Who is driving in WEC’s Bahrain rookie test?

The World Endurance Championship will hold its traditional rookie test at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, 9 November – a day after the 2025 season concludes in the Gulf nation.

The test offers teams a chance to evaluate prospective talent and allows newly signed drivers to sample their cars for the first time.

In the past, several high-profile drivers got their first taste of WEC in the Bahrain rookie test, with Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Ogier and Valentino Rossi among those from other disciplines to take advantage of the occasion to drive top-level prototypes.

A partial full entry list for this year’s Bahrain test was released on Wednesday, with more drivers set to be announced in the coming days.

Peugeot’s 2026 recruit Nick Cassidy will make his first official appearance with the Stellantis marque in Bahrain, as he shares the 9X8 LMH with European Le Mans Series drivers Alex Quinn and Mathias Beche. 

The Formula E frontrunner, who last raced in the WEC in 2022 at the wheel of an AF Corse Ferrari 488 in GTE Pro, has already completed a private test aboard the 9X8 after announcing his move to Peugeot in September.

Meanwhile, Sacha Fenestraz will turn his first laps in Toyota GR010 Hybrid after rejoining the Japanese marque this year as part of a dual Super Formula/Super GT programme. Ben Barnicoat will also be driving for Toyota in Bahrain, having previously tested the car exactly two years ago in 2023.

#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Philip Hanson, #007 Aston Martin Thor Team Aston Martin Valkyrie: Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble, #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell

Photo by: James Moy Photography via Getty Images

Factory BMW drivers Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde have been given the opportunity to drive the M Hybrid V8 at the Sakhir track. Both primarily come from a GT background and have limited experience in prototype machinery.

Former Porsche Formula E star Antonio Felix da Costa will be back in the WEC paddock on Sunday, driving the Alpine A424 ahead of his first campaign with the Renault-owned brand in 2026.

Elsewhere, Ferrari has nominated its work driver Alessio Rovera and Lilou Wadoux for the rookie test. Rovera will drive the customer #83 AF Corse entry, while Wadoux will pilot the factory #51 499P in what would be her second Hypercar outing with Ferrari.

Rovera, along with AF Corse team-mates Simon Mann and Francois Heriau, is also in the hunt for the LMGT3 title this weekend. 

Another LMGT3 regular will step up to Hypercar machinery during the Bahrain test, as Heart of Racing’s Mattia Drudi drives the new V12-powered Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Cadillac has called up its IMSA drivers Jack Aitken and Ricky Taylor for the one-day test.

Further, the WEC organisation has also selected Oliver Gray and Thomas Fleming to take part in the Bahrain test on the back of their performances in the ELMS this year.

Gray, who won the overall ELMS title with Charles Milesi and Esteban Masson, has been nominated to drive the car that wins the Hypercar title on Saturday, while Fleming will get behind the wheel of the title-winning LMGT3 machine.

Porsche, which is leaving the Hypercar class after this year, is absent from the entry list for the Bahrain rookie test.

The German manufacturer, however, has handed 2024 IMSA GTD Pro champion Laurin Heinrich his maiden Hypercar outing in the season-ending Bahrain 8 Hours, replacing Michael Christensen in the #5 963 LMDh.

LMGT3 teams will also be in action in the Bahrain test.

The full entry list will be revealed in the coming days.

Bahrain WEC rookie test – Confirmed Hypercar drivers

Bahrain WEC rookie test – Confirmed LMGT3 drivers:

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