The Porsche LMP Team before the race in Austin
Team Principal Andreas Seidl: “We have a great deal of respect for the race in Austin. The circuit isn’t only regarded as a demanding one from our drivers, it also puts huge loads on our 919. Especially if it is as hot as last year and we cannot hope for dropping temperatures for the second half of the race at night anymore. We have done intense preparation work for these conditions at a test in Barcelona, also together with our tyre partner Michelin. The topic of reliability gets a special dimension in the heat. Of course we use the maximum potential to optimize cooling, but the options are limited. Also set-up work requires good compromises to make the car fit for the fast sections as well as for the slower parts. I know our team and drivers will deal with these challenges in the best possible way. Full throttle until the finale – that’s our motto.”
Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid car number 1:
Neel Jani (33, Switzerland): “Austin is always cool. The city and the surroundings are just great. To race at the hottest time of the day will certainly be challenging for man and machine. For me personally, visiting the States always means having my wife Lauren’s family around. I have a close connection to the country and enjoy very much being there.”
André Lotterer (35, Germany): “The last time I won this race was in 2014. It’s a cool circuit. A long lap with a mixture of fast and slow parts on which everything needs to fit. Set-up work is quite a challenge. The first sector is great fun but then a couple of corners follow that are pretty narrow for our fast prototypes. Lapping slower cars is not easy and you have to be careful to not exceed track limits. The heat will make us really sweat with high cockpit temperatures. Hopefully we can get in another top result and make the American Porsche fans happy.”
Nick Tandy (32, Great Britain): “I have been a few times to Austin. I had my first race with the Porsche 911 RSR there in 2014 and I have been on the podium twice, never in first place, but still it’s been a pretty successful race track for me. Because of our high downforce configuration our top speed on the long straights won’t be very high but the cornering forces in the first part of the lap will probably be something I have never experienced in my life and I’m looking forward to this. Austin is a place in the world I really love to visit, one of my favourite cities. I like the atmosphere, the town, the people, the food like a big Texas steak and the way people in America get excited about race events which is different to other countries.”
Drivers Porsche 919 Hybrid car number 2
Earl Bamber (27, New Zealand): “I have good memories in Austin. I have won the Porsche Supercup Championship there in 2014 and it is also the place where I took my first ever GT win for Porsche in 2016. It is a track I really, really like. I’m especially looking forward to the triple right-hander at the end of the lap as this will be quite special in the LMP1 car. I also love the area as well. Austin is always beautiful. I spend quite some time there with coaching local guys.”
Timo Bernhard (36, Germany): “COTA is a great and challenging circuit. Although it is one of the latest modern Formula 1 tracks, it isn’t boring. The variety of all parts requires very different speeds. The most interesting one is the first sector with the Esses. It obviously makes a big difference that we don’t race into the night anymore. I think this is a shame. I loved the atmosphere of driving in the dark. The expected heat will have an significant impact on tyre choice and car set-up.”
Brendon Hartley (27, New Zealand): “After three wins in a row we head to Austin with confidence and a kick in our step. Austin is a great track and a city we all enjoy visiting. I expect Toyota will be closer than in Mexico and will put up a big fight. Our goal is clear, keep extending our championship lead.”
