Tag: Le Mans

ON THE TRACK: Ford GT Returning to Le Mans in 2016 to Mark 50th Anniversary of Historic Win

June 12, 2015 / moto+match / 0 Comments

Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year.

The Ford GT race car will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – referred to by many as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency – starting next year. Revealed today at the famous circuit in Le Mans, France, Ford GT will compete in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro).

The new race car – a further proof point of Ford innovation – is based on the all-new Ford GT supercar unveiled in January. Both the production car and race car will arrive in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

“When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.”

The new Ford GT race car will run the full 2016 schedules of the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, making its competition debut in January 2016 in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Florida. The two Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Both series teams intend to compete with a four-car effort at Le Mans. Drivers will be announced later.

The all-new Ford GT serves as the pinnacle product of the new Ford Performance group, a division dedicated to providing innovation through performance.

Set to deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles by 2020, Ford Performance will leverage its racing efforts and expertise to speed innovations on dedicated performance models and performance parts in order to more quickly iterate the latest technologies that can ultimately be applied to the full Ford vehicle lineup.

The performance segment is a growing business for Ford, as the company recognizes its customers’ desire for vehicles that offer excellent fuel economy, leading technology and a great driving experience. The Ford Performance lineup includes Ford GT, Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST.

“Ford remains focused on three priorities globally – accelerating our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with passion and driving innovation in every part of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “All three came together to create the new Ford GT. We also know from our rich history in motorsports that world-class competition is a great incubator for even further product innovation.”

The Ford GT race car features a number of innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in LM GTE Pro, but ultimately positioned to provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford lineup. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fiber for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis, and the power and efficiency of EcoBoost technology.

“As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. “We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.”

Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with CGRFS providing input into the development. Roush Yates is supporting development of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine debuted in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Since then, Ford, with CGRFS, has captured significant overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Besides great success in sports cars, Ganassi race teams achieved major victories in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500.

“We’ve won races and championships, but we’ve never run Le Mans,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world’s biggest sports car stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that? Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn’t be with a better partner than Ford.”

IN HONOUR: Goodwood Revival Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Shelby Dayone Coupe’s World Championship

May 27, 2015 / moto+match / 0 Comments

This year’s Goodwood Revival will mark the 50^th anniversary of one of the most iconic GT racing cars of the 1960s – the Shelby Daytona Coupe – with a never-before-seen collection of the V8 racers at the 11-13 September event.

Only six examples of the Daytona Coupe were ever produced; its acquired name a reference to the car’s debut at the Daytona Continental in 1964, at which its drivers Dave MacDonald and Bob Holbert caused a sensation by securing pole position and leading the first third of the race.

For the first time in history the cars will come together at Goodwood to take part in a special demonstration run on each day of the Revival, along with a selection of other significant original Shelby Cobras. At least two of the Daytona machines will race in the Revival’s showpiece race – the RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration – on the Sunday of the event.

Based originally on the British AC-Bristol, the Cobra came into being after American Carroll Shelby – winner of the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours – began fitting Ford V8 engines and strengthened gearboxes to re-bodied machines from the Thames Ditton-based constructor.

Renowned designer Peter Brock came up with an ultra-aerodynamic body ideal for high top speeds and the Daytona Coupe was born, to be raced by superstar drivers of the era like Dan Gurney, Phil Hill and Chris Amon in the World Championship, which was held for closed-top GT cars during the period.

After a Le Mans class win in 1964, a dominant campaign in World Sportscars in ’65 ensured that Shelby became the first American marque to take the title with numerous class wins from the car, including at Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and the Nurburgring, with programmes run by Shelby International itself, Alan Mann Racing and – on one occasion – Scuderia Filipinetti.

All the Cobras will be housed in a special area within the main paddock, which will be dressed to resemble the pitlane of the 1965 Sebring 12 Hours for this very special celebration in September. It is sure to be a highlight for the event’s 150,000 visitors to the Revival.

IN THE NEWS: McLaren 650S Le Mans Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary of Historic Win

January 20, 2015 / moto+match / 0 Comments

Jan 20, 2015 — Every one of the 106 models of the McLaren F1 built has a story to tell, with those wearing a ‘GTR’ badge boasting a lineage back to one of the most famous results in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the chequered flag fell at the end of the 1995 race, five McLaren F1 GTRs crossed the line to finish 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 13th. In honour of this achievement, five special editions of the McLaren F1, badged the McLaren F1 LM, were commissioned – one for each of the cars that finished. 20 years on, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) has released the first details of a special edition 650S, built to celebrate the anniversary of this result. Only 50 McLaren 650S Le Mans will be available globally, with a design inspired by the race-winning #59 McLaren F1 GTR. Deliveries will commence later this year.

