Campbell and Porsche GT Team celebrate first win of the season at “Petit Le Mans”

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Round 9, Race GT, Braselton (USA)

At “Petit Le Mans” on the Road Atlanta racetrack, the Porsche GT Team has achieved its first win in this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Works drivers Nick Tandy (Great Britain), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Matt Campbell (Australia) won the ten-hour race in the US state of Georgia by a narrow 1.779 seconds. The second Porsche 911 RSR, driven by Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium), Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Mathieu Jaminet (France), became entangled in an accident in the turbulent final phase and reached the finish line in fifth place. After nine of eleven races, Porsche ranks third in the GTLM manufacturers’ championship.

Due to the safety car phases, the frontrunners in the GTLM class never lost sight of each other over the entire “Petit Le Mans” distance. Most of the time, they lapped the 4.088-kilometre racetrack separated by just a few seconds. Depending on the individual pit-stop cycle, the lead changed multiple times. Shortly before the halfway mark, Matt Campbell withstood a nail-biting moment when his Porsche 911 RSR was forced into a spin in a slight collision. Fortunately, the 515 hp works car from Weissach sustained only light damages. The young Australian was able to continue.

In the No. 912 sister car, Laurens Vanthoor turned the fastest lap of all GTLM teams, however, Mathieu Jaminet was handed a drive-through penalty for a minor collision with a GTLM rival, which cost the squad around 30 seconds. As a result, the No. 911 took over the task of staying close to the leader. When the leading BMW, which had held the top spot over a long period, had to make an unscheduled pit stop half an hour before the end of the race, Frédéric Makowiecki grabbed his chance and swept into the lead.

The Frenchman held firm to his top spot, even during two more restarts after safety car phases. With just four minutes left on the clock, a collision involving the No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR triggered one last full course yellow. Although Laurens Vanthoor managed to bring the car over the finish line, he lost two laps. The race did not restart and ended behind the safety car.

As well in the GTD class for vehicles complying with the FIA GT3 regulations, no team was able to pull clear of the field. After ten hours, the seven fastest vehicles were within one lap. The Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by the Wright Motorsports customer team and driven by the American works driver Patrick Long, his compatriot Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen from Belgium, took the flag in fourth place. Fifth went to the 500 hp Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned by the Pfaff Motorsports customer squad, with Porsche development driver Lars Kern (Germany), the Norwegian Dennis Olsen and the Canadian Zacharie Robichon sharing driving duties.

The next and penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be contested on November 1, 2020, at Laguna Seca in the US state of California.

Comments on the race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “What a fantastic result for the team. We’ve suffered many setbacks during this IMSA season. This victory at ‘Petit Le Mans’ is the reward for all the hard work that everyone in the team has done. That includes both the team here in the USA and our Weissach squad.”

Steffen Höllwarth (Head of Operations IMSA Championship): “The monkey’s finally off our back. Those were some tough and intense ten hours with ups and downs. We had to deal with some minor setbacks, but we didn’t let it ruffle our feathers and were in the right place at the right time in the end. I’m thrilled for the boys. Unfortunately, in the fight for GTLM victory, the number 912 car was involved in an accident while lapping a GTD vehicle, otherwise we could have brought home an even better result. Still, a huge compliment to the whole team. Today we benefited from the necessary racing luck several times, which has evaded us in the past. We’re happy with this victory and we’re looking forward to the last two races of the season.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “Petit Le Mans was extremely exciting, especially towards the end. We ran a risky strategy to maintain contact with the leaders. There were one or two incidents early on in the race, but the last few hours ran perfectly. After the problems that we’ve had this year, we would’ve been happy with a podium finish. To see Fred actually cross the finish line in first place was a very emotional moment.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “That result was totally unexpected. Normally in such a race, we wouldn’t have been in a position to fight for the GTLM victory, but we were in the right place at the right time. This is a very special moment for me. I’ve already won Petit Le Mans with Nick. This time Matt was part of our team and he did a great job. We attacked over the entire distance, and we couldn’t have driven even a tenth of a second faster.”

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “Quite honestly, I never expected the race to go like that. We experienced ups and downs, but ultimately we drove a fantastic race. This win is something very special. I’m over the moon.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “I’m disappointed. We lost about 15 seconds at the final pit stop when we were hampered by another vehicle. After the last safety car phase we were running third and we had only three laps to go. After I quickly squeezed past a Corvette, I wanted to overtake a GTD car. After pulling level with the car, the other driver suddenly turned in. Our cars touched and we both spun. It was a risk, of course, because ultimately I wanted to win. I think if I faced a similar racing situation, I’d make the same decision. But it simply didn’t work.”

Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “I’m sorry that our day ended like this because it would’ve been great to achieve a one-two for Porsche. After the problems we faced, Laurens put us back at the front with a great drive. Unfortunately, we weren’t rewarded for this. Still, it’s great for the team that we scored our first win of the season.”

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “We experienced a difficult race with many setbacks and bad luck. We’ve worked hard and kept coming back. It’s such a shame that our day had to end like this. Still, I’m really pleased that Laurens came out of the accident unscathed. The number 911’s victory is a tremendous success for Porsche and the entire team.”

Result GTLM class
1. Tandy/Makowiecki/Campbell (GB/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 431 laps
2. Garcia/Taylor/Catsburg (E/USA/NL), Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, 431 laps
3. Krohn/Edwards/Farfus (FIN/USA/BR), BMW M8 GTE, 431 laps
4. Gavin/Milner/Fässler (GB/USA/CH), Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, 431 laps
5. Vanthoor/Bamber/Jaminet (B/NZ/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 429 laps
6. Spengler/De Phillippi/Herta (CDN/USA/USA), BMW M8 GTE, 399 laps

Result GTD class
1. MacNeil/Balzan/Westphal (USA/I/USA), Ferrari 488 GT3, 413 laps
2. Hawksworth/Telitz/De Queseda (GB/USA/USA), Lexus RC F GT3, +413 laps
3. Lally/Potter/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Lamborghini Huracan GT3, 413 laps
4. Long/Hardwick/Heylen (USA/USA/B), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 413 laps
5. Kern/Robichon/Olsen (D/CDN/N), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 413 laps
6. Parente/Giokhberg/Hindman (P/RUS/USA), Acura NSX GT3, 413 laps

Full results and championship standings at imsa.alkamelsystems.com

Porsche conduct successful Michelin Junior Training Workshop online

2020 Michelin Junior drivers receive advice from leading industry professionals

Brad Hodge, Matt Campbell, Jaxon Evans, Joshua Rogers and Scott Pye were just some of the top drivers and presenters at the 2020 Michelin Junior Driver Training, which this year took place via a virtual workshop due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to both the 2020 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Series, Porsche Cars Australia conducted the online workshop via Zoom as many of the country’s leading Junior drivers were stranded in each state due to the current travel restrictions.

The nine Michelin Junior drivers in attendance for the 2020 Training Workshop included Cooper Murray, Cameron Hill, Harri Jones, Christian Pancione, Aaron Love, Max Vidau, Courtney Prince and Ryan Suhle.

While the 2019 program saw the Juniors receive professional coaching on sports psychology, social media, media training, branding, sponsorship as well as nutrition and dietary advice, this year the program centred around mindset, mental preparation, managing their brand, producing social media content, sponsorship, heart intelligence, resilience and coherence.

After a welcome from Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy, Michelin Australia’s Product Marketing Manager, Peter Heatley, gave the Juniors insight into the French tyre giant’s involvement in motorsport both locally and abroad as well as the technology employed on the competition tyres fitted to the current 991 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Australian international cricketer, Brad Hodge then shared his insights on how the Juniors can achieve an optimal mindset in sport; key elements to elite sporting success and the importance of internal and external preparation, including visualisation.

Dewalt Supercars driver, Scott Pye, then shared insights on racing abroad and his return to the top-level of the sport in Australia, offering insight and advice on the importance of establishing and managing their brand, with examples on how they could produce content on social media to further enrich their relationships with potential sponsors and their existing partners.

The Michelin Juniors were then given practical techniques on the breathing and meditation by the President of Meditation Australia, Asher Packman, together with insights on heart intelligence, resilience and coherence. Packman works with many top AFL players and is globally recognised mindset coach and meditation teacher.

As the most proven and successful driver development programme in Australia, the training workshop is an integral part of the Porsche Motorsport Development programme locally.

Porsche’s motorsport pyramid in Australia has helped many young drivers reach the highest level of the sport, both locally and internationally, including the likes of Nick Foster, Dylan O’Keefe, Jordan Love, Jaxon Evans and Matt Campbell to name but a few in recent years.

Porsche factory driver, Campbell and Porsche Junior, Evans, together with 2019 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Champion, Joshua Rogers, then joined the workshop from Germany answering questions from the Juniors, sharing their experiences and offering them advice to further their careers.

Quotes:

Swaroop Tulsidas, Marketing Manager for Michelin Australia: “The Porsche Junior training session allowed us to refresh the junior’s learnings about our motorsport heritage, Michelin tyres and most importantly our commitment to the Porsche Junior program in the future. We understand it has been a tough year for drivers and teams alike and look forward to being trackside with the Porsche Juniors in 2021.”

“With the training session fresh off the Le Mans event it was a real boost for the juniors to have Matt Campbell online to share the story and success of his second podium finish at the Le Mans 24hr event. This was inspiring for the group and to have other international stars including Jaxon Evans take part, is a real bonus of connecting virtually. The Porsche team have done an incredible job to keep these fantastic initiatives happening during these unprecedented times.”

Troy Bundy, Head of Motorsport, Porsche Cars Australia: “We would like to thank our partners, Michelin Australia, for their renewed commitment to help us develop the best young drivers in Australia to their full potential. Even though the on track program for the juniors has been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, both Michelin and Porsche felt it was even more important to still conduct the Junior Workshop this year and continue to develop the drivers.”

“The content presented was really compelling and delivered great insights and advice that will help these young talented athletes achieve the most from their potential.”

