Porsche 963 Claims Front Row at WEC Interlagos

Porsche Penske Motorsport secured a front-row start for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, with the No. 5 Porsche 963 qualifying second. This strong performance in the Hypercar class was complemented by the Iron Dames customer team achieving their best LMGT3 qualifying result of the season, starting seventh. The race promises intense competition on the newly resurfaced Interlagos circuit.

Porsche 963 Secures Front Row Start

In a thrilling qualifying session at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, the Porsche Penske Motorsport team demonstrated impressive pace. Julien Andlauer, driving the No. 5 Porsche 963, secured second place on the grid with a lap time of 1:22.834 minutes. His teammate Kévin Estre, in the No. 6 Porsche 963, qualified seventh. Both cars successfully advanced to the Hyperpole session, a significant improvement for the team this season.

• The No. 5 Porsche 963, driven by Julien Andlauer and Michael Christensen, will start from the front row.

• The No. 6 Porsche 963, piloted by Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, secured seventh position.

• Urs Kuratle, Head of Works Motorsport LMDh, expressed satisfaction with both Porsche 963s making it into Hyperpole.

• Travis Law, Technical Director Porsche Penske Motorsport, highlighted the good starting positions for the race.

LMGT3 Class Sees Iron Dames Shine

The LMGT3 class also saw notable performances from Porsche customer teams. The Iron Dames team, with their No. 85 Porsche 911 GT3 R, achieved their best qualifying result of the season, starting seventh. Célia Martin's initial strong lap secured their spot in the Hyperpole, where Rahel Frey further improved their position.

• The Iron Dames team (Célia Martin, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting) qualified seventh, marking their best season performance.

• The Manthey 1st Phorm sister car, No. 92, qualified 13th, impacted by success ballast from their Le Mans victory.

Navigating the New Interlagos Surface

The 4.309-kilometer Autódromo José Carlos Pace features a new asphalt surface this year, presenting a unique challenge for the teams. Michelin, the tire partner for the Hypercar class, utilized a new measuring device called AMES to analyze the track's micro and macro structures, providing crucial data for tire wear and grip conditions.

• Michelin's AMES device provided precise 3D representations of the new asphalt surface.

• Romain Gineste, Head of Track Engineering for Porsche Motorsport, noted that the new tarmac made the track slightly faster with potentially increased tire wear.

Driver Reactions and Race Outlook

Drivers shared their thoughts on the qualifying session and their expectations for the upcoming 6-hour race.

• Julien Andlauer (Porsche 963 #5): "Second place on the grid is an even better result as last time out at Le Mans. I'm quite happy with this outcome because we improved very well over the free practice sessions and optimised the performance potential of our 963 over one lap.

• Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): "Seventh place on the grid is ok, but not what we wanted to achieve. Pole position was just as out of reach for us today as the third-fastest time for our sister car. We now have to analyse that."

• Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 GT3 R #85): "In the Hyperpole for the first time! Thanks a lot to Célia – of course it's great that we were finally able to take part in the top ten shootout! With new tyres and a light car, it's always a great feeling on the track."

The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo is scheduled to start on Sunday at 11:30 local time (16:30 CEST).