Porsche Motorsport (FIA World Endurance Championships)

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Start-finish win and manufacturers’ title for Porsche 919 Hybrid

Start-finish win and manufacturers’ title for Porsche 919 Hybrid

07/11/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 20081841

Porsche celebrates its sixth race win this season and the successful defense of the manufacturers’ world championship title in Shanghai. At the penultimate of nine rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship the race winners were Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber, who started from pole position and lead the whole 195-lap race.

The trio with the sister Porsche 919 Hybrid, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, who are the championship leaders, started from sixth and finished fourth.

Hartley set the fastest race lap with at time of 1.45,935 minutes on the 5.451 kilometre long Shanghai International Circuit. The six-hour race was held in dry conditions and temperatures of around 23 degrees Celsius.

“Brendon was flying today and Timo’s double stint was really nice", said Mark.  "I did a single stint and got some used tyres out of the way before Brendon brought it home. It was an amazing day for Porsche and we are really happy to have contributed to it.”

To read more about Porsche's reaction to defending the manufacturers' world championship, read the press release HERE.

The Porsche 919 Hybrid takes pole position in Shanghai

The Porsche 919 Hybrid takes pole position in Shanghai

06/11/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 20070405
 

The reigning world champions, Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber, took pole position for the eighth and penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Shanghai. The current championship leaders, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, will start sixth on the grid for the six-hour race on Sunday. Today’s pole is the third one this season for the Porsche 919 Hybrid, the around 900 HP strong hybrid racing car also started from P1 in Spa and in Le Mans. Since its debut in 2014, the 919 now has 15 quickest times in qualifying to its tally, and eight of these were achieved by Bernhard/Hartley/Webber.

In the WEC the average of the two fastest laps of two drivers counts for the qualifying result. In China the qualifying drivers were Hartley/Webber (car number 1, position 1, 1:44.462 minutes) and Jani/Lieb (car number 2, position 6, 1:45.051 minutes). Extra excitement came into play when the lap times of both the drivers who were at the wheel first were deleted. For Brendon Hartley this was because of exceeding track limits in the last corner, for Marc Lieb the reason was slightly exceeding the allowed fuel consumption. Both drivers got another set of fresh tyres for their second attempt.

The six-hour race on the 5.451 kilometre long Chinese Formula One circuit starts on Sunday at 11:00 hrs (04:00 hrs in central Europe). In Shanghai early title decisions are possible. Continuing ‘friendly’ weather conditions promise tough and close racing until the very last minute.

The third free practice session in the morning went smoothly with Porsche’s two Le Mans prototypes coming third (car number 2, 1:44.913 minutes) and fifth (car number 1, 1:45.418 minutes).

“It was a really tight fight for pole position today and it is great we made it," said Mark.  "Brendon did a really good job and our average time in the end is very strong. It seems the Toyota had a little bit of traffic on the last lap, so perhaps we have been a bit fortunate. However, we took a point away from the competition and this helps the sister car in its fight for the drivers’ title.”

 
Porsche 919 Hybrid extends manufacturers’ championship lead in Japan

Porsche 919 Hybrid extends manufacturers’ championship lead in Japan

17/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19799951

Porsche came third and fifth with its two 919 Hybrids in a thrilling six-hour race at the Fuji International Speedway. Porsche thus defended its lead in both, the manufacturers’ and drivers’ classifications, at the seventh out of nine rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Toyota achieved a victory on home soil. After 244 laps all three manufacturers engaged in the top category LMP1 were within 18 seconds.

For quite a while Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber had chances to win the race; in the end they finished third. The reigning world champions had started from second place on the grid. This year’s Le Mans winners and current championship leaders, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, had started from sixth position. They were unhappy with the car’s balance for some of the time and came fifth. Because their closest rivals in the drivers’ championship took more points than them, their advantage has shrunk to 23 points.

In the manufacturers’ standings, Porsche (263 points) has increased its lead over Audi (204). Toyota follows with 174 points and there are two more six-hour races to come. 

