Porsche’s Kevin Estre “annoyed and offended” with himself after qualifying final for WEC finale

Kevin Estre says he’s “offended at himself” after he certified final within the #6 Porsche 963 LMDh, which is preventing 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 unit #6 Porsche Penske he shares with Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell 18th within the Hypercar division.

The sister #5 automotive 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 area, took full duty 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 instructed Motorsport.com. “I locked the within entrance after which I aborted the lap. Then, I by no means had the grip actually to do effectively the lap after.

“So, we’re very far-off by way of lap time and by way of place, which could be very disappointing. Annoyed and offended in opposition to myself as a result of there was a chance to do higher, however that is the way in which it’s.

“It is a lengthy race tomorrow, we consider we have now a greater automotive on the lengthy runs anyway. However there was positively a chance to do higher than that.”

#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre

Picture by: FIAWEC – DPPI

Estre and Vanthoor are aiming to defend the Hypercar world title that they received 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 provide within the bonus-points finale.

Porsche can also be within the working for the producers’ title, however must overcome a 39-point hole with a most of 65 obtainable on Saturday.

Regardless of the poor beginning place, Estre hasn’t given up hope of profitable the world championship, citing the #6 crew’s unbelievable cost on the earlier spherical in Japan.

“We will do a great end result,” he stated. “We began just about on the similar 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 positively weren’t on the great aspect of the tempo and of the efficiency this weekend. Let’s have a look at how the long term pays off. Seems to be like we’re higher, however most likely 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 vehicles.

“So, we do not actually know however no less than we’re someplace not too far, I might say. But when it is sufficient to beat them I am unsure however positively we’ll be round. I hope we are able to come again.”

Toyota, which hasn’t scored a podium to this point 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 believe it reveals that Toyota is above everybody thus far this weekend – just about in every circumstances. Ferrari, I might say, is healthier than us however inside attain.

“However to get the championship, we might want to rating a variety of factors and this appears to be tough as Toyota appears to have a little bit of an higher hand on anybody this weekend.”

Images from Bahrain – Friday

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries