The 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship may be set to conclude this Saturday evening in Bahrain, but there’s still the matter of eight hours of racing to go. For the #34 Inter Europol Competition team, drivers Esteban Gutiérrez, Alex Brundle and Kuba Śmiechowski’ the event represents the opportunity to put together all the learnings of the season and secure that elusive podium position.

Fourth position at Monza in the summer is the highlight of the season to date, while Fuji last time out was just one of those events where the team could not get the car into the right window to challenge the front-runners. Following a short break following the European Le Mans Series Portimao finale, the team head to Bahrain International Circuit keen to return to form ahead of the short winter break.

8 Hours of Bahrain schedule, all times CET

Thursday 10 November
Free practice 1: 10:15
Free practice 2: 15:30

Friday 11 November
Free practice 3: 09:00
Qualifying: 15:10

Saturday 12 November
Race: 12:00 noon.

Esteban Gutiérrez
“So far, it’s been up and down, but that’s racing. Some races – such as in the rainy conditions at Spa – we were very competitive, as well as in dry conditions in Monza. As a team we have worked well together to improve both our operation and performance, and hopefully we can see that reflected those gains Bahrain. A podium finish is our target, and it would be a fitting conclusion to the season, as well as a well-deserved reward for the team.”

Alex Brundle
“Bahrain is a place where Inter Europol Competition has always gone well. The nature of the circuit helps us maximise the strengths of our package and capitalise on the recent result of Monza. We aim to take those learnings and hopefully offer our fans and supporters a good result in Bahrain. We have the capability of doing that and we’re all excited to get out there and deliver behind the wheel.”

Kuba Śmiechowski’
“It’s a circuit we have traditionally performed well at and one that seems to suit us well as illustrated by our P5 last year. It’s the final race of the season and the whole team will be seeking a strong result to carry into the winter months.”