#1 and #2 PORSCHE 919 Hybrid (LMP1)

Vice President, LMP1: Fritz Enzinger
Team Manager: Andreas Seidl
Locations: Weissach and Flach (DEU)
www.porsche.com/international/motorsportandevents/motorsport/
 

2014 FIA WEC classification: 3rd, World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship (193 pts - 1 win)

2015 FIA WEC classification: 1st, World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship (344 pts - 6 wins)

2016 FIA WEC classification: 1st, World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship (324 pts - 6 wins)

2017 FIA WEC results

6 Hours of Silverstone: 2nd, Bernhard/Bamber/Hartley (DEU/NZL/NZL), #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid; 3rd, Jani/Lotterer/Tandy (CHE/DEU/GBR), #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid

WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: 3rd, Bernhard/Bamber/Hartley (DEU/NZL/NZL), #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid; 4th, Jani/Lotterer/Tandy (CHE/DEU/GBR), #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid

Thanks to the innovative concept of the 919 Hybrid, unlike Audi and Toyota, Porsche had no need to develop a completely new car for 2016. The new season began with a win for Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb at Silverstone, albeit by default, following Audi’s disqualification. However, the reigning world champions were forced to retire after Brendon Hartley crashed spectacularly. He fortunately walked away unscathed but the car was in no state to resume the race.

At Spa, the #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid took pole position yet finished last after two flats and a faulty gearbox.  The other car’s hybrid system was found to be faulty on the sixth lap, yet although it was not as fast as its opponents, it was not involved in any race incidents and finished second. Dumas, Jani and Lieb therefore retained the lead in the championship and, following their Le Mans win, took the crown at the end of the season.

Neel Jani banked the best lap (3:19.733) in the qualifiers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving his team pole position. However, the Porsche 919 Hybrid #2 conceded the lead to the Toyota TS050 Hybrid #6 and then to the #5, which was on course for the win until the last lap. The world watched with bated breath as the car ground to a halt in the pit straight while Neel Jani in the Porsche #2 sped past to snatch victory.

The reigning WEC champions had conceded defeat much earlier in the race, when the #1 was relegated to the garage due to overheating. A new water pump did nothing to solve the problem and after returning to the garage for more repairs, the car went back on track in the early hours of the morning and finished 13th overall.

At Nürburgring, things were different. The Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley/Mark Webber crew took the victory while the #2 crew were plagued with a combination of technical issues and bad luck. However, thanks to the Le Mans win, the #2 crew Dumas/Jani/Lieb had such a healthy lead in the championship that they could not be caught. Despite victories at Nürburgring, Mexico, Austin and Shanghai, Bernhard/Hartley/Webber finished fourth, more than 25 points behind their teammates. All the same, thanks to both crews, Porsche took home the manufacturers trophy for the second year running, and enabled Mark Webber to end his racing career on a high note.

Porsche therefore began the 2017 season as favourites. With neither Webber nor Audi no longer on the scene, the Porsche team was reshuffled. Lotterer transferred from Audi and Dumas and Lieb were replaced by 2015 Le Mans winners Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy.

Audi’s departure from endurance racing leaves Porsche and Toyota in a head-to-head. In the season-opener at Silverstone, the German manufacturer opted for the Le Mans aerodynamics package, which turned out to be a bad choice. The 919 Hybrids were outdone in terms of pace but quick pit-stops and a well-timed safety car intervention enabled them to stay in the race. Hartley in the #2 came out ahead after the last pit stop but could not hold off Sébastien Buemi. The first round ended in a win for Toyota with Porsche second and third.

After clinching pole position, the #1 Porsche 919 Hybrid missed out on the podium altogether at the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which ended in a Toyota one-two. The Full Course Yellow dashed all hopes of success for Jani/Lotterer/Tandy (fourth) while the trio at the wheel of the #2 sister car (third) lost time at the beginning of the race due to a slow puncture. Hartley’s collision with Dumas’ Alpine did not help matters either as the Kiwi, who had clocked the fastest lap in the race, was forced back to the pits to change the car’s damaged nose.

The German manufacturer is still looking for its first win of the season going into Le Mans, but will undoubtedly leave no stone unturned in its quest for a 19th crown.

Photo: Pascal Saivet, Vision Sport Agency