For further information on the Michelin Junior Programme visit: https://www.carreracup.com.au/junior-programme/

Bathurst 1000 grid to field strong line-up of former Carrera Cup drivers

A third of the 2020 Bathurst 1000 grid has campaigned in Carrera Cup Australia in the past

This year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will mark the season finale for the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship and takes place from 15-18 October on the majestic Mount Panorama in Bathurst, NSW. Supercars recently announced the driver line-up pairings for this year’s great race which promises to be one of the most competitive spectacles in the event’s illustrious history.

17 of the 48 drivers on the entry list have all raced in Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in previous years, while some have progressed via Porsche’s proven Motorsport pathway to forge top-level racing careers.

After celebrating its 15th anniversary in Australia last year, Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup paid homage to many of these past champions at its official Awards Gala dinner on the Gold Coast at the end of last season. On that occasion, the honoured champions competing in this year’s Bathurst 1000 included the likes of Alex Davison (2004 Pro champion); Fabian Coulthard (2005 Pro champion) and David Reynolds (2008 Pro Champion).

The 2020 Bathurst 1000 field also sees numerous other big names who finished second in the Porsche championship including Nick Percat (2013 Pro runner-up), Warren Luff (2014 Pro runner-up); David Russell (2015 Pro runner-up) and Dale Wood (2019 Pro runner-up). Both Russell  and Wood were strong contenders for this year’s Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup season until the 2020 season was put on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Others to have progressed through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid include Kelly Racing teammates Andrew Heimgartner and Dylan O’Keefe. Heimgartner contested the Australia-based Porsche Carrera Cup series at the young age of 16, running as high as fourth for much of the season before finishing seventh in Championship for Kiwi Racing. The New Zealander’s efforts saw him being awarded the Australian Porsche Junior scholarship to Europe.

O’Keefe would also represent Australia at the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout in 2017 and 2018, only losing out to current Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans, in 2018 who has since gone onto campaign the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup championship for the last two years.

Others Virgin Australia Supercar drivers that have raced in the Porsche one-make series include James Moffat (2008 / 2017); Dean Fiore (2007/2008), Tim Slade, Jonathon Webb (2005) and Craig Lowndes (who made his Carrera Cup debut at the Albert Park circuit earlier this year).

The highly experienced Garth Tander, Scott McLaughlin and Lee Holdsworth have also recorded Carrera Cup victories to their names, with McLaughlin’s 2020 Supercar championship rival Shane van Gisbergen having partnered regular Porsche drivers in the Pro-Am.

The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, KayoSports and Channel 10.

Entry list: Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Campbell to miss Nürburgring 24-Hour as Porsche announce revised driver line-up

Nürburgring 24 Hours, Preview, Nürburgring-Nordschleife (Germany)

In consultation with its customer teams, Porsche has made a last-minute change to its driver line-up for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. New to the crew driving the 911 GT3 R are two outright Le Mans winners and endurance champions: the brand ambassador Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Earl Bamber (New Zealand). In addition, the line-up also includes last year’s GTE-Am class winner at Le Mans and brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, talented youngster Nico Menzel (both Germany) and seasoned specialist Norbert Siedler (Austria). Porsche works driver Sven Müller (Germany), Dennis Olsen (Norway) and Klaus Bachler (Austria) tackle the race for two Porsche customer teams.

They replace the nine drivers with works contracts, including Australian Matt Campbell, who have had to step down from attending the Nürburgring race on 26-27 September. This reshuffle is the result of three positive Covid-19 tests done as part of a routine check on Porsche employees at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a consequence, Porsche Motorsport decided that, for safety reasons, no participant from the French endurance classic would travel to the Eifel.

As such, on Saturday, 26 September at 3:30 pm, four Porsche customer teams will field seven 911 GT3 R in the top SP9 category with reshuffled driver crews. Only the No. 911 Manthey-Racing Porsche, which fans have dubbed “Grello”, will not be part of the 2020 action. Nevertheless, Porsche is still the most strongly represented brand at the long-distance classic, which is held four months later than the original date due to the coronavirus pandemic: About a third of the 100-strong field is made up of 911 and 718 Cayman racing vehicles.

“The health and safety of everyone involved take top priority for us. That’s why the tough decision not to be represented at the Nürburgring by the drivers and employees who attended Le Mans was ultimately a no-brainer. Still, I’m glad that we found a quick solution with our customer teams and that we can compete on the legendary Nordschleife,” says Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “I’d like to thank the organisers and officials at the ADAC who, in consultation with the relevant authorities, made it possible to hold the traditional 24-hour race on the Nürburgring. Hopefully, this important German motor racing event can welcome many fans from all over the world again next year.”

The race
The Nürburgring is one of the world’s most demanding and picturesque racetracks. The Eifel classic runs over a 25.378-kilometre combination of the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife (northern loop). The infamous Nordschleife, which was given the intimidating name “Green Hell” by three-time Formula One World Champ Jackie Stewart, poses a real challenge for drivers with its rollercoaster layout, changing track surfaces, and many corners and crests. The fact that the race is contested by professional racers through to clubsport drivers makes the 24-hour marathon particularly appealing.

The Porsche customer teams
Porsche provides its customer teams Falken Motorsports, Frikadelli Racing, Huber Motorsport and KCMG with support in their Eifel campaign by contributing drivers from their own squad, among other things. Because of the above-mentioned Covid-19 situation, works drivers Earl Bamber, Mathieu Jaminet (France), Sven Müller and Dirk Werner (both Germany), as well as the two Porsche brand ambassadors Timo Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister, will take the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Frikadelli Racing have directly signed on Norbert Siedler (Austria).

An overview of the Porsche drivers (SP9 class)
KCMG (Porsche 911 GT3 R #18)
Earl Bamber, Jörg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Dennis Olsen

KCMG (Porsche 911 GT3 R #19)
Josh Burdon (Australia), Edoardo Liberati (Italy), Alexandre Imperatori (Switzerland), Dennis Olsen

Huber Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 R #25)
Nico Menzel, Marco Holzer, Patrick Kolb (all Germany), Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula (Italy)

Frikadelli Racing Team (Porsche 911 GT3 R #30)
Klaus Abbelen, Alexander Müller, Robert Renauer (all Germany), Norbert Siedler (Austria)

Frikadelli Racing Team (Porsche 911 GT3 R #31)
Lance David Arnold, Lars Kern (both Germany), Mathieu Jaminet (France), Maxime Martin (Belgium)

Falken Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33)
Christian Engelhart, Sven Müller, Dirk Werner (all Germany), Klaus Bachler (Austria)

Falken Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 R #44)
Klaus Bachler, Martin Ragginger (both Austria), Peter Dumbreck (Great Britain), Sven Müller

Nürburgring 24 Hours – all outright Porsche victories:
1976 Müller / Hechler / Quirin (Porsche 911 Carrera)
1977 Müller / Hechler (Porsche 911 Carrera)
1978 Müller / Hechler / Gschwendtner (Porsche 911 Carrera)
1988 Dören / Holup / Faubel (Porsche 911 Carrera RSR)
1993 de Azevedo / Konrad / Wirdheim / Katthöfer (Porsche 911 Carrera)
2000 Mayländer / Bartels / Alzen / Heger (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
2006 Luhr / Bernhard / Rockenfeller / Tiemann (Porsche 911 GT3 MR)
2007 Lieb / Bernhard / Dumas / Tiemann (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR)
2008 Lieb / Bernhard / Dumas / Tiemann (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR)
2009 Lieb / Bernhard / Dumas / Tiemann (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR)
2011 Lieb / Bernhard / Dumas / Luhr (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR)
2018 Lietz / Pilet / Makowiecki / Tandy (Porsche 911 GT3 R)

The schedule (CEST)
Thursday, 24 September
12:30 – 02:00 pm: Qualifying 1
08:00 – 11:30 pm: Qualifying 2

Friday, 25 September
01:25 – 02:25 pm: Qualifying 3
05:50 – 08:10 pm: Top Qualifying

Saturday, 26 September
11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Warm-up
03:30 pm: Start 48th Nürburgring 24 Hours

Sunday, 27 September
03:30 pm: Finish 48th Nürburgring 24 Hours

The event on TV and live stream
The Nürburgring 24-hour race will be broadcast on the website www.24h-Rennen.de while many motorsport platforms offer free live-streaming of the Eifel classic.

Comments on the upcoming race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “Our customer teams contest the prestigious Eifel classic with a completely new driver line-up and are keen to continue the fight for Porsche’s 13th overall victory with the 911 GT3 R. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a special highlight on the international motor racing calendar. After the postponement to autumn, the weather conditions at the world’s most demanding racetrack are expected to be different compared to previous years. Given the lower number of entries and a strong GT3 contingent in the SP9 category, I’m anticipating a 24-hour sprint.”

Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): “The corona situation throws completely new challenges at us. We had to modify several driver crews at the last second. With the exception of Manthey-Racing’s ‘Grello’, all of our customer racing cars will compete. Of course, it hurts that we have to race without the nine planned drivers. However, thanks to Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister – to name just three – we’ve found strong replacements. We’re grateful they could jump in at the last minute and thanks as well to the teams for their support. Now it’s up to us to make the best out of the situation.”

Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 GT3 R #18): “Normally I’d have been competing in the IMSA series this coming weekend, but unfortunately, that’s not possible for us. Safety first, there’s no doubt about that. On the flip side, the opportunity arose at short notice for us to take part in the 24-hour race. It’s going to be a huge challenge for me because I’m basically jumping in the deep end. It’s great that I can drive for KCMG. I know the team well. I competed in the NASCAR series recently with them. All Porsche teams have prepared intensively with the 911 GT3 R for the toughest race of the year. I’m super excited about my first laps on the Nordschleife.”

Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 GT3 R #18): “I feel sorry for the drivers who should have been behind the wheel. For me personally, the preparation work is far from perfect. This is the first time this year that I sit in a racing car at the Nordschleife – but we’re a team at Porsche. We’ll make the most of the situation and hopefully achieve a decent result.”

