7 Porsche on the grid at Qatar
New competition in the battle for overall victories, a new class structure with just two categories and a new format for qualifying: the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has been revamped for 2024. Porsche will be represented by a total of seven race cars this year.
5 Porsche 963
The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team will once again join the fight for the world championship crown with its two Porsche 963 race cars. The team from Mannheim (Germany) has been preparing for the upcoming World Endurance Championship debut in the Arabian Peninsula over two days of testing at the Losail International Circuit and the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona (Spain). At the so-called prologue, the two-day official pre-season tests, the ca. 500 kW (680 PS) hybrid prototypes will be optimally set up for the track conditions in Doha.
The works cars
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team will once again join the fight for the world championship crown with its two Porsche 963 race cars. Each of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s two Porsche 963 race cars will again be driven by three works drivers in the 2024 season. Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki and Dane Michael Christensen will share the wheel of the No. 5 car with Matt Campbell. The Australian, who won the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, has swapped his regular IMSA seat with the American Dane Cameron. The No. 6 car will be helmed by the same driver trio as the previous season: Kévin Estre from France and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium will share the cockpit with André Lotterer from Germany.
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
LEFT: Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #5): “After our victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the anticipation for the start of the FIA WEC season is even greater. We completed a successful test on the track there at the end of last year. I’m sure that we’re prepared for the race. The car is fast and reliable, our team is highly motivated and well-positioned. It’d be great if we could have a similarly successful start in the world championship as we did recently in the IMSA series.”
RIGHT: Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “Heading into our second year with the Porsche 963, expectations are high. The entire team has worked tirelessly over the winter to further optimise the vehicle and our processes. It’s too early to say whether that’ll be enough to bring home victories. Our crew at the helm of the number 6 car is the same. We’re stable in that regard. We will, however, have two new engineers in the pits for the 2024 season. We already have great synergy within the team. The track in Qatar has its quirks. The optimal use of our tyres will be particularly tricky. We’re shooting for a podium finish to start the new season and then aim to take that momentum into the next races.”
The customer teams
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
Two customer teams with three Porsche 963 tackle the top Hypercar class:
The customer team Hertz Team Jota competes with two Porsche 963 for the first time. British drivers Will Stevens and Callum Ilott will share the cockpit of the No. 12 car with Frenchman Norman Nato. The sister car is helmed by an even more star-studded line-up: Ex-Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button (United Kingdom) will alternate behind the wheel of the No. 38 with Oliver Rasmussen (Denmark) and Phil Hanson (United Kingdom).
The identical hybrid prototype from Proton Competition with the starting number 99 will be driven by Swiss driver Neel Jani and Briton Harry Tincknell together with former Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France).
📷 © Courtesy of Ferrari.
LEFT: Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “I’m very eager for the new season to finally get underway in Qatar. We learnt a lot about the Porsche 963 in 2023 and we now know much more about how to set up and drive the car better. That makes me confident for the new FIA WEC season. I’m driving with two new teammates; we’ve already worked very well together and adjusted to one another in a joint test session. I’m confident we can achieve strong results in 2024.”
CENTER: Jenson Button (Porsche 963 #38): “Heading into the prologue in Qatar, our focus is on fine-tuning the set-up ahead of the season opener. The three of us in the #38 car work really well together, we’re in sync and I feel very comfortable with the dynamic. The prologue will be the first time we’re testing with both cars so it’s an important opportunity for all six drivers to work as one and make sure we’re fully prepared for the first race in Qatar. Hertz Team Jota has an impressive track record and I’m looking forward to working hard and seeing what we can achieve together this season.”
RIGHT: Julien Andlauer (Porsche 963 #99): “I’ve been racing for Proton Competition since 2018. The crew is like family to me. This season, the team is giving me the opportunity to step into the Hypercar class with the Porsche 963 – it’s just phenomenal! The fact that soon I’ll be able to compete for overall victories in the FIA WEC and at Le Mans means a great deal to me. I already got a taste of the car during my stint in the WEC rookie test in Bahrain at the end of last season. I’ll certainly learn a lot from my teammates Neel Jani and Harry Tincknell. I’m super excited and can hardly wait for my first laps in Qatar.”
2 Porsche 911 GT3 R
As the LMP2 prototype category has been removed and will only return for the season highlight at Le Mans and the GTE-Am class has also been withdrawn, the new LMGT3 category will now see the 911 GT3 R replacing the Porsche 911 RSR that succeeded during many years.
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
Porsche’s experienced customer team Manthey will fly the brand’s flag with the 911 GT3 R. “The new class in the FIA WEC is a huge step for the entire GT3 sport: we can finally showcase our successful GT3 car on the world championship stage,” says a delighted Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “We’re ideally positioned with Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing. Our customer teams will set up the cars perfectly and take on the competition with strong driver trios. I’m looking forward to a great spectacle and can’t wait for the season opener in Qatar.”
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
Manthey is celebrating its comeback to the world championship stage in the new LMGT3 class. The seasoned squad from Germany’s Eifel region, which was responsible for the works entries with the Porsche 911 RSR until the end of 2022, will field two 911 GT3 R producing up to 415 kW (565 PS) in the upcoming season. Works driver Richard Lietz from Austria will line up on the grid with Dutchman Morris Schuring and Australian Yasser Shahin in the No. 91 car decked out in the Manthey EMA livery. Klaus Bachler from Austria, Alex Malykhin (United Kingdom) and the German Joel Sturm will race the No. 92 car representing Manthey PureRxcing.
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “I’m about to start my first full season of GT3 racing – let’s see how it goes. I’m sharing the Porsche 911 GT3 R with a line-up of strong colleagues. We need to become a slick unit as quickly as possible. It’s all about what each individual prefers in terms of the car setup. It’s new for everyone. We’ll learn a lot on the first weekend and we’ll have to build complete trust. The aim is to achieve a strong result right from the opening race.”
📷 © Courtesy of Porsche.
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “I’m delighted to be driving on the big world championship stage for the first time. It’ll be my first race in an official FIA World Championship. I don’t know the Qatar circuit yet but I’m not at all concerned about that. We work really well as a team. I’m proud to be able to compete for Manthey PureRxcing. The Porsche 911 GT3 R is a top car. We’re also very well positioned in terms of drivers: We contested the Asian Le Mans Series together over the winter, so we’re already well rehearsed.”
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