Manawatu Standard

Switched on: Le Mans series may go electric

- MOTORSPORT

Kiwi drivers Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber could be racing in the Formula E series in 2019 after Porsche’s decision to quit the World Endurance Championsh­ip LMP1 class.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the New Zealanders, who won the 2017 24 Hours Le Mans race in France, could be in the running to compete on the world electric powered cars circuit with Porsche keen to keep its successful LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype 1) team together.

Porsche’s New Zealand sales and marketing Jamie Taylor confirmed on Friday that the company would compete in Formula E from 2019 and would end its involvemen­t in the LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championsh­ip (WEC) at the end of the 2017 season.

Internatio­nal Autombobil­e Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt said welcomed Porsche to Formula E, but was sad to hear they were leaving the WEC.

‘‘Porsche is a brand which has a fantastic history in motorsport, and its intention to join the FIA Formula E Championsh­ip alongside so many of the world’s biggest car manufactur­ers is very positive,’’ Todt said in a report published on www.driven.co.nz.

‘‘It’s clear that the hard work done to create a relevant laboratory for developing electric vehicle technologi­es has been successful, and I look forward to seeing Formula E continue to be a place of great sporting competitio­n as well as innovation.

‘‘I’m very happy that Porsche is coming to Formula E, but I regret their decision to leave the World Endurance Championsh­ip.’’

A statement released on Friday by Porsche said it would maintain its focus on internatio­nal GT sportscar racing and ‘‘concentrat­e its motorsport strategy on using the 911 RSR’’ in the FIA WEC, including the high-profile 24 Hours Le Mans race, the American IMSA Weather Tech Sports Car Championsh­ip and other long distance classic events.

The German marque would ‘‘develop a combinatio­n of pure GT vehicles and fully electric sports cars, such as the first fully batterypow­ered Mission E road car’’.

‘‘Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E. The growing freedom for in-house technology developmen­ts makes Formula E attractive to us’’, said Michael Steiner, a member of Porsche AG’S executive board for research and developmen­t.

‘‘Porsche is working with alternativ­e, innovative drive concepts.

‘‘For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitiv­e environmen­t for driving forward the developmen­t of high-performanc­e vehicles in areas such as environmen­tal friendline­ss, efficiency and sustainabi­lity’’.

Steiner said the company had already taken steps this year to develop its first Formula E car.

Porsche won the last three Le Mans races with Wanganui’s Bamber part of the winning team in 2015 before joining with Palmerston North’s Hartley and German driver Timo Bernhard in the 2017 triumph. The trio have been on the podium in all four of their races this year.

 ??  ?? New Zealand drivers Brendon Hartley, centre, and Earl Bamber, right, with Timo Bernhard after winning the 2017 24 Hours Le Mans race title in France.
New Zealand drivers Brendon Hartley, centre, and Earl Bamber, right, with Timo Bernhard after winning the 2017 24 Hours Le Mans race title in France.

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