TSR Bahrain International Outer – Race Report by Ted Delaney
90 Minutes | Evening | 22°C | Dry | Multi-Class Racing Action
Transatlantic Sim Racing kicked off the season under the glittering Bahrain night sky, taking on the Outer layout for a flat-out 90-minute spectacle. Hypercars (HY) and LMGT3s delivered a showcase of control, chaos, and camaraderie across the field, with new faces and seasoned regulars alike experiencing both heartbreak and heroics.
Podiums
Hypercar (HY)
🥇 1st - Danilo Lasic (Toyota GR010)
🥈 2nd - Dylan Moore (Lamborghini SC63)
🥉 3rd - Martin Veselý (BMW M Hybrid V8)
LMGT3
🥇 1st - Bernardo Alves (Ferrari 296 GT3 2023)
🥈 2nd - Si Fillingham (McLaren 720s GT3 Evo)
🥉 3rd - Madam Man (Ferrari 296 GT3 2023)
Full Standings
Race Summary
Right from the start, the action was relentless. A clean launch from Danilo Lasic in the Toyota GR010 set the tone, as he kept his nose clean while others behind jostled for early position. The winding nature of Bahrain’s Outer circuit delivered plenty of overtaking – and overtaking attempts – especially as the HY and LMGT3 fields intermingled.
In Hypercar, Lasic was untouchable. Dylan Moore put up a fierce fight in the Lamborghini, but ultimately had to settle for second, with Martin Veselý’s BMW rounding out the top three thanks to consistent pace and a faultless pitstop.
LMGT3 provided its own thrills and a breakthrough win for Bernardo Alves in the Ferrari, displaying maturity beyond his years to dominate once tyre temps were under control. Si Fillingham meanwhile wrangled the tricky McLaren to second, no mean feat considering the mad dash of his first multiclass race. Madam Man kept the prancing horses well represented on the steps with another strong Ferrari showing.
Elsewhere there were stories aplenty: Mike Landreth powered through from midfield after early drama, settling for a happy top ten, whilst Ian Paskin showed serious one-lap pace before tangled complications left him with more to learn, but plenty of promise. Oussama Knani’s debut Mustang performance in LMGT3 nearly netted him a big result but for some pit stop woes and a run-in with traffic. All agreed, this was a proper opener to the season.
Driver Interviews
Mike Landreth – Lamborghini SC63 (HY)
Qualifying: 11th
Race: 9th
Ted Delaney: Mike, you sounded upbeat after qualifying. Talk us through your lap.
Mike Landreth: Yeah, I was pretty happy. I felt like I put together most of the lap but lost a bit of time in the final corner on my last run. Still, starting P11 wasn’t bad for such a competitive grid.
Ted: Your race start looked electric. How did the first lap unfold from your seat?
Mike: The launch was mega! Problem was, I found myself boxed in between two cars through T1 and T2, which cost me a bit. I picked up some minor rear damage there, but crucially I could keep my pace under my target lap times. Just kept it tidy and brought it home P9 – well happy with that.
Ian Paskin – Toyota GR010 (HY)
Qualifying: 5th
Race: 14th
Ted Delaney: Ian, you were right up there in qualifying. How did you find your first Hypercar session?
Ian Paskin: Really pleased, Ted. It wasn’t quite my best from practice, but P5 for my first time in Hypercar, I’ll definitely take that.
Ted: The start looked a bit tricky for you, though. What happened?
Ian: Honestly, I was fiddling with the motor map, and I forgot how quickly the start happens at Bahrain. The lights went and I just wasn’t ready – went off circuit at T1. Then, I didn’t realise I had to give the place back, so I got pinged with a drive-through. Annoyed with myself, ended up spinning and hitting the barrier a bit later. First half of the race was a shocker really, but once I calmed it down, I was happy with my pace in the second half. Plenty to learn – but plenty to be positive about too.
Bernardo Alves – Ferrari 296 GT3 2023 (LMGT3)
Qualifying: 4th
Race: 1st
Ted Delaney: Congratulations, Bernardo! First win for TSR and a great drive. How was qualifying?
Bernardo Alves: Thanks, Ted! Quali was okay, but I misjudged my fuel – could’ve had two more laps. Think I left about half a second out there, but overall not too bad.
Ted: You made the win look fairly calm. How did you manage it?
Bernardo: Good start got me right onto the car in front, then an early overtake into P2 and then P1. From there it was just about tyre and pace management – kept my nearest rival five seconds behind and didn’t need to push. Really happy to finally get that first win after some unlucky races before.
Si Fillingham – McLaren 720s GT3 Evo (LMGT3)
Qualifying: 7th
Race: 2nd
Ted Delaney: First TSR event tonight and a podium – well done! Qualifying was a battle, right?
Si Fillingham: Cheers, Ted. I struggled to get a lap together – missed my marks through the chicane and Bottled T1 on my last go. Happy with P7 for a first go, though.
Ted: You made a great recovery in the race – how did it go from your view?
Si: The start was chaotic! Got tapped from behind in the queue as the green came earlier than expected. A few drivers picked up penalties, which helped me move up. After a few laps I was in P2 – had a good fight with Madam Mims Man for it, though. Was unsure about the tyres for 90 minutes, especially the front left, but stuck with my original plan. Managed to keep it on track and brought it home for P2. Great fun – always something going on with traffic!
Oussama Knani – Ford Mustang LMGT3 (LMGT3)
Qualifying: 6th
Race: 5th
Ted Delaney: A solid qualifying and race debut, Oussama. How did you find your first LMU session?
Oussama Knani: I was really happy with it. First session, and while my final lap could’ve been half a second faster – the car needed a few laps for the tyres to wake up – but P6 was solid.
Ted: You looked confident in the race itself. What was your approach?
Oussama: I wanted to try the overcut, so did a lot of lift and coast to save fuel but only managed one lap extra. The pitstop, though, was a disaster – first ever in LMU and I lost about 10 seconds. Went wide at T1 on cold tyres as well. But after that I had seriously good pace, caught the guys ahead, but bit unlucky with traffic which cost me more time fighting with P6. Managed to recover to P5. If I’d had just 10 more minutes, could’ve maybe had a go at P4!
Next Round:
Monza Curva Grande – no first chicane!
Expect more high-speed, slipstreaming action as TSR heads to Italy for round two. The drama’s only just beginning…
For full championship standings and details, visit the TSR SimGrid page.
Full race stream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBS46n37d8g