The race at the foot of Mount Fuji was held in constantly dry conditions at ambient temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius.

“The start and first lap of the race was pretty clean racing for everyone,” said Mark. “Then we settled into the grove. The Audi and Toyota were faster than us in the beginning but we stayed in the game and improved when the track temperatures came down a bit. On my second stint I got some time back on the Toyota and to the Audi who apparently had a problem at the pit stop. The race was coming to us a little bit to us. For a very long time the three cars at the front could equally have won the race. Congratulations to Audi.”

Timo, Brendon and Mark qualify on front row in Fuji

Timo, Brendon and Mark qualify on front row in Fuji

16/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19776540

The two Porsche 919 Hybrids will start from positions two and six on the grid for the seventh round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan. The reigning world champions, Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber, have qualified on the front row. The current championship leaders, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, will start the six-hour race on Sunday from sixth on the grid. Pole position went to their rivals from Audi: The car number 8 crew was 0.025 seconds faster than the best Porsche. This translates into a distance of less than 1.4 metres.

For Porsche, this year’s mission hots up with the race at the 4.549 kilometre Formula One circuit at the foot of Mount Fuji. Porsche’s target is to defend both titles, for manufacturers as well as for drivers. Mathematically, but only if there were extraordinary circumstances, an early outcome in Japan is possible. The race starts on Sunday at 11:00 hrs (04:00 hrs in central Europe).

In the WEC the average of the respective best laps of two drivers counts for the grid position. Bernhard/Webber (car number 1, position 2, 1:23.595 minutes) and Jani/Lieb (car number 2, position 6, 1:24.134 minutes) were the qualifying drivers in Japan.

In the morning’s third free practice session the two 919 Hybrids came third (car number 2, 1:24.558 Minutes) and sixth (car number 1, 1:25.623 Minutes).

“It was a really good fight for pole today,” said Mark. “It wasn’t quite enough for us, but Timo and I we were both happy with our best laps and we are in good shape for the race.”

Webber confirms retirement from motorsport to take on new role with Porsche

Webber confirms retirement from motorsport to take on new role with Porsche

14/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19763273

The six-hour race at FIA WEC World Endurance Championship in Bahrain onNovember 19 will be the last time the reigning World Champion from Australia will compete as a works driver. Afterwards new tasks await the nine times Formula One Grands Prix winner: 40-year old Mark Webber will represent Porsche at global events and as a consultant will contribute by lending his experience to the motorsport programmes of the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart. This includes talent research as well as driver training for up and coming professionals and the huge number of worldwide Porsche amateur racers. Alongside rally legend Walter Röhrl (69) Webber is now the make’s second representative. Both are distinguished by a successful racing career as well as by a huge affinity to Porsche.

“Mark Webber stands for everything what Porsche implies: sportsmanship, power of endurance, straightforwardness and focused work for success. He is full of beans and always a thoughtful listener. I want to thank Mark for his great performance in the World Endurance Championship and am pleased he will remain tightly connected to Porsche in the future”, says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing h.c. F. Porsche AG.

Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1, is sorry to see the driver retire from the cockpit. “Already in the important period of building up the programme, Mark has strengthened us with all his experience and he seamlessly integrated himself into the team. Behind the wheel he is a fair fighter, never shy of even the toughest wheel-to-wheel battle. At the same time, he thinks strategically and is team orientated. This mixture makes him invaluable as an endurance racer. Winning the 2015 drivers’ world championship together with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley almost seemed to be a logical consequence. Also thanks to his performance, we hope to win the world championship titles for manufacturers and drivers again in 2016.” Currently the Porsche Team ranks first in both classifications. In the manufacturers’ world championship Porsche leads with 238 points ahead of Audi (185) and Toyota (137). Romain Dumas/Neel Jani/Marc Lieb have a 37.5 lead ahead of the best placed Audi trio. There are still three races remaining.

