Much has been said and written about the final race here in Bahrain for Audi Sport Team Joest
But there are several other known farewells to the FIA WEC after this evening’s race (as well as several others likely to emerge in the coming weeks
Mark Webber:
2015 FIA WEC World Drivers Champion, and eight time FIA WEC race winner, Mark Webber steps back from the driving seat after a glittering career in motorsport, and with a reputation as a fine ambassador for the sport, for Porsche and for the FIA WEC.
After a tricky start to his WEC career, then a huge accident at Interlagos at the end of 2014 he, together with Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard bounced back to claim the Championship in a finish of huge drama as Webber wrestled home a car with a thoroughly broken engine at the season finale. His final season has seen real commitment emerge from early season ill fortune, a string of wins for the #1 Porsche fending off the attack from Audi and Toyota to secure Porsche its second consecutive Manufacturers title.
Rebellion R-One
The Oreca designed and built R-One finishes its racing career with Rebellion Racing after this race having been the standard bearer for LMP1 privateer since it’s introduction in 2013 (then with Toyota power.
Coming into the race in Bahrain the car’s win total is 19 races, including overall podium finishes at both Silverstone and Spa this season (now with AER twin turbo V6 power – since 2015)
Always a very pretty car, and blindingly fast in a straight line, the efforts of the Rebellion Racing squad to continue to fly the Privateer flag have made a major contribution to informing the rulemakers and others as to the escalation in performance for the factory cars ahead.
The R-One too ensured that Rebellion will remain unbeaten on the LMP1 Privateers title front in their five year FIA WEC history, the R-One picking up where the team’s beloved Lolas left off.
Ligier JS P2
First of the new generation LMP2 Coupes to emerge in competition the benostrilled Ligier is still at the sharp end as the current FIA WEC LMP2 era comes to a close with 11 race wins across the 2014 and 2015 G-Drive and 2016 RGR Sport efforts and the 2015 LMP2 title for G-Drive.
Oreca 05
Oreca’s take on the outgoing LMP2 formula has duelled hard with the Ligier and all other comers for the past two seasons with the KCMG and Signatech Alpine teams, both claiming a Le Mans class win apiece and Signatech already crowned as 2016 LMP2 Champions with the their Alpine A460b badged 05.
Tequila Patron ESM
Back to IMSA racing for 2017 after brightening up the FIA WEC for the past pair of seasons (plus a pair of 2014 appearances) the habitually (but not exclusively) black and bright green liveried cars have battled hard but come to their FIA WEC finale with a total of seven podium finishes.
Nissan VK 45
The 4.5 litre Nissan V8 engine has dominated LMP2 competition throughout the FIA WEC’s brief history. With three wins from the Honda engine in the Starworks HPD in 2012 the only non-Nissan engined race winning powerplant that means that the VK 48 has scored no fewer than 37 LMP2 race wins, 35 of them consecutive! (the last Honda win was Sao Paolo in 2014)
The era of the new Gibson V8 begins in 2016 but in the WEC the era of Nissan is over, but it’s been quite a trip!
