Porsche shows where sports cars are built!
Twice double victory in the Eifel.
There was a small sensation this weekend in the Eifel. No, that does not mean the Porsche double success. After the double victory at Le Mans a few weeks ago, you are no longer considered an outsider and a newcomer in the WEC.
You could also describe temperatures of about 30 degrees in the Eifel as sensational. But we mean the huge number of 62.000 viewers coming to the 4. Race of the sports car world championship WEC arrived at the Nürburgring.
While many motor racing series are struggling to survive, constantly inventing new rules that do not understand the audience and consequently stay away, the WEC Series is gaining in popularity.
"In the WEC motorsport fans get to see" real racing "!"
No folding wings, no additional weights, no for the sitting in the stands and paying fan opaque tactical rules. The driver with the fastest gas foot stands in the front, just as racing was once in its original form and attracted thousands of people in the early decades to the European racetracks.
So the spectators got a racing show in a class of their own on the partially occupied grandstands. Through the various racing classes, there were constant overtaking maneuvers. The overpowering sports prototypes of the LMP1 class, some with up to 1000 PS, have to lap the brawny GT vehicles several times on the Nürburgring's only 5,137 kilometers short GP track.
Also in this class GTE Pro Porsche shows where to build sports cars in Germany. The Zuffenhausen celebrated with the 470 PS strong 911 RSR place 1 and place 2 in the professional class. Richard Lietz (Austria) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) won in front of their French team-mates Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet on the racing cars used by Team Manthey. For Porsche, it was the first double win in the WEC since November 2014, when two 911 RSR were ahead in Shanghai. Richard Lietz is the new leader in the World Endurance Cup for GT riders.
In the LMP1 class, Porsche has further expanded its championship lead with its double victory. The 919 Hybrid seems to be the measure of all things, not just because of the emotional comeback success at Le Mans. Where the victory in the heat battle at the Nürburgring was fought hard. The winning Porsche with the #17 entered the race from second place and after 31 laps was one minute behind the sister car with the number #18. The driver trio Marc Lieb, Neel Jani and Dumas had to fight but from round 54 with a total of three stop-and-go penalties, which nullified all chances of victory. Reason was always a faulty working sensor and the resulting higher fuel consumption than the regulations allowed.
From lap 167, Jani fought a gripping fight with the Audi in front of him and Marc Lieb was able to take second place in a tough fight in the final phase.
Victory drivers Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AUS) had to show real "racing" on the curvy traditional race track. Starting from second place, one lost a good 10 seconds in the ninth race lap in a neutralization phase. Shortly thereafter, the first pit stop is preferred, because damage to the front had a negative impact on the aerodynamics. Now Webber sits behind the wheel, the now fallen in sixth place 919 Hybrid with the #17. With a new bonnet and plenty of experience, the former Formula 1 rider sets off on a grandiose comeback. After a few more driver changes Webber also drives the final phase from round 175 in the Porsche 919 Hybrid and is the first to cross the finish line.
With the dream balance sheet from Sunday, Porsche extends its lead in the manufacturers' championship of the World Championship to 33 points against Audi and 95 points against Toyota.
Voices after the race:
Matthias Müller, CEO Porsche AG: "After the successful Le Mans weekend, we arrived here with great expectations. The time since the 14. June was well used, and we showed here today two double wins in the LMP1 and GTE Pro classes, which Porsche is capable of. You can only congratulate the two teams and everyone involved. "
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1: "To clinch a one-two at the first WEC appearance in Germany is, of course, fantastic. The new aerodynamics work very well. Therefore, and with the points of today, our goal has moved a bit closer, namely to win the Manufacturers World Cup. For that I would like to thank the whole team at home in Weissach. We look forward to the next four six-hour races. "
Mark Webber (39, Australia): "After Le Mans the second double victory for our team is just terrific. It's my first Porsche triumph and for Brendon, Timo and me, of course, a very big day, but it's a team success. The two drove outstanding, we had no technical problems and have made an important step for our performance on shorter racetracks. The traffic density today was sometimes really brutal, but we did it. "
Six-hour race Nürburgring (DE), race result:
1. Bernhard / Hartley / Webber (D / NZ / AUS), Porsche 919 Hybrid, 203 rounds
2. Dumas / Jani / Lieb (F / CH / D), Porsche 919 Hybrid, - 1 laps
3. Fässler / Lotterer / Tréluyer (CH / D / F), Audi R18 e-tron quattro, - 1 lap
4. Di Grassi / Duval / Jarvis (BRA / F / GB), Audi R18 e-tron quattro, - 1 laps
5. Davidson / Buemi / Nakajima (GB / CH / J), Toyota TS040 Hybrid, - 3 rounds
6. Wurz / Sarrazin / Conway (A / F / GB), Toyota TS040 Hybrid, - 4 rounds
FIA World Endurance Championship WEC, stand after 4 of 8 races, driver:
1. Lotterer / Tréluyer / Fässler (D / F / CH), Audi, 95
2. Bernhard / Hartley / Webber (D / NZ / AUS), Porsche 78
3. Dumas / Jani / Lieb (F / CH / D), Porsche, 76
4. Tandy (GB), Porsche & Oreca, 66
5. Bamber / Hulkenberg (NZ / D), Porsche, 58
6. Di Grassi / Duval / Jarvis (BRA / F / GB), Audi, 52
Manufacturer:
1. Porsche, 184
2.Audi, 151
3.Toyota, 89
© Photos: Bernd Schweickard