„I have arrived where I belong“, says Mark Webber. “Porsche is the brand I always loved most and the one that suits me the best. The 911 is iconic – it has got elegance, performance and understatement, and is never intrusive. It is just the right car for every scenario.” He continues: “I will miss the sheer speed, downforce and competition, but I want to leave on a high and I’m very much looking forward to my new tasks.”

Mark Webber has no need to quit his professional racing career. His lap times still top the time-sheets, he remains fit, his experience is priceless and his relationship with his teammates has bonded into lasting friendships. Webber always knew what he wanted after his successful Formula One career. “It was a big change from Formula One to LMP1 and an entirely new experience. But it came at the right time for me. I found I liked sharing a car and the chemistry between Timo, Brendon and me is special and something I’ll always remember. It will be strange getting into the race car for the very last time in Bahrain but for now I will thoroughly enjoy every moment of the remaining races.”

Aussie Grit: the Mark Webber story

Since 1991 everything in Mark Webber’s life has been dedicated to racing. Karting, Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula 3000, 215 Formula One Grands Prix including nine victories and 42 podiums in what is the pinnacle of motor racing. In 2013 he found his home at Porsche. As early as in 2015 he became FIA World Endurance Champion, a title he was fighting hard for, together with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley in their 919 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype. 2016 though marks a year of changes in the life of the popular Australian. Early this summer he married his long-time partner Ann, on August 27 he turned 40 and at the end of the 2016 season he will give up with professional racing to take on his new role as Porsche’s special representative and consultant.

Webber is a straightforward man and he’s honest with himself. In his book Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey, published in 2015, he gives a deeper insight into his career. He left his home in Queanbeyan in New South Wales, Australia, at the age of 19 with a clear goal – to further his career as a racing driver in England. He was one of many, and one of those without a sponsor, but he had natural talent. He won the prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, contested Formula 3 and Formula 3000. He was invited to join the sports car programme at Mercedes. The 24-hour Le Mans race was set to be the highlight of the 1999 season. The car and the team were considered favourites. But the car’s aerodynamics were on a knife-edge. Webber’s car launched into a backflip in the qualifying session and again in the warm-up. He survived two dramatic crashes unharmed, but his career seemed to have run out of steam. The page turned, however, with a successful Formula One test drive for the Benetton team, which secured him a test and reserve driver position in 2001.

The biggest triumph: The finale in Bahrain

Webber's Formula One debut was memorable: he finished fifth in 2002 at his home Grand Prix in Melbourne – with an inferior Minardi. In 2005 he scored his first podium with the former BMW WilliamsF1 team. He celebrated his first F1 win at the 2009 German Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing in his 131st Grand Prix. In 2010 and 2012 he won the Monaco Grand Prix. After 15 years, it was an older and more mature Webber who returned to La Sarthe in 2014. His incident-packed experience from 1999 seemed far away, but the much wanted victory has continued to evade him: In 2014, as he was driving in second place with only two hours to go when a bang from the powertrain shattered the dream. In 2015, the 919 that he again shared with Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley was running in the lead during the first third of the race, only to have a time penalty to relegate them down the field. The trio launched a charge through the field to claim second place. In 2016 it was a damaged water pump that prevented him and his teammates from winning Le Mans.

The biggest triumph was achieved at a nerve-wracking finale in November 2015 in Bahrain: both throttle barrel levers were broken and had to be locked at full throttle. The 919 was only able to finish the race thanks to outstanding engineering performance in the background and a driver sensitivity that looked superhuman. The title was at stake. “To have scored my first World Championship title with Timo and Brendon with Porsche means a great deal to me,” says Webber who never talks about this feat without mentioning his teammates.

First Porsche was a Turbo model

His affinity to Porsche, however, is nothing new. As a teenager he drove a 911, borrowed from a friend, and when he bought his own first Porsche he went straight for a Turbo model. Today the collection includes a 918 Spyder, a 911 R, a GT3 RS (991), a 911 GT2 RS (997), a 911 GT3 RS 4.0, a 1954 356 Cabriolet and a 1974 2.7 Carrera.