Timo Bernhard (Porsche 911 GT3 R #18): “Expect the unexpected – I’m happy to help out, of course, under the current circumstances, even though my first thoughts are with the drivers who can’t travel to the highlight at the Nürburgring. Still, at Porsche, we stick together and support each other. That’s what makes our team spirit. The squad and the drivers in our 911 GT3 R are strong. Even though we weren’t able to prepare properly and it’s been seven years since I last contested a 24-hour race on the Nordschleife, it’ll be okay. I feel a good result is possible.”

Sven Müller (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “There’s a new qualifying procedure this year with two ‘top qualifying’ sessions. We haven’t yet qualified for the final session with 18 participants. We’ll have to fight hard to make it into this critical individual time trial. And even if we don’t manage to get a perfect grid spot, I’m feeling confident for the race. We’ve made steady progress in terms of tyre development this year and I think we have a good car.”

Dirk Werner (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “In my opinion, the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring is the best endurance event on the world’s most challenging and beautiful racetrack. Falken Motorsports would like to win and I’m aiming to notch up my first victory at this classic. The race won’t be the same without the fans this year. There’s a very special atmosphere with the spectators camping and partying along the Nordschleife. It’s a pity that it’ll be missing this year. With the smaller overall entry list, but many GT3 vehicles competing, it’ll be a fast race. It’ll be exciting!”

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “I was excited to drive Manthey-Racing’s ‘Grello’, but it is what it is. I know Frikadelli Racing from previous races. The team is extremely professional. We’re coming to the ‘Ring to do our best and to win. I’m feeling highly motivated.”

Matt Campbell on the podium at Le Mans for Porsche customer team

FIA World Endurance Championship, round 7 Race, Le Mans

The Porsche customer team Dempsey-Proton Racing has finished this year’s edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a podium result. The Porsche 911 RSR shared by works driver Matt Campbell from Australia, Italian Riccardo Pera and Proton team owner Christian Ried from Germany concluded the race on second place in the GTE-Am class. The Porsche GT Team, however, endured a great deal of bad luck with the two latest-generation 911 RSR at the endurance classic in the northwest of France.

After just five hours of racing, the reigning world champions Michael Christensen from Denmark and Frenchman Kévin Estre, who received support from Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor at Le Mans, were thrown more than ten laps behind due to a power steering fault. More repair work over the following hours widened the gap in the GTE-Pro field to 15 laps. The vehicle ultimately crossed the finish line in sixth place in its class.

The No. 91 sister car took the flag at the Le Mans 24 Hours one position ahead. Gianmaria Bruni from Italy, Austria’s Richard Lietz and the Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki had managed to maintain contact to the leaders until early Sunday morning, only to have an electrical problem dash all podium dreams. The ca. 515 hp car driven by the winners of the WEC race at Spa-Francorchamps contested the 88th edition of the French endurance class decked out in a red and white livery. With this, Porsche commemorated the overall victory of the 917 KH 50 years ago in 1970, which marked the first of 19 overall victories so far for the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart.

The competition in the GTE-Am class provided gripping race action to the flag. After a final safety car phase, the field went green again with 24 minutes remaining on the clock. Three vehicles from two manufacturers fought for two podium spots. Factory driver Matt Campbell kept his cool at the wheel of Dempsey-Proton Racing’s No. 77 car. After impressive duels and slipstream battles, the young Australian came out on top, bringing the 510 hp 2019-spec 911 RSR over the finish line in second place. Matteo Cairoli, however, narrowly missed out on claiming a podium step. After a close duel with a Ferrari, the Italian took the flag in fourth place. The No. 56 car of Project 1, which Cairoli shared with last year’s winner Egidio Perfetti from Norway and Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands, had even led the GTE-Am field over long stretches. However, a one-minute penalty threw the crew behind.

In the FIA WEC manufacturers’ classification, Porsche now ranks second after seven of eight rounds. In the drivers’ category, Bruni and Lietz lie fifth, with the defending GTE world champions Christensen and Estre on fourth place. The final round of the 2019-2020 World Endurance Championship season will be held in Bahrain on 14 November.

Comments on the race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “Our first outing with the Porsche 911 RSR-19 at Le Mans was anything but easy. We’ve learned a lot. After achieving pole position, we’d expected more from the race – but we were disappointed. We’ll combine our experiences, draw our conclusions, and return stronger next year. Congratulations to our customer teams Dempsey-Proton Racing, Project 1 and Gulf Racing, who finished in the top five of the GTE-Am class.”

Alexander Stehlig (Head of Operations FIA WEC): “We continued to optimise our Porsche 911 RSR throughout the practices and were rewarded with pole position. That was great. Not so great, however, was the start of the race. We immediately realised that we couldn’t keep up in terms of acceleration and top speed. These factors are particularly painful because we also lost more and more time in traffic. On top of that, there were too many technical problems. We’ve got a bit of homework to do. We’ll improve the car and our processes and then we’ll be back to attack at the final round in Bahrain.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “After claiming pole position on Friday, I never expected the race to be this hard. We gave our very best and drove a clean race. The team worked perfectly, but unfortunately, we lacked performance and the technical problems prevented a better result. At the final race in Bahrain, we want to show that we’ve learned our lessons.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “That was a fight with highs and lows over many days. Despite intensive preparation and successful tests, the car wasn’t perfectly balanced. We got that under control quickly and finally secured pole position. However, in the race, we couldn’t maintain the pace of the frontrunners. We did our best to keep contact – until we were hampered by a minor technical problem. That’s just how it is at Le Mans sometimes. You shouldn’t let that get you down.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “I’m disappointed and exhausted at the same time. Le Mans is my home race and I really want to win here one day. We all invested enormous energy in this special event that only takes place once a year. It really hurts when things go wrong. This year it immediately became obvious early that the competition wasn’t as close as hoped. If you want to keep up, you always have to drive at the limit. Under such conditions, you get technical problems. That’s annoying, but that’s just how it is.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We were surprised at the pace our competitors could set right at the start. We couldn’t really keep up, but we did our utmost. When the power steering malfunctioned during Laurens’ stint and we stood in the pits for more than ten laps, we had to relinquish any hopes. When you lack competitiveness and technical bad luck strikes, it won’t be a good day – that’s just the way it is.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “It quickly became clear in the race that our performance compared to our rivals wouldn’t be enough to reach the podium. That was the first bitter pill to swallow. Then, a repair cost us twelve laps. That was the last straw for us drivers and the team members. Still, we pulled ourselves together and did our very best. This year’s experiences will help us to be much stronger in 2021.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We weren’t good enough. After the practice and the qualifying, we’d hoped for more, but the pace wasn’t enough to keep up with the competition. What’s more, technology threw us far back. The podium and victory were out of reach this year. We want to change that as soon as we can and celebrate again after next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “Second place is a dream result for us, because given the pace of the winners, we couldn’t do better. The drivers and our team did a great job. We can all be very proud. The final sprint after the last safety car phase was great fun. I just went all-out. We’ll celebrate second place as if it were a win.”

Larry ten Voorde (Porsche 911 RSR #56): “The race weekend was extremely exhausting. First, I competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans, which I won, and then I contested the 24-hour race. But I’m really happy that both events worked out so well. I pulled out all stops in my last stint to gain another position. It’s a shame it didn’t end with a podium result.”

Race result
GTE-Pro class
1. Lynn/Martin/Tincknell (GB/B/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 346 laps
2. Calado/Pier Guidi/Serra (GB/I/BR), Ferrari 488 GTE, 346 laps
3. Sörensen/Thiim/Westbrook (DK/DK/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 343 laps
4. Pla/Bourdais/Gounon (F/F/F), Ferrari 488 GTE, 339 laps
5. Lietz/Bruni/Makowiecki (A/I/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 335 laps n
6. Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor (DK/F/B), Porsche 911 RSR, 331 laps
DNF. Rigon/Molina/Bird (I/E/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE, 340 laps n
DNF. MacNeil/Vilander/Segal (USA/FIN/USA), Ferrari 488 GTE, 185 laps

GTE-Am class
1. Yoluc/Eastwood/Adam (TR/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 339 laps
2. Campbell/Ried/Pera (AUS/D/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 339 laps
3. Collard/Nielsen/Perrodo (F/DK/F), Ferrari 488 GTE, 339 laps
4. Perfetti/ten Voorde/Cairoli (N/NL/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 339 laps
5. Wainwright/Barker/Watson (GB/GB/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 337 laps
10. Inthraphuvasak/Legeret/Andlauer (T/F/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 331 laps
12. Felbermayr/Beretta/v. Splunteren (A/I/NL), Porsche 911 RSR, 330 laps
14. Keating/Fraga/Bleekemolen (USA/BR/NL), Porsche 911 RSR, 326 laps
16. Brooks/Piguet/Laskaratos (F/F/GR), Porsche 911 RSR, 313 laps
18. Preining/Bastien/de Leener (A/USA/B), Porsche 911 RSR, 238 laps

Full results and championship standings: http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com

Porsche entries dominate Aussie Tin Tops grid at The Bend

Porsche 911 GT3 entries to account for almost half  Aussie Tin Top grid

Porsche 911 GT3 race cars will account for almost half the Aussie Tin Tops category at The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend, as part of the support program for the Repco SuperSprint.

The first round of the Tin Tops Support category at the NTI Townsville SuperSprint included GT3-specification cars, Porsche Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge 911 GT3 Cup cars, Super3, TA2, MARC Cars and other assorted touring cars.

Reigning 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones, took the round one victory ahead of Tony Quinn in a GT3-specification Aston Martin. Bathurst winner, Luke Youlden and Jones’ McElrea Racing teammate, Ryan Suhle, fought it out for the last step of the podium, eventually making it three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in the top four overall results.

While Jones will again be looking for another overall round victory, this weekend both he and Madeline Stewart contest the Super Cup class in Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup 911 GT3 Cup cars, along with Kyle Gurton (Buick Motorsports), Matthew Sims (BRM Motorsport) and Rob Woods (Teamworks Motorsport).

