24h Le Mans
The 2017 endurance season was a two-pronged affair for Porsche’s enduring flagship model. The new version of the car ran in the LMGTE Pro class, putting in a consistent performance all year long, while the old version continued to shine in the LMGTE Am class.
The 2017 version of the 911 RSR made its debut this season, heralding a fresh era with its new engine layout (the engine now sits in the centre, just before the rear wheels and no longer in the rear overhang).
The car displayed real potential over its first World Endurance Championship season. Frédéric Makowiecki and Richard Lietz may not have achieved victory but were always up among the leaders and, alongside Ferrari and Ford, remained in contention for the GT Drivers title right to the end, finally taking the runner-up spot just eight points behind champions Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. Their stablemates Michael Chistensen and Kevin Estre almost clinched their first win with the new 911 RSR at the 6 Hours of Fuji but engines trouble brought their race to an early end.
Meanwhile, Dempsey-Proton Racing fielded the old version of the 911 RSR and came very close to giving Porsche the only piece of World Endurance Championship silver missing from its cabinet, the LMGTE Am class trophy. In a three-way battle with the Aston Martin Vantage, driven by Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda, and the Clearwater Racing Ferrari, Christian Ried, Matteo Cairoli and Marvin Dienst took two straight wins, first at the 6 Hours of Nürburgring then in Mexico, and finished the season second in class overall. Ried and Cairoli teamed up with Joël Camathias under Proton Competition colours in the European Le Mans Series and finished third in the LMGTE class, with a victory in the closing round in Portimão.
The Porsche 911 RSR was the only new car in the LMGTE Pro class in 2017. Next season, it will again confront the Ford GT and the Ferrari 488 GTE, and will be joined by the latest Aston Martin Vantage and another newcomer, the BMW M8 GTE. Competition will be extremely fierce so when it finally comes, the first victory will taste even sweeter.
Photo: At the wheel of the #91 Porsche 911 RSR, Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki and Austrian Richard Lietz finished all nine rounds of the 2017 World Endurance Championship in the top 6 of their LMGTE Pro class, and took six podiums over the season.
