The World Endurance Championship has been very closely fought throughout this season, particularly in the Hypercar class.
Over the past couple of seasons, the top category in the championship has seen an influx of new manufacturers, such as Ferrari and BMW.
The 8 Hours of Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit is vital for the series, as both titles are up for grabs.
Porsche have the advantage in the Manufacturers’ Championship, 10 points ahead of Toyota, with Ferrari in third place.
The tyres are very important, particularly in Bahrain. This is due to the venue’s abrasive surface, which Cadillac’s Sebastien Bourdais was wary of.
Anthony Davidson explained when commentating for Eurosport (2/11, 11:43) that one rule in WEC makes it more exciting than Formula 1.
Anthony Davidson explained teams not being mandated to run multiple tyre compounds makes WEC more ‘exciting’ than F1
In the World Endurance Championship, the Hypercar class and LMGT3 category teams aren’t mandated to run multiple tyre compounds. They can also mix and match on the same set which opens up more variety during a race.
This opens up the strategy over a race distance and rewards cars that look after their tyres as they may be able to run the soft tyree for more time.
The tyres now have coloured markings on them, making it much easier to differentiate which compound the cars use.
This rule is different to Formula 1, where the team’s use of the compounds is more restricted, and they need to have two of the three tyres available.
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Anthony Davidson explained why the extra freedom WEC teams have makes the series a better watch than Formula 1 after Martin Haven explained the differences between the two championships.
He said: “Exactly. That’s what makes it exciting in sportscar racing. It’s great that now we can see as World Endurance Championship which tire compound they’re actually on.
“Before, in the past, they had this opportunity, but all the tyre’s a little bit the same. So, for me, out from the outside, you had no idea who was on what. And the team’s obviously like to keep it secretive.”
Nicklas Nielsen feels Ferrari need to focus on tyre management
Ferrari have a slim chance of winning the Manufacturers’ title, which would boost the Italian team at the end of the season.
They need luck to intervene at a track where managing tyres is crucial to keep the rubber from giving up over a stint.
Nicklas Nielsen has been very impressive in the No. 50 Ferrari this season, winning at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Danish driver explained that tyre management is critical for Nielsen and something Ferrari needs to focus on in the race.