Antonio Felix da Costa Shatters Expectations in WEC Bahrain Test as Alpine Star Shines
In a stunning debut that has sent shockwaves through the motorsport community, Antonio Felix da Costa emerged victorious at the World Endurance Championship’s Bahrain rookie test, marking his first official outing as a factory driver for Alpine. The former Porsche ace dominated the time charts, clocking an impressive best time of 1m49.214s in the #36 Alpine A424 LMDh during the afternoon session, leaving fans and rivals alike in awe.
Da Costa’s blistering performance not only secured him the top spot but also showcased his incredible talent as he outpaced current Alpine competitor Frederic Makowiecki by a slim margin of 0.159 seconds. Makowiecki’s morning session was focused on installation laps before relinquishing the wheel to the Portuguese sensation, who quickly made his mark in the highly competitive realm of Hypercar racing.
While da Costa basked in his success, new Peugeot signing Nick Cassidy also made headlines by completing an impressive 59 laps across the two 9X8s, ultimately securing third place with a commendable time of 1m49.376s. Cassidy’s performance earned him the title of the fastest “real” rookie at the Bahrain test, as da Costa had already dipped his toes into Hypercar racing with Jota Porsche earlier this year.
Marco Sorensen put in a solid performance in the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH, finishing fourth and just over four-tenths behind the leader, while Lilou Wadoux continued to impress with her fifth-place finish in the #51 Ferrari 499P. Wadoux’s gradual integration into the Hypercar class has been remarkable, following her earlier test outings with Toyota and Ferrari.
Not to be overshadowed, newly-crowned world champion James Calado also made waves, placing sixth in the same #51 Ferrari, while Charles Weerts showcased his talent in his Hypercar debut, finishing seventh in the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8. Antonio Fuoco followed closely in eighth place in the #50 Ferrari, while Cassidy, who doubled his track time with the #93 Peugeot, rounded out the top 10 alongside Brendon Hartley in the #8 Toyota.
As the day unfolded, the presence of seasoned race drivers added an air of excitement, though some debutants found themselves lower on the leaderboard. Mattia Drudi finished 13th in the Aston Martin, while Kelvin van der Linde lagged three spots behind during his transition to the BMW M Hybrid V8. The #7 Toyota was shared by Super GT/Super Formula driver Sacha Fenestraz and Lexus IMSA star Ben Barnicoat, with Fenestraz posting a best time of 1m51.302s—two tenths clear of Barnicoat.
In the LMGT3 class, Hadrien David stole the spotlight, leading the pack in the #87 ASP Lexus RC F GT3 just a day after his team’s victory in the Bahrain 8 Hours. However, the day wasn’t without drama; a fire incident involving the #78 Lexus caused a prolonged red flag, sending shockwaves through the paddock while Tom van Rompuy was behind the wheel.
The competition remained fierce, with Thomas Fleming finishing second in the championship-winning #92 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Jose Maria Lopez securing third place in the #87 Lexus alongside David. Nicola Lacorte followed, finishing fourth in the #54 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, while former Williams Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant rounded out the top five in the #77 Proton Ford Mustang GT3, clocking a respectable time of 2m02.717s.
The day was not without its hiccups, as Matias Zagazeta brought out the second red flag after stopping on track in the #21 Ferrari during the afternoon session. As the dust settles from this exhilarating test, one thing is certain: the motorsport world is abuzz with anticipation for what’s to come as these talented drivers get ready to unleash their full potential in the upcoming season.
