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CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: Full Push Forward
Pair of TF Sport Corvettes eager to turn fortune around after WEC qualifying
SAKHIR, Bahrain (November 7, 2025) – TF Sport and its two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will look to race their way toward the front Saturday in search of another race win and championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Eight Hours of Bahrain.
Both of the yellow Corvettes missed out on the Hyperpole portion of LMGT3 qualifying Friday. The No. 33 Z06 GT3.R of Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar and Daniel Juncadella – winners to start the season in Qatar – is the highest-starting of the two Corvettes and will start 11th in the 18-car class.
Keating missed advancing into Hyperpole for the 10 fastest qualifier by an eyelash – 0.021 seconds around the 3.363-mile, 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit. Both Corvettes – as did the entire field – struggled with tire life and grip on the abrasive Bahrain circuit. The six fastest qualifiers and eight of the top-10 in Q1 were in front-engine racecars that had a slight advantage on front-end grip and handling.
Tom Van Rompuy in the No. 81 Corvette was 14th in class as he and teammates Charlie Eastwood and Rui Andrade eye the fight for the LMGT3 championship.
The trio arrived at Bahrain third in points – one spot ahead of the No. 33 TF Sport Corvette – and needs at least a second-place finish and some luck to claim the class title.
Eastwood, Andrade and Van Rompuy won the most recent WEC race at Fuji in September and have finished on the podium in three of the last four races dating back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
There is continued hope in the TF Sport garage as both the Corvettes finished on the class podium a year ago at Bahrain.
The Eight Hours of Bahrain is scheduled for 2 p.m. AST / 6 a.m. ET Saturday. Live streaming will be available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the United States.
TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES
DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Thankfully we made a big step forward from FP1 to FP2. FP1 was miserable. I wouldn't say it was the tire or the track or the car; it was a combination of everything. We made a lot of changes for FP2 on the setup and they were all great. I was very happy with that session. In terms of the race, everyone is going to suffer during the day and in the first couple of hours. As it gets dark and a bit colder, everything will feel nicer and I think we should be good."
(Opening of the race) "Ben will probably have the hardest bit. Ultimately I think the race will be decided at the end. But it depends. Last year there were some interventions toward the end of the race to make it a bit of a sprint to the finish. This is a track that with the conditions and runoffs that there could not be many interventions. Then the first stints will be very important. Ben is an endurance beast. Even though he may have the toughest job in the heat, he will go through it. He's very good."
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “From my standpoint, given the fact that we can no longer win the championship or if I had been in the previous situation, there’s nothing else to play for. It’s all or nothing and we’re racing for a win because that’s what we need to get second or third in the championship. The 27 Aston Martin is only a few points behind, and the front-engine cars have been super-fast all weekend. The series has been nice to them based on previous history with the medium tire. This hard tire is just different. In previous years, the front-engine cars burned through the front-mediums because there was too much weight up there. Now the hard tire withstands that weight. They can do a better fast lap and when everyone’s tires fall off, they’re still quick.
“We know we have a really good driver lineup and a really good car. It will take some luck for sure. I do expect us to take some risks… maybe not do what we should do and gamble to get lucky for a win. There are lots of ways you can gamble and be really well-positioned if you have a safety car. There are lots of other ways where you can gamble big and be really well-positioned if you don’t have a safety car. You have to choose one or the other. That’s what all the smart guys back in the garage are figuring out.”
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The hard thing about tracks like this is that you have to adapt a lot. Many of the Bronze guys have spent so much of their lives being told certain ways to brake, to turn and accelerate. That changes from the first lap to the fifth lap to the 20th lap. That's where we're in a good place. Tom (Van Rompuy) and Ben (Keating) are very experienced racing drivers and have been doing it probably longer than I have. They've been in scenarios like this before whereas there may be some fast Silvers and Bronzes who might can nail a maximum lap where here it's about keeping calm, staying under the limit and trying not to slip the tire so you've got that extra life at the end of a double-stint."
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "We tried something that we thought would help us during the race, especially when it got a bit fresher. Obviously it wasn't that much of a good choice. Maybe it will be in the race but on one lap we seem to be missing something. On my side, not the best run I've ever had. Hopefully we have a really good racecar and can climb a few positions in the race."
(On the championship) "Obviously we are going to fight to win it. This will be a tough mission but we never give up. Let's see. It's an eight-hour race and if we can keep it clean then I think we might have a chance. You never know on the strategy or if we can have bit of luck on our side.