The Super Challenge class will see Ryan Suhle and Richard Cowen campaign the first generation 991 series 911 GT3 Cup car (eligible for Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge) against Chris Meulengraaf, Andrew Taplin and Steve McFadden.

The entry list of Porsche entrants in the Super GTB class includes Anthony Giustozzi (Excaliber Racing), Henry Beasley (Buik Motorsport) and Franco Quaini (Rost Mechanical), while Yassir Shahin will campaign the lone Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Super GTA class against GT3-specification Lamborghini Gallardo of Tom Taplin and Bentley Continental GT3 of Thomas Randle.

The weekend gets underway with an early practice session on Saturday morning, followed by qualifying and Race 1 in the afternoon. Sunday hosts the final two 30-minute races of the second round. The Repco SuperSprint forms part of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship doubleheader. Fans can expect two jam-packed weekends of racing with various ticket options available from the gate or The Bend Motorsport Park website.

For more race information, videos and interviews, follow the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages: Instagram – @PorscheMotorsportAU  / Twitter – @PorscheMspAU / Facebook.com/ PorscheMotorsportAU

Aussie Tin Tops Schedule: Repco SuperSprint

Saturday 19 September

08:00-08:20 Practice 1 – 20mins

11:15-11:35 Qualifying – 20mins

14:10-14:40 Race 1 – 30mins

Sunday 20 September

10:35-11:05 Race 2 – 30mins

13:40-14:10 Race 3 – 30mins

Click HERE for Entry list

Evans and Mawson line-up for Porsche Carrera Cup support races in Le Mans

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Round 1 Preview, Le Mans

The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland returns to the racetrack this weekend, with the national racing series kicking off its 31st season as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Together with the Porsche Carrera Cup France, the German one-make cup will contest a 45-minute race at the endurance classic with a total of 53 drivers entered in their 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machines.

The calendar of this year’s German Carrera Cup includes ten more rounds run as support to the ADAC GT Masters. This year, young racing drivers will also benefit from the series’ support programme, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Talent Pool.

Prior to the race on Saturday, drivers take part in a 60-minute qualifying on Friday and two free practices (45 minutes each). Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Nebulus Racing by Huber) can travel to the northwest of France feeling confident. As the newly crowned champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the 23-year-old is one of the Le Mans favourites.

His rivals include Supercup rival, Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/Förch Racing), as well as the two Porsche Juniors Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras) and Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing) who are both competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup France Championship.

Australian Joey Mawson, also marks his return to international Porsche one-make competition in Le Mans, as part of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland field with the Fach Auto Tech team. 2019 saw the 24-year-old contest the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Championship with the same team, clinching several Rookie podiums as well as a top 3 position in the overall rankings.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland broadcasts will air on Saturday (from 19.30 AEST) and Monday (from 03.30 AEST) after the race weekend. Fans can watch all races live online via the @CarreraCupDeutschland Facebook account and the one-make cup’s YouTube channel as well as the Porsche Motorsport Hub.

Commemorating the first Le Mans win: Porsche cars line up with special liveries

FIA World Endurance Championship, Round 7 Preview, Le Mans

On September 19th and 20th, Porsche will take on the challenge of the Le Mans endurance classic with vehicles finished in special designs. The two 911 RSR fielded by the Porsche GT Team tackle the hotly contested GTE-Pro class featuring red-white and black-white liveries – to commemorate the first of 19 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 50 years ago.

With crisp lines and shapes, the special colours of the foil wrapping resemble the digital RSR that successfully contested the virtual Le Mans race on 13-14 June. The two 515 hp factory cars will carry the lettering “1970” on the front lid and the roof. In that year, Britain’s Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann from Germany clinched the first overall victory at Le Mans for the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart at the wheel of the legendary Porsche 917.

On that occasion, the vehicle fielded by Porsche KG Salzburg flew the national colours of Austria. The No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR will race with the very same red-and-white paintwork. On the No. 92 sister car, black replaces the red. Of the ten 911 racing cars to line up on the grid, eight 911 RSR are campaigned by customer teams in the GTE-Am class.

The race
The race on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures is the highlight of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) every year. Contrary to the original plan, the classic, which was held for the first time in 1923, was deferred to September due to the coronavirus pandemic. The three-month postponement means different weather and light conditions. The latest generation 911 RSR runs for the first time at the world’s greatest long-distance race. The cancellation of the critical pretests throws a special challenge at the Porsche GT Team, because testing is not possible on the Circuit des 24 Heures: Most of the storied racetrack in the south of the city of 150,000 consists of public roads. Under normal conditions, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the famous Mulsanne straight on their way from Le Mans to Tours. Treacherous ruts pose special challenges, especially in the rain.

The Porsche drivers
The regular WEC drivers Gianmaria Bruni from Italy and Austria’s Richard Lietz share the wheel of the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR. Like last year, they will receive support from Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki. In 2018 and 2019, the experienced trio achieved second place in the GTE-Pro class. In the identical sister car sporting the starting number 92, the reigning World Endurance Champions Michael Christensen from Denmark and Kévin Estre from France are reinforced by Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor, the defending titleholder of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Two years ago, the three drivers brought home a commanding class victory at Le Mans with the 911 RSR decked out in the legendary Pink Pig design. At the 24-hour race in the northwest of France, the WEC awards double points for the individual categories. In the manufacturers’ classification, the Porsche GT Team ranks second after six of eight rounds. The reigning champions Estre/Christensen also sit second in the drivers’ category, with their team colleagues Bruni/Lietz currently in fifth place.

The Porsche customer teams
In the GTE-Am class, three experienced customer squads field a total of eight 2017-spec Porsche 911 RSR. In the cockpit of the No. 56 entry, last year’s Le Mans class-winning Project 1 team put their faith title defender Egidio Perfetti from Norway, the newly crowned champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands and Italy’s Matteo Cairoli. The No. 57 sister car is shared by the American Ben Keating, Felipe Fraga from Brazil and Jeroen Bleekemolen from the Netherlands. The team from Lohne in Germany’s Lower Saxony will announce the driver line-up for the No. 89 car at a later date. In the No. 86 entry, Gulf Racing relies on the all-British crew of Benjamin Barker, Michael Wainwright and Andrew Watson.

Dempsey-Proton Racing fields four Porsche 911 RSR at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team owner Christian Ried (Germany) shares driving duties in the No. 77 vehicle with the Australian Porsche works driver Matt Campbell and Riccardo Pera from Italy. Manning the No. 88 sister car is the Porsche Young Professional Thomas Preining from Austria, America’s Dominique Bastien and Adrien de Leener from Belgium. Proton Competition campaign the No. 78 car with drivers Horst Felbermayr Jnr. from Austria, Max van Splunteren from the Netherlands and Michele Beretta from Italy. In the 99 entry, Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak from Thailand joins forces with the Belgian Lucas Légeret and Julien Piguet from France.

The schedule (all times CEST)
Thursday, 17 September
10:00 am – 01:00 pm: Free practice
02:00 pm – 05:00 pm: Free practice
05:15 pm – 06:00 pm: Qualifying
08:00 pm – midnight: Free practice

Friday, 18 September
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Free practice
11:30 am – 12:00 am: Hyperpole

Saturday, 19 September
10:30 am – 10:45 am: Warm-up
02:30 pm: Start of the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sunday, 20 September
02:30 pm: Finish of the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans

TV broadcasts and live-streaming of the event
Although spectators are not permitted to travel to the 88th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours, fans can witness the long-distance classic on numerous channels. The organiser ACO and the WEC offer live streams from the 24-hour race via their official apps. The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, which is run as a support race to the event, will be broadcast live online via the @CarreraCupDeutschland Facebook account and the one-make cup’s YouTube channel as well as the Porsche Motorsport Hub.

Porsche’s outright Le Mans victories
1970 – Herrmann (D) / Attwood (GB) – Porsche 917 KH
1971 – Marko (A) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 917 KH
1976 – Ickx (B) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 936
1977 – Ickx (B) / Haywood (USA) / Barth (D) – Porsche 936/77
1979 – Ludwig (D) / Whittington (USA) / Whittington (USA) – Porsche 935 K3
1981 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 936
1982 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 956
1983 – Schuppan (AUS) / Haywood (USA) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 956
1984 – Pescarolo (F) / Ludwig (D) – Porsche 956
1985 – Barilla (I) / Ludwig (D) / Krages (D) – Porsche 956
1986 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1987 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1994 – Dalmas (F) / Haywood (USA) / Baldi (I) – Dauer Porsche 962 LM
1996 – Wurz (A) / Reuter (D) / Jones (USA) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1997 – Kristensen (DK) / Alboreto (I) / Johansson (S) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1998 – Aiello (F) / McNish (GB) / Ortelli (F) – Porsche 911 GT1
2015 – Bamber (NZ) / Tandy (GB) / Hülkenberg (D) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2016 – Jani (CH) / Lieb (D) / Dumas (F) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2017 – Bernhard (D) / Hartley (NZ) / Bamber (NZ) – Porsche 919 Hybrid

Comments before the race
Fritz Enzinger (Vice President Motorsport): “I’m delighted that the 24 Hours of Le Mans can be held during the coronavirus pandemic – despite the very challenging conditions. I would like to thank the ACO and WEC management who worked alongside the authorities, manufacturers and teams to make this happen. In June, we gave our fans a great show with the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now the real race has arrived. I’m positive that we’ll provide our loyal fans with another exciting event – and I hope that the thousands of spectators can return to the racetrack next year.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “Le Mans will be completely different this year because of the lack of spectators and the heavily modified schedule. Still, I’m expecting a fantastic highlight for the fans. This year’s event is hugely significant for Porsche. Fifty years ago, Porsche’s winning streak began with the first outright victory for the 917. We commemorate that triumph with spectacular vehicle designs and special pit fit-outs. Our sporting aim is clear: After our win at the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, we now set our sights on claiming Porsche’s 109th class victory with the real 911 RSR.”

