- Strong FIA WEC prologue for Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963
- Proton Competition and Hertz Team Jota customer teams impress
- Hybrid prototype from Weissach at the top in all four test sessions
- Two Porsche 911 GT3 R clock high mileage in the new LMGT3-Klasse
- FIA World Endurance Championship kicks off on Saturday
Porsche Penske Motorsport heads into the first round of the FIA World Endurance Championship well prepared. During the two-day test drives at Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, the two factory Porsche 963 covered a total of 449 laps. Next Saturday, the same venue will host the season opening race of the 2024 season. The three identical, 505 kW (687 PS) hybrid prototypes of Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition were equally convincing during the FIA WEC’s so-called Prologue. In the new LMGT3 class, Manthey gained some first experience with their two Porsche 911 GT3 R on the Formula 1 track near the Qatari capital Doha.
The FIA WEC prologue, originally planned for Saturday and Sunday, was postponed and shortened due to delays in the transport of equipment. The management of the World Endurance Championship scheduled four sessions on Monday and Tuesday at short notice. While the customer team Hertz Team Jota decided to take part in the first training session on Monday afternoon, the Porsche 963 from Porsche Penske Motorsport and Proton Competition as well as the Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing only went out on the track from the second session.
The results after the two-day prologue were extremely positive: A Porsche 963 topped the time list in each of the four sessions. In total, the seven racing cars from Weissach covered 8,820 kilometres and set a strong pace even over long distances. The fastest lap time of the entire test was set by works driver Frédéric Makowiecki (France) at the wheel of the No. 5 Porsche 963 in 1:40.404 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. The No. 12 car fielded by Hertz Team Jota was only around a tenth of a second slower.
“The results of our factory team looked significantly better on the second day as on Monday. However, you can’t read too much into the timesheets,” explains Urs Kuratle, Director of Factory Motorsport LMDh. “We did our homework and worked meticulously through the extensive to-do plan. We were only concerned with minimal issues – no drama at all. It was a successful test that once again boosted our confidence as we head into the new season. We are definitely better sorted than we were at the start of our debut year in 2023.”
“The prologue went very smoothly for us on both days,” states Jonathan Diuguid. The Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport added: “It was incomparable to what we experienced at the prologue in Sebring last year – a significant leap forward in all respects. We started the year well in the FIA WEC and are now looking forward to the start of the first race weekend.”
Hertz Team Jota was the first to shine in the prologue. The British customer team completed several long runs in the first two training sessions and took the lead in the overall ranking with the Porsche 963. The team of ex-Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button from Great Britain turned a total of 491 laps on both days and was systematically preparing for the first FIA WEC race of the season in Qatar. The 505 kW (687 PS) hybrid car from Proton Competition picked up speed as the prologue progressed. The two Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned by Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing impressed with consistent lap times and covered 2,779 kilometres. The two up to 415 kW (565 PS) 911 entries will tackle the new LMGT3 class.
The “Qatar 1812 km” season opener will kick off next Saturday at 11:00 a.m. local time (9:00 a.m. CET). The race over a planned 1,812 kilometres will run over a maximum of ten hours. Due to the length of the first race of the season, the normal World Championship points will be multiplied by a factor of 1.5.
The schedule for the WEC opening round in Qatar (local time, CET +2)
Thursday, 29 February
12:20 pm – 1:50 pm: Free practice 1
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Free practice 2
Friday, 1 March
11:00 am – noon: Free practice 3
4:00 pm – 4:12 pm: Qualifying LMGT3
4:20 pm – 4:32 pm: Qualifying Hypercar
4:40 pm – 4:50 pm: Hyperpole LMGT3
4:58 pm – 5:08 pm: Hyperpole Hypercar
Saturday, 2 March
11:00 am – 9:00 pm: Race
