Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, is all geared up to host this year’s FIA WEC Six Hours of Bahrain on November 14 and 15 in Sakhir.Only two weeks remain until the massive grid of nearly 30 Le Mans Prototypes and GT racers roar around the track for the seventh and penultimate round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The Six Hours of Bahrain is the WEC’s only stop in the Middle East, giving the region’s motor racing fans a unique sample of Le Mans racing.
In the past, with Grand Prix racing being the dominant form of motorsport throughout Europe, Le Mans was designed to present a different test – instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would instead concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars.
This encouraged innovation in producing reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles, because the nature of endurance racing requires cars that last the distance and spend as little time in the pits as possible.
The WEC is based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is today the world’s oldest active sports car race and the jewel of the crown of the championship.
It has been held annually since 1923 near the French town of Le Mans, running on the 13.629-kilometre Circuit de la Sarthe, which contains a mix of closed public roads and a race track.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is commonly referred to as “the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency”, as it challenges the racing teams’ abilities to balance their cars’ speed with reliability with one complete day of racing non-stop all the way to the chequered flag.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans has long been an inspiration for many similar events and endurance racing series around the world, such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona, both in the US.
The race has also been the centerpiece of a few major championships, including the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, which is now the FIA WEC.
Organised by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Federation Internationale de l’Auotomobile (FIA), the WEC is now arguably the second most popular international championship under the FIA, second only to Formula One.
With rounds in four different continents and in countries such as the UK, Belgium, France, the US, Japan, China, Brazil, and Bahrain, the series is truly a global championship that is the future of motorsport.
The WEC will be bringing the renowned spirit of Le Mans, rich with history, to BIC for a third straight year this year.