Alexander Stehlig (Head of Operations FIA WEC): “We’re competing under completely different circumstances. The climatic conditions in September are different compared to June. There are still some unknowns in terms of weather, temperatures, performance and tyres. We’ll use the existing data from our WEC and IMSA campaigns as well as the insights gained from testing so that we can hopefully be well sorted for the first free practice session. We’re competing for the first time with the Porsche 911 RSR-19 here. It’s not only new for us, but also for the ACO, which handles the BoP. We have complete confidence in the expertise and experience of the specialists. Remaining unchanged, however, are the two driver trios in the cockpits. This will be their third year of working together at Le Mans. That’s a strength we will build on.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “I’m very excited to see our Porsche 911 RSR decked out in the special Le Mans livery in real life. I’ve only seen the artwork and it looks fabulous. Turning up at the track with our stylish and fast cars on the anniversary of Porsche’s first overall victory at Le Mans is both a motivation and an obligation for us. We’re aiming for class victory. In the past two years, we finished in second place with our number 91 car. If we can make it over the distance without incidents, then nothing should stand in the way of a great success.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “The fact that Le Mans is being held in September this year will have a huge impact on the race. It gets dark earlier on Saturday and light much later on Sunday. We’ve never experienced such a ratio between day and night before at this 24-hour classic. What’s more, we’re facing very changeable weather. All of this promises an extremely thrilling race. Let’s see how the competition is in the GTE-Pro class. Our tests in the lead-up to Le Mans went well. Class victory is our clear goal.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “Le Mans will feel very different this year. I’ll really miss the spectators. We’re always very pleased to have their huge support in the paddock and especially at the drivers’ parade in the city centre – but unfortunately, that’s not possible this year. There are also some changes in the race operations. The weekend schedule is strictly streamlined, the test-day is cancelled and the chance of rain is higher in September. Our goal with the number 91 car is clear: After finishing the last two Le Mans races in second place, we’re determined to win our class this time. ”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We’re returning to Le Mans with the very best memories. In 2019, we won the WEC championship title here. As a Frenchman, Le Mans is a home race for me. I’ll miss the fans very much. Traditional events like the autograph session in the pit lane and the drivers’ parade are a huge part of the special charm. In terms of the sporting challenge, it’ll be extremely exciting: Our current 911 RSR has been fast everywhere so far. I hope this will be the case at the special Le Mans circuit. The distinctive design of our number 92 car looks great – I think the black areas suit the shape of the 911 RSR perfectly.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We’re heading to the highlight of the year with high expectations. At the previous WEC race at Spa-Francorchamps, we celebrated our first win of the season with the number 92 car – that was important for the championship and it gives us extra motivation for Le Mans. Even without a pretest, we’re very well prepared for the 24-hour classic.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The time plan for this year is totally different from usual. The very long Le Mans week seems almost like a normal WEC race weekend. It’s important to be well prepared with the new 911 RSR right from the start of the first session. We prepared ourselves to the best of our ability during the test drives. Our team scored a class victory at Le Mans two years ago. I’m confident that we’ll be part of the fight for victory in the GTE-Pro class again in 2020.”

Matteo Cairoli (Porsche 911 RSR #56): “I can hardly wait to contest my fourth 24 Hours of Le Mans. Our driver line-up is extremely strong this year, the car has been perfected and is good for a win. If we can do a flawless job and keep out of any trouble, we have good chances. I’m convinced that we could end up on the podium. Victory is also within the scope of our possibilities. We’re optimally prepared.”

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “Le Mans is held this year under different conditions, but I’m happy that we can drive there at all. It is and remains the biggest event of the year. Christian Ried and I won our class in 2018 – now I’m eager to repeat that with Riccardo Pera. We finished the previous WEC race at Spa-Francorchamps on the second podium step. We now want to take a big step forward in the championship with a success at Le Mans.”

Benjamin Barker (Porsche 911 RSR #86): “I’m very excited about our return to Le Mans. In the past, we’ve always had the pace in the 24-hour race, but our results didn’t reflect this. That needs to change this year. The atmosphere at the racetrack will be very different without the fans, but Le Mans in 2020 will have the same sporting significance as it’s always had.”

Le Mans 2020: Eleven consequences of the delayed start

24 Hours of Le Mans – with a difference

Fans of endurance racing have rarely had so much time to look forward to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as they have this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the French classic was moved from its traditional mid-June date to 19/20 September. There has only been one other delayed start in the almost 100-year history of the race: In 1968, the Le Mans 24-hour race was contested on 28/29 September due to ongoing unrest in Paris. The postponement of the race also has wide-reaching consequences for the Porsche GT Team. This includes changes to the schedule as well as the waiving of popular fan events such as the technical scrutineering in the town square and the drivers’ parade the day before the start.

The long night
In mid-June around the summer solstice (June 20th), the days are longest in the northern hemisphere. On the originally planned date for the 88th edition of the endurance race on 13/14 June, the vehicles would have driven in darkness for only 8.02 hours. On the new September date, the sun sets on Saturday evening at 8:01 pm. The first rays of light will appear on Sunday morning at 7:44 am – which means that the period of darkness is almost four hours longer than it would have been shortly before the official start of summer. In the fight twice around the clock on the Circuit des 24 Heures, teams will spend only around 12 hours in daylight.

The fast pace
The long night means a longer period with cooler asphalt and air temperatures. As a result, the engines of the two ca. 515-hp Porsche 911 RSR can run longer at an optimal level. Cooler air means more oxygen saturation and thus better and more efficient burning of fuel in the six combustion chambers. A good rule of thumb: If the ambient temperature drops by five degrees Celsius, the output of the engine increases by one per cent. Hence, in the long night of the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours, a higher average pace can be achieved in the race. “If the weather conditions are good, we’ll witness a significantly faster race compared to June,” says Pascal Zurlinden, Director of Factory Motorsports at Porsche. With the sun setting earlier on Saturday evening and rising later on Sunday, temperature profiles will be different. The average temperature over a 24-hour period in mid-June (data from the last 30 years) is 16.8 degrees Celsius. The September average is exactly one degree lower. Like the higher oxygenation, this factor further influences the vehicles’ performance.

The soft tyres
The cooler night-time temperatures also have the advantage that the soft compound of the Michelin tyres can be run over longer periods. This rubber not only offers more grip but also more consistency when track conditions are good. “Unfortunately, we’re not permitted to drive triple or quadruple stints in the GTE-Pro class,” explains Zurlinden. After two stints, the GTE vehicles must be fitted with new wheels. “The changed regulations no longer allow refuelling at the same time as a tyre change, and every tyre change costs additional time. We’ll definitely see more double stints. That’s why we have to keep our pit stops as short as possible,” says the experienced engineer.

The anticipated rain
The weather statistics over the last three decades show that the highest and lowest temperatures during the day and night hardly differ between June and September. However, the data also clearly shows that although there is less rain in September, the showers are heavier than in June. “We just have to take it as it comes,” says Pascal Zurlinden. At the endurance classic, however, there is the old saying: It always rains at Le Mans. The big question is, at what stage during the race? “The possibility of rain plays an important role in the teams’ tactics – especially if the car isn’t 100 per cent competitive in the dry. In the wet, the cards are reshuffled – and that opens up new opportunities,” explains Zurlinden.

The low sun
During dusk and dawn at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, drivers often have to contend with sunstrike. At sunset on Saturday evening, the light shining through the windscreen at a low angle can blind the drivers, especially in the Indianapolis and Arnage passages. At sunrise on Sunday morning, this phenomenon occurs in the famous Tertre Rouge. “Our seasoned works drivers are very familiar with this problem. As the sun is generally lower in early autumn compared to the summer months, our boys will just have to squint a little more often. It’ll be okay. They’re professionals after all,” smiles the Frenchman.

The earlier start time
Unlike in previous years, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020 will start at 2.30 pm local time. One of the reasons for this is that the final stage of the Tour de France, the famous road cycling race through France, ends in Paris in the late afternoon on 20th September. To avoid a clash with this event, the 88th edition of the long-distance race as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will finish on Sunday at the earlier time of 2.30 pm. “From the outside, this slight adjustment may seem insignificant but it has a major impact on our team. We have to finish our preparations even earlier for the start on Saturday. This means shorter breaks and even more stress,” outlines the Director Factory Motorsport. That allows only four hours between the end of the warm-up and the start of the race to complete the final preparations.

The missing fans
For motor racing fans, the 24 Hours of Le Mans event is high on the list of favourites. Every year, around a quarter million people flock to the track to watch the race. Once a year on this occasion, the capital of the French Departement Sarthe with its 150,000 residents bursts at the seams. But not this year: The organiser, ACO, has prohibited spectators at the racetrack. “Fans always give us huge motivation,” says Pascal Zurlinden. The large grandstands opposite the pit lane are usually packed out, especially at the start on Saturday and the finish on Sunday. “When I look at the spectators from my gantry at the pit wall on Saturday and Sunday, I basically see the same faces. These euphoric fans always give me an additional boost when energy runs low after 24 hours. That’ll be different this year. Still, despite the restrictions, it’ll definitely be another great experience for the spectators watching from home.”

The cancelled pretest
The official one-day pretest held a fortnight before the race is a traditional part of the Le Mans 24-hour event. It is the one chance for manufacturers, tyre partners, teams and drivers to prepare for the unparalleled quirks of the 13.626-kilometre racetrack prior to the greatest classic of the year. The Circuit des 24 Heures is a combination of the permanent Circuit Bugatti and public roads. Such a constellation is virtually unique in the motor racing scene. Moreover, there are no other chances to test on this circuit outside the race week. “The elimination of the pretest is a big challenge,” says Pascal Zurlinden. “This is the first time we’re fielding our latest 911 RSR there, so we have some unanswered questions about the setup. We would’ve liked to have done this work during a test so that we could analyse the results and arrive at the official sessions as well prepared as possible. We would also have preferred to checked-out the handling of the tyres during test drives. Now we only have the practice sessions just before the race do to this work.”

