Kevin Estre says he’s “indignant at himself” after he certified final within the #6 Porsche 963 LMDh, which is combating for the Hypercar title on this Saturday’s World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain.
Estre set a finest time of 1m49.157s within the opening leg of qualifying for the Bahrain 8 Hours, which put the manufacturing facility #6 Porsche Penske he shares with Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell 18th within the Hypercar division.
The sister #5 automobile certified by Julien Andlauer progressed to Hyperpole and secured the eighth spot on the grid, simply over a second off the pole-sitting #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi.
Estre, who is taken into account one of many quickest drivers within the Hypercar discipline, took full accountability for the #6 Porsche’s dismal qualifying session, blaming a lock-up on his flying lap.
“I tousled Flip 1 on my first push lap,” the Frenchman informed Motorsport.com. “I locked the within entrance after which I aborted the lap. Then, I by no means had the grip actually to do nicely the lap after.
“So, we’re very far-off when it comes to lap time and when it comes to place, which may be very disappointing. Annoyed and indignant towards myself as a result of there was a risk to do higher, however that is the way in which it’s.
“It is a lengthy race tomorrow, we consider now we have a greater automobile on the lengthy runs anyway. However there was undoubtedly a risk to do higher than that.”
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre
Photograph by: FIAWEC – DPPI
Estre and Vanthoor are aiming to defend the Hypercar world title that they gained in 2024 with Andre Lotterer.
The duo faces a 21-point deficit to James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Antonio Giovinazzi within the #51 Ferrari 499P, with #83 AF Corse trio Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye separating the 2 crews. A complete of 38 factors are on supply within the bonus-points finale.
Porsche can be within the working for the producers’ title, however must overcome a 39-point hole with a most of 65 out there on Saturday.
Regardless of the poor beginning place, Estre hasn’t given up hope of successful the world championship, citing the #6 crew’s unbelievable cost on the earlier spherical in Japan.
“We will do outcome,” he stated. “We began just about on the identical spot in Fuji (seventeenth), which was a six-hour race and we completed on the rostrum and Ferrari did not rating any factors, so for positive it is doable.
“However we undoubtedly weren’t on the great aspect of the tempo and of the efficiency this weekend. Let’s examine how the long term pays off. Seems like we’re higher, however in all probability not so good as Toyota.”
Requested how the 963 in contrast with the 499P over lengthy runs, Estre added: “Ferrari confirmed some excellent tempo additionally on the lengthy runs in FP3, doing many alternative issues with the three automobiles.
“So, we do not actually know however a minimum of we’re someplace not too far, I’d say. But when it is sufficient to beat them I am undecided however undoubtedly we’ll be round. I hope we will come again.”
Toyota, which hasn’t scored a podium to date in 2025, locked out the entrance row in qualifying on Friday night.
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With the #6 Porsche needing a robust factors haul on Saturday to overturn its 21-point deficit to the #51 Ferrari, Estre worries Toyota might throw a spanner within the works and affect the championship battle.
“I feel it reveals that Toyota is above everybody to this point this weekend – just about in every situations. Ferrari, I’d say, is healthier than us however inside attain.
“However to get the championship, we might want to rating quite a lot of factors and this appears to be troublesome as Toyota appears to have a little bit of an higher hand on anybody this weekend.”
Pictures from Bahrain – Friday
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
Bahrain – Friday, in pictures
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