PORSCHE’S NEW CLASS FOCUS
Porsche might not be back to defend its outright Le Mans victory of last year, but that does not mean the Weissach marque is neglecting the French classic entirely.
Far from it, in fact.
The resources freed up by the cessation of the ultra-successful 919
Hybrid LMP1 programme have allowed Porsche to enter four cars in the GTE Pro division this year, with its pair of full-time WEC entries joined by its two IMSA Sportscar Championship-entered
911 RSRS.
Nothing has been left to chance in terms of drivers, with three members of its LMP1 roster from 2017 – Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Timo Bernhard – returning to the GT ranks. The presence of the ultra-versatile Romain Dumas bumps up the total number of ex-overall Le Mans winners in the line-up to four.
Add in the likes of Gianmaria Bruni, back in the WEC after a year in exile following his departure from Ferrari, Laurens Vanthoor, Patrick Pilet and Richard Lietz, and it’s clear Porsche means business.
The mid-engined 911 RSR introduced last year to much fanfare has yet to take a maiden race win in the WEC, but it has tasted success on the other side of the Atlantic, the CORE Autosport-run cars having won the Sebring 12 Hours (below) and at Mid-ohio.
Porsche was also exceptionally unlucky to miss out on victory in the Spa WEC opener, with the debris from Harry Tincknell’s monster crash at Eau Rouge managing to damage both its cars. A late safety car period that bunched up the field was the final nail in the coffin for the team’s hopes.
Although the Fords were faster in a straight line at Spa, whether that remains the case at Le Mans will of course depend on the Balance of Performance the 911 RSR is handed.
But if, as Aston Martin suspects, the newly issued Le Mans BOP doesn’t fundamentally change much, Porsche has to be in with a strong chance of adding to its sole Le Mans GTE Pro class victory in 2013.