Porsche Faces Challenges in Dress Rehearsal for 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche Blog
May 17
2 min read

The recent six-hour race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps served as a crucial dress rehearsal for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite the picturesque setting and a large crowd of nearly 100,000 spectators, Porsche's performance was marred by setbacks and strategic missteps, leaving the team with much to analyze before the main event.

Key Takeaways

Porsche's best-placed car finished ninth, while the sister car came in twelfth.
The race featured three safety car deployments and numerous yellow flags.
The LMGT3 class saw Porsche customer teams earn valuable championship points.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is set for June 14-15, marking a significant challenge ahead.

Race Overview

The race began with high hopes for Porsche, particularly for the No. 6 Porsche 963 hybrid prototype driven by Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Pascal Wehrlein. The team initially surged from twelfth to seventh place but faced challenges after the first pit stop, ultimately finishing in ninth place.

In contrast, the No. 5 Porsche experienced a rough start when driver Julien Andlauer was spun off the track on the opening lap. Despite this setback, the team managed to recover to twelfth place by the end of the race, showcasing resilience but ultimately falling short of expectations.

Notable Incidents

Safety Car Deployments: The race was punctuated by three safety car periods, which disrupted the flow and strategy for many teams.
Transmission Issues: The Porsche 963 from the customer team Proton Competition had to retire early due to a transmission problem, highlighting reliability concerns.

Performance Analysis

Porsche's Vice President of Motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach, expressed disappointment with the results, stating, "That was another disappointing result for us and not what we expected." He acknowledged the team's efforts but emphasized the need for improvement, particularly as they prepare for Le Mans.

Driver Insights

Nico Müller (Porsche 963 #5): "The race didn’t go as we’d hoped, and we can’t sugarcoat that. We simply weren’t fast enough.
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche 963 #6): "We were significantly off the pace and struggled with tire wear."
Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 GT3 R #85): "We’re happy to take home our first championship points for tenth place."

LMGT3 Class Performance

In the LMGT3 class, Porsche's customer teams had a more favorable outing. The Manthey 1st Phorm team, despite an early spin, managed to secure seventh place, while the Iron Dames team finished tenth, earning their first championship points of the season.

Looking Ahead to Le Mans

As the teams prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for June 14-15, the lessons learned from Spa will be critical. The endurance racing calendar's highlight will test the teams' strategies, reliability, and speed against fierce competition.

With the stakes higher than ever, Porsche aims to refine its approach and come back stronger at Le Mans, where every second counts in the quest for victory.