The compact schedule
This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans deviates from the well-established time schedule. The practice sessions, which in the past were held alongside the qualifying on Wednesday and Thursday, are now scheduled for Thursday (ten hours free practice plus qualifying) and Friday (free practice and hyperpole). “The longer practice sessions allow us to do extensive work on the setup and tyre management,” explains Pascal Zurlinden. “We can complete a lot of tasks, but compared to the usual pretest, we are disadvantaged in that the breaks are no longer sufficient to conduct a really detailed analysis.” The Friday before the start of the race was always the last chance for drivers and team members to relax and catch their breath before the biggest race of the year. The so-called “Mad Friday” was normally all about the fans.

The missing drivers’ parade
During the day, wildly souped-up cars roll through camping grounds and over thoroughfares lined with fans. Every burnout is greeted with thunderous applause. The “Le Mans holiday” on Friday before the race traditionally ends with the famous drivers’ parade through the town centre. Not so in 2020: The spectacle with pilots driving classic cars from the Place des Jacobins to Place de la République has been cancelled. “It’s a real shame for the fans, but there’s no other way around the restrictions required to contain the coronavirus. We’ll try to offer our passionate Le Mans fans the same gripping and spectacular programme via our social media channels,” says Zurlinden, explaining Porsche Motorsport’s plans.

Flying pollen
Watery eyes, runny noses and medication at the ready belong to the usual picture in the Le Mans paddock in June: many drivers, team members and fans suffer from pollen allergies. In summer, the amount of grass pollen in the grain-growing Sarthe region in France is enormous. “I’m one of those affected,” reports Zurlinden. “There’s no way around taking antihistamines in June but the medication makes you tired. And that’s definitely something you don’t want at a 24-hour race. In this respect, I’m certainly not the only one who is happy to work almost allergy-free at Le Mans in September.”

Love finishes with Rookie classification podium in Supercup finale

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Round 8, Race, Monza

Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) dominated the final round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monza (Italy). Taking up the race from pole position, the 23-year-old Dutchman scored a commanding lights-to-flag victory and secured the title in the international one-make cup series with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The previous points leader Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing) finished in fourth behind Florian Latorre (CLRT) and rookie Leon Köhler (/Lechner Racing Middle East).

Porsche Junior, Jaxon Evans made up three positions to finish in fifth place in Monza, beating rookies Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (Lechner Racing Middle East) and reigning Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Champion, Jordan Love (Fach Auto Tech) to the line.

Evans’ efforts helped secure the team classification for BWT Lechner Racing, “I was really happy with the performance, the car was great and we really showed we were more than fast enough in the race. Congratulations to Leon for a great race and to Larry on the championship.”

“I’m very happy to have been able to contribute to secure the Team Championship again for BWT Lechner Racing and I want to say thank you for a great season spent with Walter and his team” Evans concluded.

Love’s seventh position was the best result of his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season. The young West Australian was rewarded with valuable points and a place on the rookie classification podium.

“Wow, I am so happy with this result,” said Jordan Love. “Our pace was good, and I knew from the start of the race that we had a good chance. The two safety car periods in the early stages meant that I couldn’t attack as I wanted to, so I had to push in the second half of the race.”

Fach Auto Tech Team Principal, Alex Fach, was full of praise for his driver following his progression from tenth to seventh during the race: “Jordan didn’t put a foot wrong today and was really clever in the way he drove. The results this season have not always reflected his performance, but he has been on a very steep learning curve.”

Ten Voorde’s Championship victory comes after five seasons in Supercup and claiming the inaugural Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition earlier this year. Pereira would conclude the season as runner-up in the overall standings, ahead of Porsche Juniors, Ayhancan Güven (Martinet by Alméras) and BWT team mate, Jaxon Evans.

Result Round 8 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monza (I), 15 laps
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 31:05.888 minutes
2. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), + 1.887 seconds
3. Leon Köhler (Germany/Lechner Racing Middle East), + 2.364 seconds
4. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), + 3.865 seconds
5. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), + 4.235 seconds
6. Jean-B. Simmenauer (France/Lechner Racing Middle East), + 7.362 seconds

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2020, Final Standings Overall after 8 rounds
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 155 points
2. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), 148 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras), 113 points
4. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), 108 points
5. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), 105 points
6. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 77 points

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2020, Final Standings Teams after 8 rounds
1. BWT Lechner Racing (Austria), 256 points
2. Team GP Elite (Netherlands), 232 points
3. Martinet by Alméras (France), 188 points

Porsche delivers first 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in Australia

Porsche track-day customer takes delivery of first 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in Australia

Interest among Porsche enthusiasts and track-day drivers around Australia has grown ever since the latest generation 718 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car was first unveiled to local customers at The Bend Motorsport Park, in Tailem Bend, South Australia in August last year.

The first customer for the car in the country is Dr. Mansoor Parker, an avid Porsche enthusiast from Sydney, NSW. After taking delivery of the vehicle recently, Parker has been able to drive the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport to its limits at a few track days held at the Sydney Motorsport Park Circuit.

While Parker has owned fifteen Porsches to date, this is his first track-day variant. Parker says that the attraction to the new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport stemmed from the fact that the GT4 is a bespoke track-focussed Porsche, which is nimble in nature and can accommodate slick racing tyres.

“I’ve driven it on a few occasions and it is phenomenal, it really gives you a race-car like feel,” said Parker.

It’s a transitional step-up from a Cayman GT4 or even a GT3, so if you can drive the standard version, you can easily drive this car and feel confident, as it is lightweight and offers not only immense grip but infinite adjustability.”

“It really is the best of both worlds, without driving something too intimidating or too expensive to maintain, you can literally take this to your local Porsche dealer to get serviced. I’m certainly having a lot of fun with it.”

Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/Mc3Dvl5YbIk

“We are receiving strong interest in the GT4 and have two further cars on order for new customers,” said Troy Bundy, Head of Motorsport, Porsche Cars Australia.

“While our Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series remain our focus domestically, we also see a place in the market for the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport as a track day car and GT4 race car.”

“The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is an ideal track day car for graduates of Level 5 of our Porsche Track Experience, who may be keen to do more track days and state-based racing before moving up the Porsche Motorsport pyramid into Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.”

All 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport customers enjoy full parts support and through Porsche Centres across Australia. Interested parties can contact motorsport@porsche.com.au for pricing, options and further information.

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport

The mid-engined race car comes in two versions from the Porsche Motorsport factory: the “Track day” model for enthusiast amateur racing drivers who enjoy Australian track days and would like to campaign the car in several state-based racing series.

The second is the “Competition” variant designed for national and international competition, allowing local drivers to contest the Australian GT Championship GT4 Class and Bathurst 12 Hour (GT4 class).

In developing the new 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, the focus was not only on improving the driveability and performance of its predecessor but also on the sustainable use of raw materials in its development. The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is the first-ever production race car to feature body parts made of natural-fibre composite material.

As a result, the driver and co-driver doors and the rear wing are made of an organic fibre mix, sourced primarily from agricultural by-products such as flax or hemp fibres and feature similar properties to carbon fibre in terms of weight and stiffness.

Powering the 718 GT4 Clubsport is a 3.8-litre flat-six engine producing 313kW (425hp). Compared to its predecessor, this represents a 30kW (40hp) increase in performance. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission with a mechanical rear-axle differential lock.

The lightweight spring-strut front suspension is taken from its big 911 GT3 Cup brother. The impressive racing brake system features steel brake discs all round measuring 380mm in diameter. The lightweight 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport tips the scales at a mere 1,320kgs and is delivered from factory with a welded-in safety cage, a racing bucket seat as well as a six-point harness.

Evans misses out on Porsche Mobil1 Supercup podium after strong start

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Round 7, Race, Spa-Francorchamps

Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras) scored his second win of the season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). Güven crossed the finish line just 0.6 seconds ahead of Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing).

Second place was enough for the Luxembourger to move to the top of the leaderboard again in the international one-make cup with the 485-hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Heading to the final round next Sunday (6 September 2020) in Monza (Italy), Pereira holds a tenuous four-point advantage over Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite). In Belgium, the Dutchman took the flag in fifth place behind Florian Latorre (France/Team CLRT) and Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing).

The Formula 1 circuit in the Ardennes lived up to its reputation as one of the most demanding racetracks in the world. After eleven laps, less than nine seconds separated the top ten drivers in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. “It’s always great to win at Spa,” said a delighted Güven, who had taken up the race from pole position. “Towards the end of the race I experienced minor problems with the balance of the car. Luckily, I was able to fend off Jaxon Evans and then Dylan Pereira.”

The two BWT Lechner Racing drivers put the leader under pressure over many laps. “That was great teamwork between Jaxon and me,” revealed Pereira, who nevertheless made repeated attempts to overtake his teammate. These attacks, however, were in vain – until the second-placed Evans overlooked some dirt on the track while braking at the end of the long Kemmel straight and, with locked-up front wheels, was forced to use emergency exit. “It was lucky that I took a different line than Jaxon in that corner, otherwise I might have been caught out too,” admitted Pereira. He overtook Evans and promptly closed the gap to the leading Güven. “I was faster than Ayhancan, but it wasn’t enough to really attack,” concluded the Luxembourger.

With third place, Florian Latorre scored his best result so far this season. “I’m thrilled for our team, which is new to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. We’ve waited all year for this,” said the Frenchman. Jaxon Evans, the second fastest in qualifying, was not entirely happy with fourth place. “I flat-spotted one tyre when it locked up under braking. My car, of course, didn’t handle as well after that,” explained the Porsche Junior, who then came under pressure from Larry ten Voorde over the last lap. “What a great race, it was such fun,” grinned the Dutchman, despite losing the championship lead. At the flag, he held a 0.7-second advantage over his compatriot Jaap van Lagen.

Van Lagen’s Fach Auto Tech teammate, Jordan Love, found himself in the mid-field after the start. “It was a rough ride, I’ve got used to that in the Supercup”, the Australian reports after not feeling entirely satisfied with his point haul at the Spa debut. “If you start from tenth on the grid, then you should at least finish better than eleventh. At half-time I lost several positions and couldn’t catch up again.”