Designed by MSO in consultation with Peter Stevens, the designer of the iconic McLaren F1, the McLaren 650S Le Mans will be offered as a coupé only, and will borrow a number of styling enhancements from the iconic race-winner, most notably the roof-mounted ‘snorkel’ air intake. This fully-integrated ‘snorkel’ channels airflow to the familiar 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine, while also providing enhanced aural drama within the cabin, while the front wings feature subtle louvres to reduce pressure over the front wheels, increasing downforce. The unique ‘Le Mans Edition’ lightweight wheels – 19-inch at the front, 20-inch at the rear – are styled around the design of the motorsport rims fitted to the 1995 racers. The rims wear the McLaren-developed Pirelli P Zero™ Corsa tyres and are mounted in front of carbon ceramic brakes as standard, with McLaren Orange callipers.

Commenting on the McLaren 650S Le Mans, Stevens explains: “The design of the McLaren F1 rewrote the rulebook. It was intended to offer the ultimate, no compromise road driving experience. The fact that it was transformed into a racer, and a race winner, was true testament to the strength and integrity of the original design, which is something I am very proud of.

“With a mix of subtle design traits, the 650S Le Mans adds a modern twist by blending the iconic lines of the McLaren F1, and heritage features such as the wing louvres and the roof-mounted air intake, with groundbreaking technologies. It is a fantastic homage to that original design, and to the incredible race result achieved by the team in 1995 at one of the most difficult, and most challenging races in the world.”

Power and torque figures for the McLaren 650S Le Mans remain unchanged from the standard production model, producing 650PS (641 bhp) and 678 Nm (500 lb ft) of torque. This sprint from zero to 62 mph is achieved in three seconds and the top speed is 207 mph.

Visual carbon fibre features throughout the limited edition model, including the front splitter and rear bumper. The limited edition coupés also feature MSO-developed extended side blades and the distinctive MSO rear diffuser. The unique look of the McLaren 650S Le Mans exterior is further enhanced by the metallic Sarthe Grey exterior paint colour, inspired by the colour of the race-winning McLaren F1 GTR. A splash of the famous McLaren Orange in the form of the ‘Le Mans’ logo adorns the wheels and the trailing edge of the extended MSO door blades, while an internal dedication plate on the door card identifies the limited nature of the model.

The interior is swathed in black leather and Alcantara®, while a pair of sports seats are finished in black with contrasting McLaren Orange Alcantara® in the centre. A Le Mans logo is embossed on the headrest of each seat, and on the unique floor mats, paying further homage to the anniversary.

The McLaren 650S Le Mans is available globally, priced at £244,500, and deliveries will commence in mid-2015. Owners of the McLaren 650S Le Mans will receive an exclusive invitation for the owner plus a guest to join McLaren at a 20th anniversary celebration of the famous victory at the historic Le Mans circuit courtesy of McLaren.

IN THE NEWS: Jaguar F-Type Project 7 to Debut at Le Mans Classic

July 3, 2014 / moto+match / 0 Comments

F-TYPE Project 7 – the most powerful and fastest production Jaguar to date – will make its dynamic debut in front of packed crowds during this weekend’s Le Mans Classic race meeting from 4-6 July.

Following its unveiling at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed – where customer interest far exceeded the intended production run of a maximum of 250 units – F-TYPE Project 7 will complete demonstration laps throughout the Le Mans Classic weekend.

In celebration of the Jaguar D-type’s 60^th anniversary – a car which won at le Mans three times and which inspired Project 7’s genesis – F-TYPE Project 7 will complete its demonstration laps alongside the very first D-type ever built, and with examples of the all-new F-TYPE R Coupé.

With racing over the weekend split into six grids – each celebrating an era of Le Mans’ history – the F-TYPE Project 7 demonstration laps will take place ahead of qualifying and race sessions for Grid 2. Spanning 1949-1956, this grid will include two Jaguar-entered D-types; drivers are 1988 Jaguar Le Mans winner, Andy Wallace, who will share with Richard Meaden, with Gary Pearson and Chris Harris also in action.

