LMP1 Privateer was again a tale of attrition, though in this instance it was an incident apiece for all three cars, where the pit crew’s abilities to turn problems around settled the issue!
All three led the field at some point with the Rebellions dominating the early running (and heading the delayed Audi and Porsche for a while) before the then second placed #13 R-One hit electrical trouble after the halfway mark.
That dropped the car back down the order, but a quick repair form the Rebellion crew would late prove to be crucial.
Next to falter was the #12 Rebellion, a rear braking issue would see a longer spell for the white Rebellion, a 1,2 for the Swiss flagged, British based team turned into a 2,3 in the space of an hour.
The CLM then led after a troubled early spell that saw the car getting involved with the leading LMP2 battle.
All too soon though the #4 was in trouble too, brakes again the issue in the heat of Bahrain.
The ByKolles crew too worked hard to get the CLM back out quickly, second place in the Championship at stake.
Ultimately though it was too long in the garage to mount a meaningful recovery drive and would come home a lap down on the eventual winner, the #13 Rebellion R-One, a tearful Dom Kraihamer holding a small tribute to Damien Lewis, the team’s late and much lamented chief mechanic, flanked by Alexandre Imperatori and Matheo Tuscher, very loikely the youngest class winner thus far in WEC history.
That secured not only the race win for the #13 but second place in the standings and a 1,2 for Rebellion.
Here’s hoping that the smiles from Alex Pesci on the podium mean that a renewed commitment to return in 2016 is in the offing!