After Belgium, the road now leads to Italy, where the eighth and final race weekend of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup season is scheduled for 4 to 6 September at the Monza Eni Circuit near Milan.

Results round 7 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Spa-Francorchamps (B), 11 laps
1. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras), 26:50.573 minutes
2. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.608 seconds
3. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), + 1.297 seconds
4. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), + 1.981 seconds
5. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), + 2.237 seconds
6. Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands/FACH AUTO TECH), + 2.956 seconds

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2020, standings after 7 of 8 races
1. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), 134 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 130 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras), 113 points
4. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), 96 points
5. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), 85 points
6. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 71 points

Spa hosts the penultimate round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Round 7 Preview, Spa-Francorchamps

This Sunday, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) hosts the penultimate round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2020. The fight for the title in the international one-make race series with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has turned into a duel between Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite) and Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing).

With two wins each, Ten Voorde (118 points) and Pereira (114) hold a clear lead over the rest of the field. The closest rivals to the leading pair are the two Porsche Juniors Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras, 88 points) and Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing, 82).

Last year on the storied Belgian Formula 1 circuit, Pereira earned maximum points after securing pole position and victory in the 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “The Spa-Francorchamps round is something of a home race for me,” the Luxembourger says about the 7.004-kilometre (4.352 miles) racetrack, the longest on the Supercup calendar.

“This track is very demanding. Passages like Eau Rouge and Blanchimont require a great deal of courage – and that’s why this circuit is one of my favourites. I’m eager to reclaim the points lead here.”

Ten Voorde also has a special connection to the rollercoaster racetrack in the Ardennes.

“I contested my first Supercup race in Spa-Francorchamps in 2016. It’s fantastic to race on this great track next weekend as one of the title aspirants, especially with a team that’s new to the Supercup,” said the delighted Dutchman, who finished fourth in 2019. “I’m obviously under pressure as the points leader, but I like that. It makes me mobilise all my reserves.”

Round seven of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be broadcast live on Sunday (30 August) at 20:23 on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 7, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)*

FOX SPORTS 506 Sun 30 Aug 20:23 – 21:05

FOX SPORTS 506 HD       Sun 30 Aug 20:23 – 21:05

* all times AEST

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, standings after 6 of 8 rounds

1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 118 points
2. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), 114 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras), 88 points
4. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), 82 points
5. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), 68 points
6. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 63 points

One-off Porsche GT1 to headline The Bend Classic

Rare Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution to headline The Bend Classic

One of the rarest Porsche models currently on the road anywhere in the world will make a headline appearance at this year’s The Bend Classic.

A stunning Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution, thought to be the only one in the world converted from racing car to street use, will be a star attraction at the September 5-6 event at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Recently purchased by a South Australian collector, the car is literally a one-of-a-kind model that led Porsche’s charge at the famous Le Mans 24 Hour race in France in the 1990s.

While 23 road-going versions of the GT1 were produced by Porsche to satisfy homologation requirements for the racing program, this particular car is the only one of 18 racing versions built known to have been converted to road use.

The car in question, built in 1997, won the Canadian GT championship on three occasions, made regular starts in the Daytona 24-hour race in Florida and amassed 13 wins from 31 race starts prior to its conversion to road use.

Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.2-litre flat six engine, the GT1 Evo produces 640 Horsepower that saw it able to reach more than 330km/hr down the famous Mulsanne straight at Le Mans.

The ‘Evolution’ designation references significant mid-life upgrades the GT1 received in 1997 that upgraded its appearance to mirror the ‘996’ Porsche 911 road car.

Later versions of the GT1 would help deliver Porsche victory at Le Mans.

The 911 GT1 Evo will join a host of extreme performance Supercars at The Bend Classic – as the event celebrates both the pinnacle of motorsport and motoring, old and new.

“It is a coup for us to have secured this car to be demonstrated at The Bend Classic,” said The Bend Motorsport Park marketing manager, Michael Rossi.

“The car was only recently sold to a new owner here in Australia and they were eager for it to be on show to as many people as possible.

“The fact that it is the only known example in the world to have been converted from a race car to road use makes this truly one of a kind and we’re thrilled that it will be at The Bend classic for South Australian fans to see.

“It’s incredibly rare and very special and will join a host of other similar cars, road and race, at the event.”

The Bend Classic takes place from the 05 and 06 September 2020 at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia .

Porsche takes victory in WEC with Matt Campbell on podium in GTE-Am class

FIA World Endurance Championship WEC, round 6, Race GTE, Spa-Francorchamps

The Porsche GT Team has scored its second win of the season at round six of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The reigning GTE-Pro world champions Kévin Estre from France and Michael Christensen from Denmark took the flag in first place at the wheel of the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. In a chaotic race with heavy rain and three safety car phases, the factory squad kept cool at all times. Implementing a perfect tactic and with a strong driving performance, the successful team of the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart won the race from pole position. Italy’s Gianmaria Bruni and his Austrian teammate Richard Lietz achieved fifth place in the ca. 515 hp sister car with the starting number 91. In the GTE-Am category, the experienced Dempsey-Proton Racing customer squad finished the race in second place.

Shortly before the start of the rehearsal for the upcoming season highlight in Le Mans, the sky over the Belgian Ardennes opened its floodgates. Heavy rain flooded the racetrack to such an extent that the six-hour race had to start behind the safety car. When the race finally went green, the rain eased off but the works drivers found that their two Porsche 911 RSR offered barely any grip. Only when the track began to dry the two crews could catch up. Another heavy shower in the first half of the race resulted in a second safety car phase. Again, the two GT racers from Weissach lost ground. When the sun reappeared after three hours of racing, the strengths of the new 911 RSR also emerged. Christensen and Estre drove consistently fast stints and their team’s clever tactics helped them return to the front. Bruni and Lietz were unable to improve significantly in the close battle between the manufacturer teams.

In the overall standings, the second-placed Porsche factory squad managed to reduce the gap to the top. In the drivers’ championship, the defending champions Estre and Christensen advanced to second place.

In the GTE-Am class, the customer team Dempsey-Proton Racing claimed its first podium result of the season. Christian Ried (Germany), the Italian Riccardo Pera and Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia) achieved second place. The young Australian put in a particularly impressive drive against tough competition. Campbell launched a renewed attack in the final phase of the race and mobilised the full potential of the 2017-spec version of the Porsche 911 RSR. At the flag, he was only 2.898-seconds off securing the first win of the season. The two ca. 510 hp nine-elevens fielded by the Project 1 team finished on positions four and six, with the second 911 RSR run by Dempsey-Proton Racing taking the flag in fifth. Gulf Racing concluded round six of the 2019/2020 FIA WEC season on position ten.

The FIA WEC contests round seven on 19/20 September at Le Mans, France, where the 88th edition of the legendary 24-hour race will be held on the 13.6-kilometre circuit at the Sarthe.

Comments on the race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “Congratulations to the entire team at the track and to our development squad in Weissach. The Porsche 911 RSR proved extremely competitive in all sessions. In the race, the team’s and drivers’ wealth of experience paid off once again. The tactics were perfect in difficult conditions, our works drivers pushed the car to the limit at all times and brought them over the finish line unscathed. This win gives us an addition boost for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans in September. We’re ready for the big highlight!”

Alexander Stehlig (Head of Operations FIA WEC): “For us, this was a perfect restart after the 172-day enforced break in the WEC. Pole position on Friday, victory on Saturday – it couldn’t be better. Spa always throws huge challenges at us. Snow last year, torrential rain this year. We had some difficulties on the wet track but as soon as it dried up, we were back. Overall, it was extremely thrilling. The fight against Aston Martin and Ferrari was fun. We couldn’t have wished for a better dress rehearsal for Le Mans.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “It was a rollercoaster of emotions. With the changing conditions, it became really hard to always make the right decisions. Once again, our team did it perfectly. Only in this way we could manage to drive to victory after a few setbacks on the extremely wet track – simply brilliant!”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “What a wonderful weekend! We were fast in practice, we claimed pole position and won the race. The team put in a tactically strong performance. The second half of the race was on a dry track. It was precisely in this critical phase that we were back in full force and able to call on the full potential of our Porsche 911 RSR. We’ve taken an important step forward in the overall standings. At Le Mans, we aim to pick up exactly where we left off and go all-out.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “That was a difficult race for us. We lost a lot of time because we drove too long on wet tyres at the wrong moment. We took a gamble and tried to make up for it later. When the sun finally came out, we were the first ones back on the track with slicks. In the first laps I slid wildly and lost a lot of time. Once the grip improved, our train had already left the station.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “We didn’t do much wrong, but despite the good balance, our car simply couldn’t match the pace of the sister car. Position five is what we deserved based on our pace in the race. We couldn’t do much more considering today’s conditions. It’s a shame.”

Race result

GTE-Pro class
1. Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR #92, 135 laps
2. Sorensen/Thiim (DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage #95, 135 laps
3. Lynn/Martin (GB/B), Aston Martin Vantage #97, 135 laps
4. Calado/Pier Guidi (GB/I), Ferrari 488 GTE #51, 135 laps
5. Lietz/Bruni (A/I), Porsche 911 RSR #91, 135 laps
6. Rigon/Molina (I/E), Ferrari 488 GTE #71, 135 laps

GTE-Am class
1. Perrodo/Collard/Nielsen (F/F/DK), Ferrari 488 GTE #83, 134 laps
2. Campbell/Ried/Pera (AUS/D/I), Porsche 911 RSR #77, 134 laps
3. Yoluc/Eastwood/Adam (TR/IRL/GB), Aston Martin Vantage #90, 134 laps
4. Perfetti/Hörr/Cairoli (N/D/I), Porsche 911 RSR #56, 134 laps
5. Giraudi/Sanchez/Legeret (I/MEX/CH), Porsche 911 RSR, 134 laps
6. Keating/Fraga/Bleekemolen (USA/BR/NL), Porsche 911 RSR #57, 134 laps
10. Wainwright/Barker/Watson (GB/GB/GB), Porsche 911 RSR #86, 134 laps

Evans on podium in Spain in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Round 6 Race, Barcelona

Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) has won round six of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Barcelona. With his second win of the season, the Dutchman replaces Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing) at the top of the leader board.

