Porsche starts the new world championship season at Spa

May 2, 2018 Tim Havermans 911 RSR, FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Jörg Bergmeister, Kevin Estre, Matteo Cairoli, Michael Christensen, Richard Lietz, Spa

Porsche 911 RSR (#91), Porsche GT Team, Gianmaria Bruni (I), Richard Lietz (A), Le Castellet 2018

The Porsche 911 RSR
After securing runner-up in the driver’s championship thanks to Richard Lietz and Fréderic Makowiecki in 2017, the Porsche GT Team has now set its sights on the driver’s and manufacturer’s title in the world sports car championship. The Porsche 911 RSR celebrated its premiere in international long-distance racing in 2017 and is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car. Depending on the restrictor, the water-cooled four-litre flat-six engine puts out around 510 hp.

The schedule
The six-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps begins on Saturday, May 5, 2018, at 14:30 hrs local time.

The race on TV and the internet
The first race of the season at Spa-Francorchamps can be seen as a free live stream from 13:00 to 20:00 hrs on www.sport1.de. Sport 1 broadcasts the start, the action from 14:25 to 15:25 hrs as well as the finish on TV. Eurosport 1 broadcasts live from 18:15 to 19:40 hrs and shows paid content of the entire race from 13:00 to 20:05 hrs on Eurosport Player. For a fee, the FIA WEC app offers a live stream of the entire race plus live timing.

Porsche 911 RSR (#77), Dempsey Proton Racing, Matt Campbell (AUS), Julien Andlauer (F), Christian Ried (D), Le Castellet 2018

Pre-race quotes
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser (Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars): “Our Porsche GT Team is facing a long and exciting season. The Prologue in Le Castellet underlined that we’re ready for this task. Together with the three customer teams, the fans can look forward to seeing six Porsche 911 RSR in action at the first race in the Ardennes. For all the drivers and motorsport enthusiasts, the racetrack is a very special place. This huge interest motivates us even more to fight for victory in both categories and to show them what potential our 911 RSR has. It’s important for us to make a good start into the Super Season before we tackle Le Mans with ten of our 911 RSR.”

Pascal Zurlinden (Director GT Factory Motorsport): “The Spa circuit stands for top-league motor racing and throws very special challenges at drivers and the 911 RSR. You can only fight for victory on this diverse racetrack with the right setup. The entire team knows the importance of the season-opener and is perfectly prepared.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “I can hardly wait to return to the WEC after a year’s break. The Spa racetrack is one of the most beautiful in the world. We’d like to hit the ground running at the first race and start with a good performance. The competition we want to win against is fierce.”