In a nail-biting season finale in Bahrain, Toyota claimed the World Endurance Championship manufacturers' title, while Porsche’s Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, and Andre Lotterer locked in the drivers' crown. It was a showdown for the ages, as Toyota's Sebastien Buemi outdueled Matt Campbell from Penske Porsche Motorsport in a thrilling final stint to take victory and the title.

Buemi's pivotal moment came at Turn 10, where a physical pass gave Toyota the lead in the #8 GR010 HYBRID LMH, shared with Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. The move was momentarily redressed before Buemi seized the spot again, continuing Toyota’s dominant record at Bahrain’s Sakhir Circuit, dating back to 2016. But this wasn’t a smooth win at one point, Ferrari looked set to spoil the party.

Early in the race, Buemi faced a setback, spun out by a rogue Corvette while leading. By the time racing resumed with 90 minutes left on the clock, Buemi had clawed back from 10th place. A crucial, clean pass on Campbell followed, putting Toyota in a commanding position. As the clock wound down, Buemi extended a solid lead, ultimately crossing the line 27.5 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s #51 499P LMH, driven by Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi. However, Ferrari’s joy was short-lived, as a post-race penalty for excess tire use dropped them from second to 14th.

Toyota’s win brought relief after their sister #7 car retired due to fuel pump issues, dashing Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries’ slim title hopes. The #7 crew, which also included Mike Conway, had momentarily led the pack in hour five but faltered with a recurring issue that first appeared in the third hour.

Ferrari's Giovinazzi initially finished second after a final-lap move on Campbell, who shared the #5 Porsche 963 with Michael Christensen and Fred Makowiecki. But after the penalty reshuffle, Ferrari's fortunes turned as well. The race had seemed theirs at various points, with Giovinazzi twice leading after overtaking Jota's privateer Porsche 963, piloted by Will Stevens, until a puncture put Jota’s challenge out of contention. Fuel strategy woes further hampered Ferrari after a virtual safety car period caused by Paul di Resta’s Peugeot 9X8 LMH failure.

In another twist, Mikkel Jensen clinched Peugeot’s best finish of the season, as his #93 9X8 LMH crew held off Alpine’s Paul-Loup Chatin to finish fourth, later promoted to third. A late surge saw Peugeot battling alongside Nico Muller and Jean-Eric Vergne, holding their ground in a season-high performance.

For Porsche, the title was nearly in the bag with a 35-point lead heading into Bahrain. Yet their journey to 10th wasn’t without drama. Vanthoor's #963 LMDh car was punted off at the start, falling to 15th, before mounting a comeback. However, penalties for a full-course yellow infringement and overtaking violations curtailed their progress. With Toyota’s #7 car out of the running and Ferrari’s remaining threat defused by a late puncture, the Porsche crew could finally breathe easy.

BMW’s lone M V8 Hybrid, driven by Marco Wittmann, Dries Vanthoor, and Raffaele Marciello, took fifth, while a steady run from Cadillac’s V. Series-R team saw them finish sixth. A frustrating race for Jota's Porsches saw a puncture deny Will Stevens, Norman Nato, and Callum Ilott a strong finish after leading for much of the second hour. The sister Jota Porsche with Phil Hanson, Jenson Button, and Oliver Rasmussen came home in seventh, just ahead of Ferrari's customer 499P, which had Robert Kubica sharing the wheel with Yi Yifei and Robert Shwartzman.

Alessio Rovera, Simon Mann, and Francois Heriau clinched victory in the LMGT3 class in their #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, edging out TF Sport's Corvette Z06 LMGT3R by just 3.0 seconds in an electrifying battle. A remarkable sequence of events in the seventh hour gave Rovera the lead, taking advantage of an intense fight between Alex Riberas and Rahel Frey. Charlie Eastwood, battling in honor of his late father, took second for the Corvette, with Daniel Juncadella leading the second Corvette entry to third after a strong performance.

Amid a series of penalties, punctures, and close calls, the WEC finale at Bahrain delivered high-octane drama to the very end. As Porsche celebrates a drivers' title and Toyota claims the manufacturers' crown, the 2024 season leaves fans eagerly awaiting more thrilling duels in endurance racing.