"Since Le Mans we have taken a really strong jump by finishing on the podium in almost every race and winning in Fuji, which got us to third in the championship. With that success we're carrying a bit of weight for this last race. The good thing is that the contenders around us are on similar weights. I'm curious to see what that brings. We never give up and we'll fight to the line."
(Building momentum throughout the season) "The potential has always been in the car and in the team. Last year we had some hiccups and the reliability wasn't always on point... just some small things. We've all made a really good step there, so that's No. 1. There also has been really good execution as well from the team and the drivers. From the driver side, we don't take penalties and doing everything the team asks at the point it's needed. Also really good execution by the team on the pitstops and strategy. It is a mix of all these things together which put us in the position we are in this weekend."
CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: By the Numbers
• 1: One manufacturer, one brand and one race program for 26-plus years – Chevrolet, Corvett and Corvette Racing
• 1: Championships this year already for TF Sport – the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the European Le Mans Series
• 2: Podium finishes for TF Sport at Bahrain last year to close the first season for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R
• 2: FIA WEC victories for TF Sport this year Qatar for Dani Juncadella/Jonny Edgar/Ben Keating and Fuji for Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy
• 4: Number of Corvettes for the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series – two for TF Sport and two for Johor Motorsports Racing
• 4: Number of Corvettes set for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026 with a potential fifth in one of the Z06 GT3.R teams wins the ALMS championship
• 8: Hours difference between Manama, Bahrain and Detroit in the Eastern Time Zone
• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 17: Wins this year for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R across six different series. Three have come via TF Sport across the FIA WEC and ELMS
• 33: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 40: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Tom Van Rompuy at Fuji in September
• 72: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 74: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Adam Ali for Steller Motorsport in International GT Open at Barcelona
• 154: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 118 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, five in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia and GT America and two in the European Le Mans Series
• 356: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 459,117.65: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!
Corvette Racing at Bahrain
2022 – No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTE Pro
2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone – 7th in GTE Am
2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 2nd in LMGT3
No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 3rd in LMGT3.
Ryan Smith
Judy Kouba Dominick
CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: Full Push Forward
Pair of TF Sport Corvettes eager to turn fortune around after WEC qualifying
SAKHIR, Bahrain (November 7, 2025) – TF Sport and its two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will look to race their way toward the front Saturday in search of another race win and championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Eight Hours of Bahrain.
Both of the yellow Corvettes missed out on the Hyperpole portion of LMGT3 qualifying Friday. The No. 33 Z06 GT3.R of Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar and Daniel Juncadella – winners to start the season in Qatar – is the highest-starting of the two Corvettes and will start 11th in the 18-car class.
Keating missed advancing into Hyperpole for the 10 fastest qualifier by an eyelash – 0.021 seconds around the 3.363-mile, 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit. Both Corvettes – as did the entire field – struggled with tire life and grip on the abrasive Bahrain circuit. The six fastest qualifiers and eight of the top-10 in Q1 were in front-engine racecars that had a slight advantage on front-end grip and handling.
Tom Van Rompuy in the No. 81 Corvette was 14th in class as he and teammates Charlie Eastwood and Rui Andrade eye the fight for the LMGT3 championship.
The trio arrived at Bahrain third in points – one spot ahead of the No. 33 TF Sport Corvette – and needs at least a second-place finish and some luck to claim the class title.
Eastwood, Andrade and Van Rompuy won the most recent WEC race at Fuji in September and have finished on the podium in three of the last four races dating back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
There is continued hope in the TF Sport garage as both the Corvettes finished on the class podium a year ago at Bahrain.
The Eight Hours of Bahrain is scheduled for 2 p.m. AST / 6 a.m. ET Saturday. Live streaming will be available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the United States.
TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES
DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Thankfully we made a big step forward from FP1 to FP2. FP1 was miserable. I wouldn't say it was the tire or the track or the car; it was a combination of everything. We made a lot of changes for FP2 on the setup and they were all great. I was very happy with that session. In terms of the race, everyone is going to suffer during the day and in the first couple of hours. As it gets dark and a bit colder, everything will feel nicer and I think we should be good."