F-TYPE Project 7 is a fully road-legal two-seater roadster, which will be built by Jaguar Land Rover’s newly established Special Operations division. Of all aluminium construction and with bespoke carbon-fibre aerodynamic aids, a unique suspension tune, 80kg weight reduction and 575PS power output, F-TYPE Project 7 will deliver a truly focused driving experience. Carbon Ceramic brakes, Torque Vectoring by Braking and race-inspired seats are all standard features.

For the full F-TYPE Project 7 press release, technical details and images click here
To view and share the F-TYPE Project 7 launch film click here

2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE PROJECT 7: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION*

*All figures are manufacturer’s estimates and subject to final confirmation ahead of production

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Engine capacity (cc)	5000
Cylinders	8
Valves per cylinder	4
Compression ratio	9.5:1
Bore/stroke (mm)	92.5/93.0
Bore/stroke (inches)	3.64/3.66
Transmission	8-speed ‘Quickshift’
PERFORMANCE
0-60mph (sec)	3.8
0-100km/h (sec)	3.9
Top speed (mph)	186, electronically limited
Top speed (km/h)	300, electronically limited
Power (PS@rpm)	575@6500
Power (kW@rpm)	423@6500
Torque (lb ft@rpm)	502@2500-5500
Torque (Nm@rpm)	680@2500-5500
Wheels	20-inch ‘Storm’ alloy, in gloss black
Tyres – size	255/35/20 (front) 295/30/20 (rear)
Tyres – make Standard: Optional:	Pirelli P Zero Continental ForceContact
DIMENSIONS
Length (mm)	4519
Length (in)	178
Width excl (mm)	1923
Width excl (in)	75.7
Height (mm, without roof)	1277
Height (in, without roof)	50.3
Wheelbase (mm)	2622
Wheelbase (in)	103.2
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	72
Fuel tank capacity (gallons)	15.8
Weight (kg)	1585
Weight (lbs)	3495

ON THE TRACK: Strong Performance by Porsche at Le Mans

June 16, 2014 / moto+match / 0 Comments

After a strong performance by both 919 Hybrids, the Porsche Team was left empty handed on the Stuttgart marque’s return to the top LMP1 category at Le Mans after a dramatic final stage of the race. After more than 22 hours, the crew of car no. 20 (Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber) suffered a powertrain problem at the most famous sports car endurance race in the world.

Earlier in the race, the car was leading for a significant period. The second innovative and highly complex 919 Hybrid prototype – in the hands of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb – likewise proved to be very competitive, but was hampered by a drivetrain problem in the closing stages. However, their no. 14 car crossed the finish line under its own power.

After a thrilling start to the race with changing weather conditions, numerous accidents and a relatively calm night, Timo Bernhard took the lead in the Porsche 919 Hybrid. This was after 20 of the 24 hours. At 12:36 on Sunday he handed the leading car over to Mark Webber. Less than 20 minutes later, the Australian was forced to slow down and drove solely on electric power back to the pits. The team could not repair the damaged powertrain.

Not even half an hour later, the sister car with Marc Lieb at the wheel had a gearbox failure. Car no. 14 was lying fourth before it was pushed into the garage at 12:54. Shortly before the chequered flag was waved, the Porsche 919 Hybrid returned to track, but in the end was not classified.

Comments after the race:

Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG: “Our return to Le Mans has been a strong team effort. It almost happened that our secret dream came true to crown the debut of the Porsche 919 Hybrid with a podium finish. For a remarkable period we were leading the race. I want to thank everyone who contributed with hard work. Now we keep our heads up and will plan an even stronger return for 2015.”

Wolfgang Hatz, Board member for Research and Development Porsche AG: “It was our declared target to finish this race. This didn’t really work out, but at least we have managed to show the huge potential of the 919 Hybrid and its innovative powertrain. We believe in our courageous concept and we will develop it further. We have already started work on the 2015 race car.”

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “This result is not the reward our team deserved after this intense time of preparation work. We have had an unbelievable and unforgettable race with its highs and lows. Everyone in the entire team was working to the limits and never gave up. I am very proud of our team.”

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal LMP1: “At the moment, of course, there is a lot of disappointment. But if anyone would have told us before the race that the outcome would be what it was, we would have been very happy with it. We have learned a lot for next year and tomorrow we start to prepare for 2015. The drivers and the entire crew – everyone did a great job. We are proud to have brought one car to the finish line. To be able to fight with the other one for the silverware until shortly before the end was the icing on the cake.”