Pereira scored third on the Circuit de Catalunya Formula 1 racetrack behind Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (BWT Lechner Racing). With two remaining races, the New Zealander maintains fourth overall behind the second Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras).

Initially, it looked as if Evans would wrest victory from polesitter Ten Voorde: He got the better start and overtook the Dutchman in the first corner. A collision, however, halted the race after a few seconds after a driver stalled at the start. The evasive moves of the drivers starting further behind led to a chain reaction with four vehicles becoming entangled in the collision.

Actor Michael Fassbender was also caught up in this accident. The German-Irish Hollywood star contested the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as a guest driver and was one of the drivers to be thrown out of the race after just a few metres.

When the race went green again, Ten Voorde turned the tables: He overtook the now-leading Evans and eked out a small advantage over the remaining laps. “Jaxon simply got off the line better at the first start,” admitted Ten Voorde. “But I couldn’t resist the chance of correcting that at the restart.”

For Evans, the two starts were the complete opposite. “My first was perfect, the second I misjudged my tyre temperature and fluffed the clutch – that opened the door for Larry to overtake me.” Pereira took his loss of the championship lead matter-of-factly: “After taking up the race from P5 I improved by two positions. More wasn’t possible today.”

Jordan Love delivered a strong performance, the Supercup Rookie overtook nine cars to finish in eleventh place, after a penalty forced the West Australian to begin the race from 20^th position.

Next stop for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the Formula One racetrack in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), where the seventh round is held as part of the Belgian Grand Prix in two weeks’ time (30 August 2020).

Results round 6 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Barcelona (E), 13 laps
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 41:33.214 minutes
2. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.524 seconds
3. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), + 3.854 seconds
4. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), + 4.421 seconds
5. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), + 8.733 seconds
6. Leon Köhler (Germany/Lechner Racing Middle East), + 8.997 seconds

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2020, standings after 6 of 8 races
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 118 points
2. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), 114 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Martinet by Alméras), 88 points
4. Jaxon Evans (New Zealand/BWT Lechner Racing), 82 points
5. Florian Latorre (France/CLRT), 68 points
6. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 63 points

Porsche Supercup debut for Hollywood star Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender will join Jaxon Evans and Jordan Love on the grid for round six of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Hollywood star Michael Fassbender will join Jaxon Evans and Jordan Love on the grid for round six of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this weekend. The German-Irish actor tackles the international one-make cup run as support to the Spanish Grand Prix at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“The level of competition in the Supercup is extremely high, so my goals are modest,” says Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”, “12 Years a Slave”, “X-Men”), who drives a Porsche 911 RSR in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). “I’m most looking forward to driving a different racing version of the Porsche 911 and gaining more experience.”

Fassbender went through a Porsche-run professional training programme for motor racing. He first completed a short training course with the 485-hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup as part of the Porsche Driving Experience.

After advancing to the Porsche Racing Experience and competing in Porsche Sports Cup races, the Heidelberg-born actor started into his debut season in the ELMS in 2020 with the Proton Competition customer squad.

Last weekend, Fassbender finished the four-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) fourth in the GTE-class with the Porsche 911 RSR. He shared the cockpit of the 510-hp racer with Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) and Felipe Fernández Laser (Germany).

“It’s really cool to compete on the racetrack against such a famous actor. And it’s great to have him as a guest in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup,” says Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing), the current championship leader.

Porsche Junior, Jaxon Evans, lies fourth in the Championship with three races remaining while Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will again be an unknown quantity for reigning Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion, Jordan Love.

Love’s first season in the international one-make series is also his first year racing on European soil. The Catalonian circuit is all about its long start-finish straight, fast corners and tight chicanes and almost guarantees exciting racing.

Round six of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will be televised live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports from 20:23 (AEST) on Sunday evening.

Broadcast times: Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 6, Barcelona (AEST)
Fox Sports 506 – Sunday 16 August 20:23 – 21:05

Fox Sports 506 HD – Sunday 16 August 20:23 – 21:05

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, standings after 5 of 8 races
1. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 97 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 93 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras), 80 points
4. Jaxon Evans (NZ/BWT Lechner Racing), 62 points
5. Florian Latorre (F/CLRT), 54 points
6. Marvin Klein (F/Martinet by Alméras), 52 points

Campbell and the Porsche GT Team well prepared for the WEC restart

FIA World Endurance Championship WEC, round 6 Preview, Spa-Francorchamps

The 2019-2020 season of the World Endurance Championship resumes after more than a 24-week break due to the coronavirus pandemic. On August 15, round six of the World Endurance Championship WEC will be held at Spa-Francorchamps. Porsche tackles the six-hour race with two of the latest 911 RSR racers.

The defending world champions Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) share the cockpit of the No. 92 car, with their teammates Richard Lietz (Austria) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) joining forces in the No. 91 Porsche.

The factory squad returns to Belgium with positive memories: Last year, Porsche claimed an early world championship title in the GTE-Pro manufacturer’s classification. Currently, the title defender ranks second in the GTE-Pro class after five races. The customer teams Dempsey-Proton Racing, Project 1 and Gulf Racing field five of last season’s 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class.

Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia) has been included in the Dempsey-Proton Racing #77 alongside Team owner Christian Ried (Germany) and the Italian Riccardo Pera.

The race
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is located in the far east of Belgium close to the German border. Opened in 1921, the 7.004-kilometre racetrack featuring 21 corners undulates through the Walloon countryside – not surprisingly, the circuit is also known as the “Ardennes rollercoaster”. Fast passages like Raidillon, Eau Rouge and Blanchimont are as notorious as the La Source hairpin at the end of the start-finish straight.

The Porsche 911 RSR
The current Porsche 911 RSR-19 contests its maiden WEC season. The engineers in Weissach were able to improve the ca. 515-hp vehicle compared to its extremely successful predecessor model, most notably in areas such as drivability, efficiency, ergonomics and serviceability. About 95 per cent of all components are new. The 911 RSR is powered by a 4.2-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine.

The Porsche GT Team drivers
After scoring second place at four of the five rounds so far this season, the reigning WEC champions Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre rank third in the WEC drivers’ classification. Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni, the winners of the season-opening round in Great Britain, lie fifth. The latest Porsche 911 RSR underlined its potential at the previous races of the 2019/2020 season with pole positions in Japan, China and Bahrain.

The customer teams
At the WEC restart, Dempsey-Proton Racing fields two Porsche 911 RSR from the 2017 model year. At the wheel of the No. 77 car is Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia), team owner Christian Ried (Germany) and the Italian Riccardo Pera. Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak (Thailand), Ricardo Sanchez (Mexico) and Lucas Legeret (Switzerland) share the cockpit of the No. 88 sister car.

The German customer team Project 1 also campaign a pair of 2017-generation 911 RSR. The No. 56 cockpit is shared by Laurents Hörr (Germany), Egidio Perfetti (Norway) and Matteo Cairoli (Italy). Ben Keating (USA), Felipe Fraga (Brazil) and Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands) drive the No. 57 car. Gulf Racing entrusts the No. 86 vehicle to the all-British crew Michael Wainwright, Ben Barker and Andrew Watson.

The schedule (all times CEST)

Friday, 14 August
6:00 to 6:20 p.m. – Qualifying GTE-Pro and GTE-Am

Saturday, 15 August
1:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Race

The race on TV and on the Internet
Round six of the FIA WEC will be televised in full length on www.motorsport.tv. The FIA WEC app also offers live streaming and live timing for a fee.

Comments before the race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director Factory Motorsport): “The wait for the next round of the World Endurance Championship is now over, as well. I’d like to pay a big compliment to the WEC organisers on successfully laying the foundations for the restart. In the upcoming races, we still have the best chances to defend our titles. Preparations for the final rehearsal before the 24 Hours of Le Mans went well. We’re aiming to score our second win of the season at Spa-Francorchamps.”

Alexander Stehlig (Head of Operations FIA WEC): “We were able to use the compulsory Corona-related break to work through many details and we’ve also completed successful test drives. We’ve further improved the drivability and the balance of the 911 RSR and honed the team’s processes. In the first race after the long break, it’s important that we get back to our usual routine quickly. We want to earn as many points as possible in Belgium and we aim to win.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “We can finally contest the WEC again – but unfortunately without any spectators. Still, the main thing is to compete again. Every-one in the team feels highly motivated and wants to achieve a good result. We’re heading to Spa very well prepared. The podium is our minimum target.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “Spa-Francorchamps is one of my favourite racetracks on the WEC calendar. I can hardly wait to finally race again. Richard Lietz and I are eager to achieve more race victories and podium results with the new 911 RSR. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to be careful and com-ply with the guidelines, but we’re very well organised in this respect, as well.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “We had a crazy race at Spa last year with snow, rain and sunshine. Still, we reached the podium and managed to secure the manufacturers’ title for Porsche – that was fantastic. Obviously, everything will be very different this year. We’re competing at a different time of the year and it’s the first WEC round after the coronavirus break. We’ll miss the spectators and we’ll all be wearing facemasks. With the new 911 RSR, we want to move closer to the top of the championship.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “It’s important that we come back strong after such a long break. We’re still in the running for the title and we want to catch the championship leaders. During the break, we tried to keep in touch with each other and give good feedback so that we could continue to improve. We went testing with the new 911 RSR. It felt good to work with the Manthey squad again and to prepare for the races at Spa and Le Mans.”

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “I’m looking forward to competing in the WEC again with Christian Ried and Riccardo Pera. We want to push hard to achieve another top result and put the team on the podium.”

The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
In the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC), which was first contested in 2012, sports prototypes and GT vehicles compete in four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately. The Porsche factory squad contests the GTE-Pro class as the reigning world manufacturers’ champions, while the customer teams Dempsey Proton Racing, Project 1 and Gulf Racing fight for honours in the GTE-Am class.