For immediate release
October 13, 2016

Following this afternoon’s announcement by Porsche that Mark Webber will assume a new role as special representative for the German automotive manufacturer as he signs off on a long and successful career behind the wheel, the 40-year old Australian has confirmed his intentions and future plans.

“Of course hanging up my professional racing helmet is a very big decision but I’ve been extremely fortunate to receive great counsel from two of the legends of our sport, Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda, about the timings of such a decision,” said Webber as he prepares for this weekend’s Fuji round of the WEC.

“The timing is right for me – you certainly view things a bit differently when you get a bit older and your priorities in life change. As with my F1 career, it’s nice to making the decision on my own terms.

Webber added, “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time in the cockpit with Porsche and could never have envisaged having such a dynamic relationship with my two team-mates in the #1 919, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. It’s been a sensational three years and off the back of three consecutive wins, I’m hoping we can continue our good form and finish this year strongly.

“It’s an absolute honour for me to remain with Porsche and whether it’s at the track or away from it, I’m looking forward to putting my 26 years’ experience as a competitor to good use in my new role within the company.

“In addition to Porsche, I’m incredibly fortunate to be walking into some new and exciting opportunities with Red Bull (who I will have been with for 10 years next year), Channel 4 in the UK, and Network Ten and Michelin in Australia. As for Aussie Grit himself, I’m working on a couple of new ventures too, so watch this space!”

Mark's Fuji Memories

Mark's Fuji Memories

11/10/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19723059

Of all the venues I’ve been to in the past 20 or so years of racing, Japan has always been a special place to go to. The whole country is crazy for motor sport and embrace us drivers regardless of which team we’re driving for or which country we’re from. The Japanese love Super GT, motor bike races, F1 and endurance racing.

Growing up in Australia I remember watching the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle race on TV, as a lot of Australians rode in that race and it was an easy one to follow due to the time difference.

The track in Fuji has a long sportscar racing history with the first races taking place in the 1960s and they hosted the World Sportscar Championship in the early 1980s and have since hosted Super GT races and other categories such as F1 in 2007 and 2008.

I enjoy racing at the Fuji track, it’s a challenging circuit with the traditional long straight. I like the start of the second sector, with a left and then long double right before the hairpin at the back and then into a high speed passage. The last sector is quite a challenge too, it’s tight and twisty, which I actually really like and it suits our 919 very well with the four-wheel drive.

The setting with Mount Fuji in the backdrop is quite spectacular and we always receive a warm welcome from the Japanese fans who know and love their motorsport.

The competition in the last few races has been pretty close and that will be no different in the remaining rounds. There are so many things you have to get right as a team, whether it’s the weather or tyre strategy - you have to be on top of your game. Off the back of the last few races we want to keep the run going with car number 1 and get another nice results in Japan.

Three in a row - Mark and his team mates score hat-trick in Texas

Three in a row - Mark and his team mates score hat-trick in Texas

18/09/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19437537

By taking the season’s fifth win, Porsche has extended its lead in the manufacturers’ standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship. At the sixth out of nine championship rounds, held in Austin, Texas, the reigning world champions, Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber achieved their third victory in a row in tropical weather conditions. They had started from third position on the grid. Meanwhile coming from fifth on the grid, this year’s Le Mans winners, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, experienced a rather mixed race in the United States. They finished fourth in the six-hour race and defended their lead in the drivers’ championship.

When the race got underway at 5pm local time, ambient temperatures were over 35 degree Celsius and tested the drivers and mechanics to the limit. The cooler it became after sunset, the stronger the Porsche 919 Hybrid became. Thanks to a well-managed pit stop strategy, the winning trio took the lead some time after mid distance.

