending at 10pm.

Fans attending the endurance racing spectacle will be able to enjoy an Open Paddock experience throughout the two days.

This is unique to the WEC weekend, and it is an initiative that must be taken advantage of in a Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA)-sanctioned world championship event, as it is a chance to go and see what goes on behind the scenes in the WEC Paddock.

This is where the participating teams’ buildings are located to accommodate the series’ star drivers and team members while at the circuit. The Paddock is also from where the teams have direct access to their garages, so fans will more than likely bump into the WEC’s biggest talents as they make their way around the facility and also witness team preparations for the racing action.

Also taking place this weekend are the Pit Lane Walk and WEC Autograph Session, scheduled for Saturday.

Aside from the racing, there will be plenty of off-track entertainment for the whole family to enjoy on both days of WEC weekend.

BIC has brought back the Giant Ferris Wheel, while there will also be racing simulators, reaction games used by professional racing drivers, and a fantastic classic car show.

For the youngsters, BIC has lined up plenty of attractions, headlined by the ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Experience, which celebrates the Warner Bros Pictures live-action film of the same name. Visitors will have the chance to meet members of the Tune Squad, with Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny greeting fans at the experience! There will also be kids’ stage shows, LED bumper cars, carnival rides, mini-train rides, a jumping castle, a balloon twister, a live graffiti wall, face painting, and the like.

All those attending will similarly be able to interact with BIC’s army of roaming performers, including jugglers, stilt-walkers, face painters, street drummers, balloon mime acts, and musicians.