Drive-Through Erases Aston’s Bahrain Lead as Toyota Retakes Control at Halfway

A drive-through for a Virtual Safety Car infringement returned the #8 Toyota to the front heading into a strategy-heavy second half.

Overview

On the restart, Alex Riberas vaulted the #009 Aston Martin from fifth to first on fresh tyres and built an 11-second gap before a drive-through for a Virtual Safety Car procedural error dropped him down the order.
Sébastien Buemi resumed the lead for Toyota in the #8 GR010, with teammate Nyck de Vries next in line, after the marque had controlled the opening stints.
The Valkyrie’s brief spell in front marked the model’s first FIA WEC race lead, completing a season in which all eight Hypercar manufacturers have led at least once.
In LMGT3, the #87 Akkodis ASP Lexus set the pace for much of the opening half, with José Maria López handing over to Clemens Schmid while rivals shuffled behind.
Championship leaders Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi in Ferrari’s #51 remain well placed to seal the drivers’ title, and debutant Théo Pourchaire’s #94 Peugeot heads the off-sequence Hypercar runners.