Porsche and Toyota have dominated the World Endurance Championship this season, battling for the Manufacturers’ Championship.
BMW, on the other hand, have had a more difficult season in WEC as the brand acclimatises to the world championship after combining it with IMSA in North America.
The competition and circuits are very different in WEC to IMSA, forcing the German manufacturer to adjust to events in Europe and Asia – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
BMW have been consistent over their rookie season in the championship, finishing in the top 10 at every event apart from Le Mans.
Marco Wittmann and his two teammates had a difficult start to the championship. They got disqualified at Monza and only scored the No. 15 car’s first points in the fifth round of the season.
Despite the lacklustre start to the campaign, Wittmann explained to the official WEC website that he is pleased with BMW’s form heading into the final round of the season in Bahrain.
Marco Wittmann is ‘super happy’ after BMW scored their first podium of the season in Japan
BMW finally scored their first podium of the season last time out at the 6 Hours of Fuji, after a difficult start to the season.
The No. 15 car finished in second place which is a big improvement over their previous finishes in the World Endurance Championship.
They had a slice of luck at the Fuji Speedway as none of the three Ferraris finished in the top five, and two of them retired.
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Wittmann explained that is looking to score another podium next time out in Bahrain and scoring more points.
He said: “Looking at where we started [with the Hypercar programme] and the progress we’ve made, we can really be proud.
“We gave a strong performance throughout the weekend – beginning in practice and qualifying – and had good pace in the race. The first podium felt incredibly good, and the entire team has done a fantastic job. I’m super happy. Now, we want to achieve a similarly strong result in Bahrain.”
Scoring a second consecutive podium in Bahrain may be a challenge for BMW
The No. 15 BMW car drove well last time out at Fuji Speedway to keep out of trouble and take the podium finish.
Despite taking their first podium of the season, a repeat of the success next time out in Bahrain may be tricky, although Lamborghini aren’t heading to Bahrain with high expectations, either.
The Bahrain International Circuit has a very abrasive surface which is unique and a different prospect to other circuits on the calendar and in IMSA.
Toyota have also been very competitive at the circuit, taking victory in the last seven events including both six-hour and eight-hour races.