Alexander Hitzinger, Technical Director LMP1: “Congratulations to Audi for the well-deserved victory. Certainly we are disappointed, because such a good result seemed to be within reach for us too. But still we can be proud of what we have achieved. We have proven that we have got a fast car and our competition has taken notice of the 919 Hybrid. It was our target to finish the race, but in a different way than we did. I am looking forward to the remaining races of the FIA World Endurance Championship and to Le Mans 2015. Today the car was not always easy to handle and our drivers did a great job. I want to thank them for that.”

Porsche 919 Hybrid (car no. 14)
Neel Jani: “Our car ran really well. At times we have been right at the front. Because such a huge potential was there, I am very disappointed about the result. On the other hand, we always knew that sustainability was crucial and difficult to achieve quickly.”

Marc Lieb: “I am rather lost for words, because it is hard to deal with incidents like those that occurred during the race. The no. 20 Porsche 919 Hybrid had a really fantastic race. They had no problems at all until shortly before the end. On the other hand, our no. 14 car was slowed down by some minor technical failures, which forced us to stop several times in the pits. Nevertheless, we did the best we could. Some one and a half hours before the chequered flag there was a bigger problem. The team managed to get the car running again and we finally managed to cross the line.”

Porsche 919 Hybrid (car no. 20)
Timo Bernhard: “I think, after all, it was a great return for Porsche – to come back to Le Mans and to the WEC after such a long time. But for me it is very sad because we were fighting very hard – at the end, in fact, also for the victory. It would have been a podium at least. It is hard to take, the guys did a great job. The car was running well. We had some difficult issues with the balance of the car, and it was not easy to drive. But in the end, I was saving fuel and keeping away from the kerbs. And then we had a broken engine, which happened in first gear. But I think the bottom line is, it’s a great return by Porsche.“

Mark Webber: “That was tough for everyone. It would have been such an amazing achievement to go through to the finish. I think we never expected to be in such a great position towards the end of the race. What Porsche did is a very big feather in its cap. Few people know how hard it is to get the cars to this point in the race. I’m really sorry for the guys. There is never ever a good retirement in Le Mans, but today is one of the best you could probably have in a way, because we went so far and we learned so much. If you stop early you learn nothing and it’s tough. When you stop with a lap to go it’s probably even more brutal. It was our first time here at Le Mans and we were very close to the podium.“

Porsche 911 RSR finishes 24 hour marathon at Le Mans third in GT class

The sports car race on the 8 mile (13.269 km) Circuit des 24 Heures kept over 250,000 spectators on the edge of their seats with enthralling fights for positions and spectacular overtaking manoeuvres.

When two heavy rain showers left parts of the track underwater several hours after the start, Porsche Team Manthey initiated the perfect pit stop strategy which put the 470 hp, flat-six, rear-engined Porsche 911 RSR in positions one-two in class.

However, the winning car from last year, based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and double winner of the Sports Car World Championship WEC season-opener, was unable to defend these positions over the rest of the marathon. In addition, during the night a fuel pressure problem cropped up with the 911 RSR driven by works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Pilet (France) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) which required an extra pit stop and finally threw the trio back to seventh place after their strong performance.

Their factory colleagues in the no. 92 Porsche 911 RSR continued on their podium course. With three hours to the flag, they had moved up the order to lie in second place before losing a position in the dramatic final phase. The podium result was a well-deserved reward for a strong performance under difficult conditions.

Klaus Bachler celebrated a strong GTE-Am class result. Sharing the cockpit of the Proton Competition customer team 911 RSR with team-mates Christian Ried (Germany) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi), the Porsche Junior driver saw the flag at his Le Mans debut in second place. In the 911 RSR campaigned by Dempsey Racing Proton, Porsche factory driver Patrick Long and his American compatriots Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster delivered consistently fast lap times to finally finish in fifth place.

Comments after the race
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “Although it was enough for a podium spot, this year’s Le Mans was a little disappointing. Minor technical problems cropped up in both our 911 RSR, but as a total they were decisive. The crew and the drivers have done an excellent job and brought the cars safely home. I praise them for this. Congratulations as well to the Proton Competition squad for second place in the GTE-Am class. Given the performance rating, there was no better result possible for us.”

Olaf Manthey, Team Principal Porsche Team Manthey: “We tackled the race with other expectations, but small technical gremlins can always turn up all the time. That’s nothing new for me. I’ve been doing this for 40 years. Both cars reached the finish line and third place is good. You win some, you lose some. You just have to make it through.”

