- Toyota GAZOO Racing's Kamui Kobayashi won the overall pole for the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain with a lap at 113.946 mph. This was three-tenths of a second faster than Brendon Hartley, who had his best lap deleted due to a track limit violation. Signatech Alpine's Matthieu Vaxiviere was third.
LMP2 honors went to United Autosports' Filipe Albuquerque with a lap at 110.539 mph, good for fourth overall. Albuquerque's lap was nearly three-tenths of a second faster than Realteam Racing's Norman Nato. Antonio Felix da Costa qualified third, then Racing Team Nederland's Giedo van der Garde and High Class Racing's Robert Kubica.
Porsche GT Team's Kevin Estre won the GTE-Pro for Saturday's Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain with a lap at 104.332 mph, the fastest GT lap of the two Bahrain race weekends combined. Estre's lap was one-sixth of a second faster than the Ferrari of AF Corse's James Calado. Gianmaria Bruni will start third in the second Porsche.
In GTE-Am, Cetilar Racing's Roberto Lacorte won the pole in his Ferrari with a lap at 101.985 mph. This was less than half of a tenth of a second faster than AF Corse's Francois Perrodo. Iron Lynx's Sarah Bovy qualified third in class, then Team Project 1's Egidio Perfetti. TF Sport's Ben Keating will start fifth in his Aston Martin.
- In opening FIA World Endurance Championship practice Thursday for the FIA World Endurance Championship Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain, Toyota GAZOO Racing's Brendon Hartley was fastest with a lap at 111.594 mph. Hartley's lap was four-tenths of a second faster than teammate Kamui Kobayashi. Signatech Alpine's Nicolas Lapierre was third fastest, a little less than a second slower.
LMP2 was led by Realteam Racing's Norman Nato with a lap at 109.275 mph, good for fourth overall. Nato's lap was three-hundredths of a second faster than JOTA Sport's Tom Blomqvist. Racing Team Nederland's Giedo van der Garde was third in his Jumbo-sponsored No. 29, followed by Antonio Felix da Costa in the second JOTA Sport entry. United Autosports' Filipe Albuquerque was fifth.
The Porsches continued to dominate in GTE-Pro with Porsche GT Team's Neel Jani fastest at 102.899 mph in 15th overall. Jani's lap was one-third of a second faster than teammate Richard Lietz. The Ferraris ended up all the way at the bottom of the chart overall despite getting additional power earlier this week as part of a change in Balance of Performance.
Aston Martin Racing's Augusto Farfus was fastest in GTE-Am with a lap at 102.519 mph, good for 17th overall. Farfus' lap was two-ninths of a second faster than the Porsche of Team Project 1's Matteo Cairoli. Cetilar Racing's Antonio Fuoco was third in his Ferrari, then D'Station Racing's Andrew Watson. AF Corse's Alessio Rovera was fifth fastest.
- In Free Practice No. 2, Hartley was once again fastest, this time with a lap at 112.440 mph. This lap was over a half-second faster than Kobayashi. Signatech Alpine's Matthieu Vaxiviere was third.
LMP2 was led by Racing Team Nederland's van der Garde with a lap at 109.551 mph. Van der Garde's lap was four-hundredths of a second faster than Albuquerque. Team WRT's Ferdinand Habsburg was third fastest, then Inter Europol Competition's Renger van der Zande and ARC Bratislava's Oliver Caldwell.
In GTE-Pro, the AF Corse Ferraris finally came back to life. Miguel Molina was fastest with a lap at 103.029 mph. The lap was four-tenths of a second faster than Porsche GT Team's Frederic Makowiecki. Kevin Estre in the No. 91 Porsche was third, followed by James Calado.
GTE-Am saw Dempsey-Proton Racing's Matt Campbell go fastest in his Porsche with a lap at 102.177 mph. This was two-ninths of a second faster than the Ferrari of Fuoco. Iron Lynx's Andrea Piccini was third, then Team Project 1's Egidio Perfetti and AF Corse's Francois Perrodo.
The session had no red flags. However, there was a full course caution during the session for Satoshi Hoshino spinning the D'Station Racing Aston Martin into the gravel and having to be extricated from it.
- Free Practice No. 3 saw Hartley complete the practice weekend sweep with a lap at 111.742 mph. This lap was more than four-tenths of a second faster than Kobayashi. Signatech Alpine's Andre Negrao was more than three seconds off the pace in third.
LMP2 was topped by JOTA Sport's Antonio Felix da Costa with a lap at 108.886 mph, good for third overall. Da Costa's lap was a third of a second faster than Albuquerque. Blomqvist was third, then Richard Mille Racing Team's Sophia Floersch. Nato was fifth.
Porsche's Kevin Estre was fastest in GTE-Pro with a lap at 103.841 mph. This was eight-tenths of a second faster than teammate Gianmaria Bruni. Calado was third fastest.
Cairoli was fastest in GTE-Am with a lap at 101.998 mph. He was a tenth of a second faster than AF Corse's Nicklas Nielsen. Fuoco was third fastest, then GR Racing's Ben Barker. Campbell was fifth.
