The number 21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 – last year’s class winner at Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit – qualified eighth in the final qualifying session of the FIA World Endurance Championship season. François Heriau, Simon Mann and Ferrari official driver Alessio Rovera remain in contention for the world title, 11 points behind their direct rivals, who are set to start from seventeenth on the grid. The other Ferrari 296 LMGT3, car number 54, crewed by Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castellacci and official driver Davide Rigon, will line up sixteenth.

The first qualifying session, which, as per regulations, featured Bronze-licence drivers, took place in sweltering heat, with an air temperature of 31°C and track temperature of 37°C. In the number 21 car, François Heriau posted a 2’03”536 on his opening flying lap, enough for eighth place and a spot in the Hyperpole, just 545 thousandths off the best time. Thomas Flohr, in the number 54 Ferrari, finished sixteenth after a technical issue forced him back to the pits on his out lap, eventually posting a 2’04”462, around one and a half seconds off the fastest time.

Silver-rated driver Simon Mann took to the track for the Hyperpole session, setting an opening lap of 2’02”921 before improving to 2’02”763. His final time, 1”102 off pole position, secures the number 21 car eighth place on the grid

The two Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3s will therefore start from the fourth and eighth rows for the 8 Hours of Bahrain, which kicks off at 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, 8 November.