(Opening of the race) "Ben will probably have the hardest bit. Ultimately I think the race will be decided at the end. But it depends. Last year there were some interventions toward the end of the race to make it a bit of a sprint to the finish. This is a track that with the conditions and runoffs that there could not be many interventions. Then the first stints will be very important. Ben is an endurance beast. Even though he may have the toughest job in the heat, he will go through it. He's very good."
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “From my standpoint, given the fact that we can no longer win the championship or if I had been in the previous situation, there’s nothing else to play for. It’s all or nothing and we’re racing for a win because that’s what we need to get second or third in the championship. The 27 Aston Martin is only a few points behind, and the front-engine cars have been super-fast all weekend. The series has been nice to them based on previous history with the medium tire. This hard tire is just different. In previous years, the front-engine cars burned through the front-mediums because there was too much weight up there. Now the hard tire withstands that weight. They can do a better fast lap and when everyone’s tires fall off, they’re still quick.
“We know we have a really good driver lineup and a really good car. It will take some luck for sure. I do expect us to take some risks… maybe not do what we should do and gamble to get lucky for a win. There are lots of ways you can gamble and be really well-positioned if you have a safety car. There are lots of other ways where you can gamble big and be really well-positioned if you don’t have a safety car. You have to choose one or the other. That’s what all the smart guys back in the garage are figuring out.”
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The hard thing about tracks like this is that you have to adapt a lot. Many of the Bronze guys have spent so much of their lives being told certain ways to brake, to turn and accelerate. That changes from the first lap to the fifth lap to the 20th lap. That's where we're in a good place. Tom (Van Rompuy) and Ben (Keating) are very experienced racing drivers and have been doing it probably longer than I have. They've been in scenarios like this before whereas there may be some fast Silvers and Bronzes who might can nail a maximum lap where here it's about keeping calm, staying under the limit and trying not to slip the tire so you've got that extra life at the end of a double-stint."
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "We tried something that we thought would help us during the race, especially when it got a bit fresher. Obviously it wasn't that much of a good choice. Maybe it will be in the race but on one lap we seem to be missing something. On my side, not the best run I've ever had. Hopefully we have a really good racecar and can climb a few positions in the race."
(On the championship) "Obviously we are going to fight to win it. This will be a tough mission but we never give up. Let's see. It's an eight-hour race and if we can keep it clean then I think we might have a chance. You never know on the strategy or if we can have bit of luck on our side.
"Since Le Mans we have taken a really strong jump by finishing on the podium in almost every race and winning in Fuji, which got us to third in the championship. With that success we're carrying a bit of weight for this last race. The good thing is that the contenders around us are on similar weights. I'm curious to see what that brings. We never give up and we'll fight to the line."
(Building momentum throughout the season) "The potential has always been in the car and in the team. Last year we had some hiccups and the reliability wasn't always on point... just some small things. We've all made a really good step there, so that's No. 1. There also has been really good execution as well from the team and the drivers. From the driver side, we don't take penalties and doing everything the team asks at the point it's needed. Also really good execution by the team on the pitstops and strategy. It is a mix of all these things together which put us in the position we are in this weekend."
CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: By the Numbers
• 1: One manufacturer, one brand and one race program for 26-plus years – Chevrolet, Corvett and Corvette Racing
• 1: Championships this year already for TF Sport – the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams titles in the European Le Mans Series
• 2: Podium finishes for TF Sport at Bahrain last year to close the first season for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R
• 2: FIA WEC victories for TF Sport this year Qatar for Dani Juncadella/Jonny Edgar/Ben Keating and Fuji for Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy
• 4: Number of Corvettes for the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series – two for TF Sport and two for Johor Motorsports Racing
• 4: Number of Corvettes set for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026 with a potential fifth in one of the Z06 GT3.R teams wins the ALMS championship
• 8: Hours difference between Manama, Bahrain and Detroit in the Eastern Time Zone
• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 17: Wins this year for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R across six different series. Three have come via TF Sport across the FIA WEC and ELMS
• 33: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 40: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Tom Van Rompuy at Fuji in September
• 72: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
• 74: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list was Adam Ali for Steller Motorsport in International GT Open at Barcelona
• 154: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 118 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, five in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia and GT America and two in the European Le Mans Series
• 356: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 459,117.65: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!
Corvette Racing at Bahrain
2022 – No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTE Pro
2023 – No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone – 7th in GTE Am
2024 – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 2nd in LMGT3
No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 3rd in LMGT3.
Ryan Smith
Judy Kouba Dominick
