In full darkness, and halfway through the final race of the 2017 WEC season at Bahrain, Toyota Gazoo Racing is out front, Kazuki Nakajima holding a comfortable lead of over a minute over the #1 Porsche of Nick Tandy in the #8 TS050 HYBRID.
Behind though, there was drama aplenty for the Japanese maruqe, as Kamui Kobayashi hit the #92 Porsche GTE Pro machine of Michael Christensen at Turn 1 while trying to get past. Kobayashi was on the outside, and swiped the 911 RSR as it swereved in front, sending the Porsche into the grave and into retirement.
The Toyota meanwhile, ended up heading back to the garage for repairs during a Full-Course Yellow, losing two laps. That promoted the #2 delayed Porsche to third place; Kobayashi had been leading.
In LMP2 Jackie Chan DC Racing leads the way, its championship-challenging #38 out front with Ho Pin tung at the wheel. Behind though, the #31 Rebellion ORECA, which leads the championship, is there ready to fight to the end to take the LMP2 title.
In GTE Pro, after lengthy battles in the top five spots, and Christensen’s clash with the Toyota, it was the #51 AF Corse Ferrari that holds the lead, and is set to win the title if it finishes out front. Behind the #67 Ford is second, and still very much in contention for the title, with the #71 sister AF Corse Ferrari playing rear gunner in third.
Porsche’s championship contender, the #91 RSR, with Richard Lietz driving, is now fourth.
Meanwhile, in GTE Am, the Aston Martin Racing Vantage has risen to the front, Mathias Lauda driving, holding a comfortable advantage over the Clearwater Racing Ferrari which led early in the race. The #54 Spirit of Race Ferrari sits third, the two Porsche’s in the class now a lap down, the Dempsey Proton 911 due to a front-left light needing changing.
