Confidence ahead of the Le Mans dress rehearsal in Spa

April 30, 2017 Tim Havermans 919, Andre Lotterer, Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber, FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Neel Jani, Nick Tandy, Spa, Timo Bernhard

Porsche 919 Hybrid, Porsche LMP Team (2): Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber; Porsche LMP Team (1): Neel Jani, Andre Lotterer, Nick Tandy

Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid car number 2

Earl Bamber (26, New Zealand): “Spa is one of the very few circuits I at least have some experience of driving the 919. When I was in the Porsche Simulator in Weissach before the 2015 race, I was surprised how fast I could go through Eau Rouge and then doing this in reality was very impressive. This circuit is definitely a special place and I’m sure our low downforce aero kit suits Spa much better than it did for Silverstone.”

Timo Bernhard (36, Germany): “Next to the Nürburgring, Spa is like a second home race for me. It is only 200 kilometres from home and it is a brilliant circuit with a very natural and unique character. To manage a really good lap there in a Le Mans prototype is extremely rewarding because the track isn’t an easy one at all. It has fast and slow corners that flow into each other. I fell in love with Spa back in 1998 when I finished sixth straightaway in a huge Formula Ford European Championship field. I have also done the Spa 24-Hours three times. However, so far it is a one-sided love affair between me and the circuit – I have often led races there but have never won. I want to change that in 2017.”

2017 Porsche LMP Team (2): Earl Bamber, Brendon Hartley, Timo Bernhard (l-r)

Brendon Hartley (27, New Zealand): “We had a strong team performance in Silverstone that we can be proud of but came up six seconds short of the win. We will all work extremely hard to climb one step higher on the podium in Spa. We expect another close battle but will arrive there with confidence.”