In total this is the 12th victory for the innovative Porsche 919 Hybrid prototype since its 2014 debut. For Bernhard/Hartley/Webber it is their seventh WEC success. Porsche now leads the manufacturers’ standings with 238 points ahead of Audi (185) and Toyota (137). Dumas/Jani/Lieb lead the drivers’ standings by 37.5 points ahead of the best Audi trio.

“It was tough racing with fair battles today and Timo’s and Brendon’s drives were awesome,” said Mark. “After the start we got into a rhythm. In the middle of the race the situation looked stable. The Audis in front were extremely quick in the heat, but this was no surprise. We knew we had to do a clean race and if they had stayed that strong we would have pushed them over the line. But then Audi had a problem and we have been lucky when the timing of a Full Course Yellow played into our hands. Despite the heat, our guys in the garage did a great job again in the pit stops.”

Mark's Austin Memories

Mark's Austin Memories

13/09/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19375808

A challenging track with big crowds, private Porsche collections and a huge sportscar following – here’s what makes racing in the States special for Mark.

Sportscar racing has a huge following in America and they love their big endurance events such as the Sebring 12 hours and the 24 hours of Daytona. It’s also Porsche’s biggest market and you see the iconic shapes in daily traffic, cruising on seaside roads or out on the track. There are countless Porsche Clubs all over the country and some of the finest pieces find themselves well looked after in private collectors hands.

Ahead of my first WEC race at Austin two years ago, I went via Durham in North Carolina to check out the private Ingram Collection where Bob Ingram has assembled one of the most significant Porsche collections in the world with over 30 stunning examples from the 1950s all the way through to Porsche’s latest supercar, the Spyder 918.

I went back again last year during the summer break and this time we drove some of the cars at the Virginia International Raceway which is probably one of the nicest old-school tracks I’ve come across in years. I had an absolute blast!

The weekend at COTA is always interesting due to the different conditions we’re facing with sessions during daylight and in the cooler night hours. We’ve also seen that rain plays a role when the race was interrupted two years ago with a massive downpour. With the late afternoon race start it’s quite a unique atmosphere when we’re racing in the twilight window, I’ve always enjoyed the special mood when the sun goes down and the night settles in – a bit like at Le Mans.

The modern track in Austin has a little bit of everything – ups and downs, long straights, quick and slow corners – it’s quite demanding for the car and driver.

Over the last two years we’ve seen a massive crowd around the track and the welcome and support we’ve received there with the WEC was great. They’re passionate and thoroughly enjoy the event and watching us race while having barbecues.

We won in Austin last year and it would be nice to get the hat trick after our wins at the Nürburgring and in Mexico.

Porsche wins WEC debut in Mexico

Porsche wins WEC debut in Mexico

04/09/2016, International, Motorsport - Road Racing, FIA World Endurance Championships, Article # 19263587

The reigning world champions Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber won the thrilling six-hour race in Mexico City. By winning the fifth of nine rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the 919 Hybrid Porsche further extended its lead in the manufacturers’ standings. The trio of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb came fourth in the race on Saturday and extended their lead in the drivers’ world championship. The fastest race lap on the 4.304 kilometre Formula One track was achieved by Brendon Hartley in 1:25.880 minutes on lap 114.

In total this is the 11th victory for the innovative Porsche 919 Hybrid prototype since its 2014 debut. In the current season the 919 has won four races, including the Le Mans 24 Hours. For Bernhard/Hartley/Webber it is their sixth WEC success. Porsche now leads the manufacturers’ standings with 201 points ahead of Audi (158) and Toyota (112). Dumas/Jani/Lieb lead the drivers’ standings by 41 points.

“Another race win for Porsche and the number 1 crew,” said Mark. “During my stint in the first third of the race I had a great battle with Lucas Di Grassi, and he was hunting me down for almost the entire stint. The call of the day was to manage traffic and find a rhythm. Also the track was pretty changeable. Not only when it rained, but also earlier. Sunshine was not what we wanted today. We had set-up the car in a way that it would become better the cooler the track became. Also the difficult decisions on tyres worked well for us, the team once again did a great job.”

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