Marco Holzer (911 RSR no. 92): “It was a long and demanding race. We faced all weather conditions you could possibly imagine. At times it was dry, then it poured with rain, half the track was wet and half dry. The car ran like clockwork until we had to pit unexpectedly shortly before the finish. That cost us second place. But the team did a great job and we earned vital points for the WEC.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR no. 92): “Thank you to my pit crew. They were very fast and didn’t make one mistake. We constantly tried to push to the max and get everything we could out of the car. I regard this podium spot as a basis for even better results in the second half of the season.”

Richard Lietz (911 RSR no. 92): “After scoring first and second last year we were all expecting more. But some of our rivals were bluffing at tests and only displayed their actual race speed here. We tried to keep up and my team-mates really went flat out. The podium spot is the just reward for this. I’m certain we’ll return next year even stronger.”

Joerg Bergmeister (911 RSR no. 91): “That’s unfortunately not the result we wanted and were hoping for. We experienced a problem that relegated us back down the order. Other than that the car ran well. A podium result would definitely have been possible. Unfortunately, of all places we had this bad luck was here where double points are awarded.”

Patrick Pilet (911 RSR no. 91): “Our car was perfectly prepared for the race, but we experienced a problem during the night. Okay, we solved it but it cost us a lot of time. For this reason we couldn’t do a thing about the outcome of the race. But still, we can be proud of our team and Porsche. Now we have to concentrate on the rest of the season.”

Nick Tandy (911 RSR no. 91): “It wasn’t the best race, but with the exception of this one problem the car ran very well. The entire crew did a fantastic job. If the second twelve hours had run as well as the first, we would have achieved a fabulous result.”

Klaus Bachler (911 RSR no. 88): “Second place is awesome. A dream has come true for me. We did everything right, kept out of trouble at the start, only refuelled and changed the tyres. That’s how we got ahead. Now we’re all over the moon.”

Christian Ried (911 RSR no. 88): “The race was good, technically everything went smoothly. The car was great and so were the tyres – it simply all worked well. I’m really happy that we scored a podium spot.”

Patrick Long (911 RSR no. 77): “We certainly could have done more this year. Still, I’m satisfied with our performance as a team. Our car didn’t have the slightest technical problem and Patrick improved constantly and posted super times. Not everyone can climb the podium at Le Mans. If it was that easy, then everyone would have a Le Mans trophy at home.”

Patrick Dempsey (911 RSR no. 77): “I drove really well, didn’t make any mistakes and my pace improved constantly. We all did a great job against such tough competition and I’m happy with the result and the team’s great performance. I’ll definitely be back at Le Mans next year.”

Race result – GTE-Pro class
1. Bruni/Vilander/Fisichella (I/SF/I), Ferrari 458 Italia, 339 laps
2. Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor (DK/E/USA), Chevrolet Corvette, 338
3. Holzer/Makowiecki/Lietz (D/F/A), Porsche 911 RSR, 337
4. Gavin/Milner/Westbrook (GB/USA/GB), Chevrolet Corvette, 333
5. Bleekemolen/MacNeil (NL/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 319
6. Turner/Mücke/Senna (GB/D/BRA), Aston Martin Vantage, 310
7. Bergmeister/Pilet/Tandy (D/F/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 309

Race result – GTE-Am class
1. Poulsen/Heinemeier-Hansson/Thiim (DK/DK/DK), Aston Martin, 334 laps
2. Ried/Bachler/Al Qubaisi (D/A/UAE), Porsche 911 RSR, 332
3. Perez-Companc/Cioci/Venturi (RA/I/I), Ferrari 458 Italia, 331
4. Montecalvo/Roda/Ruberti (I/I/I), Ferrari 458 Italia, 330
5. Dempsey/Foster/Long (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 RSR, 329
6. Dalla Lana/Lamy/Nygaard (CAN/P/DK), Aston Martin Vantage, 329

Round four of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) takes place on 20 September in Austin, Texas, USA.

IN THE NEWS: Porsche Factory Team, 919 Hybrid Get More Experience at Spa

May 2, 2014 / moto+match / 0 Comments

The six-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps on 3 May is only the second event for the new Porsche Team with the highly complex Porsche 919 Hybrid. But, at the same time, it is the last race before the season’s highlight at Le Mans on 14 – 15 June.

The challenging Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Belgian Ardennes has several things in common with the Circuit de 24 Heures in Le Mans: a relatively long lap (7.004 kilometres) and impressive full throttle sections. However, the differences in elevation are significantly bigger than in Le Mans. Long uphill sections require the utmost power from the efficient hybrid cars. Every race driver has respect for the daunting Eau Rouge corner. When braking for the chicane after the high speed Blanchimont section, the G forces press the drivers back in their seats. Furthermore, to talk about the weather in Spa often means touching on a serious topic.

According to the new regulations of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Porsche 919 Hybrid drive systems are allowed to produce (recuperate) 4.78 Mega-Joules of electrical energy per lap in Spa, store it and use it to power the electrical engine on the front axle; 4.78 Mega-Joules correlate to 1.33 kilowatt hours (kWh), which is the common unit of measurement for normal household electricity consumption. Calculating that the six-hour race will be run over 170 laps, each of the Porsche 919 Hybrid cars can produce 226.1 kWh. This is almost the amount of electrical energy a standard household in Germany uses during an entire month in summer. This gives a compelling indication of the new technology’s huge potential for future hybrid driven road cars.

The Spa 6 Hours will be green flagged on Saturday, 3 May, at 14:30 CET and finishes at 20:30 CET. The final two hours of the race will be shown live on television by Eurosport, as well as earlier highlights.

At the World Championship opening round in Silverstone the trio of drivers in car no. 20, Timo Bernhard (Germany), Brendon Hartley (New Zealand) and Mark Webber (Australia), finished third. The no. 14 sister car of Romain Dumas (France), Neel Jani (Switzerland) and Marc Lieb (Germany) failed to score points because of drivetrain problems.

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “We can build on our Silverstone performance. Even with difficult weather conditions, the new Porsche Team has managed to have a very solid debut. Our drivers were outstanding, and in the pits we made the right calls. But we have to keep our feet on the ground, as there are countless more situations ahead during which we will find ourselves first timers. The second Championship round is the dress rehearsal for Le Mans. Our main target for Spa is clearly to finish the race with both Porsche 919 Hybrids.”
Timo Bernhard (#20): “Spa is going to be nice. It is a great track, a drivers’ circuit and it has a long sports car tradition. I expect lots of fans there. Not only from Belgium, as it is also easy to get there for the Germans, the Brits, the French and the Dutch. For me, it’s only 200 kilometres from home, which means my family will come along. The podium finish in Silverstone gave us an extra momentum to learn even quicker. Plus it gave us Championship points. It’s a long time since I have raced for points, as in 2011 we didn’t have a drivers’ Championship, so only Manufacturers could score.”
Brendon Hartley (#20): “I think every driver loves Spa and I do as well. It is one of the best tracks in the world. I have driven all sorts of cars there. In 2012 I made my debut in endurance racing there and finished on the podium. Spa should suit our car more than the Silverstone circuit did. The straights are not quite as long as in Le Mans, but we will see very impressive speeds there. The famous Eau Rouge corner requires a lot of respect and we will see whether we can take it at full throttle or not.“
Mark Webber (#20): “We were all so excited and keen to get the first race out of the way and pull off a clean weekend with qualifying and the race, which went better than we expected. So now going to Spa shortly after the first race is good for us to try and continue the momentum. The dialogue in the team between all the drivers, the engineers and the Porsche Motorsport HQ in Weissach has been phenomenal when looking for areas where we can keep improving, which is a no-brainer as we’ve only done one race. There is a bit of excitement in the camp, but we have our feet on the ground. We haven’t had two cars finish yet, so we’d like to do that and get both the no. 14 and no. 20 home.”

Statistics after 1 of 8 World Championship rounds:

#14 Romain Dumas/Neel Jani/Marc Lieb
Championship points: –
Championship position: –
Qualifying Silverstone: 3rd
Race Silverstone: DNF

#20 Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber
Championship points: 15
Championship position: 3rd
Qualifying Silverstone: 6th
Race Silverstone: 3rd

Porsche Team
Championship points: 15
Championship position: 2nd

The Porsche 919 Hybrid
With two different energy recovery systems the Porsche 919 Hybrid is the most complex race car the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer has ever built, and serves as the fastest mobile research laboratory for future road cars. The lightweight prototype is trimmed for extreme performance and efficiency. Besides the kinetic energy recovery system (MGU-K) under braking, the 919 Hybrid recuperates thermal exhaust energy (MGU-H) when accelerating. The combination of these two systems means a step into unknown territory for Porsche and a unique feature in the entire WEC. When the driver recalls the stored energy from the liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery packs, an electric motor drives the two front wheels. This power adds to the combustion engine (downsizing 2.0 litres V4-cylinder, turbocharged with direct injection) and this way the two systems result in temporary all-wheel drive.