Porsche teams fully prepared for the world’s toughest automobile race

June 5, 2018 Tim Havermans 911 RSR, Le Mans 24H

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche GT Team (91), Richard Lietz (A), Gianmaria Bruni (I), Frederic Makowiecki (F), Le Mans 2018

Comments on the test
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, President Motorsport and GT Cars: “We had a very positive test day. In both GTE-Pro and GTE-Am class the Porsche 911 RSR clocked the fastest time. All up, the ten Porsche 911 RSR completed a total of 613 laps. It’s particularly pleasing that there were no major incidents in the Am class. This shows that all teams are coping well with the car and that’s vital preparation for Le Mans. In the Pro class test you could see that the field is very close and the speeds reached are considerably faster than last year. Everything ran according to plan at the pre-test for the two GT teams.”

Pascal Zurlinden, Director GT Factory Motorsport: “The test day was a great practice for the Le Mans race weekend. We used the test sessions intensively to continue our setup work and to get used to the tyres and racetrack. Everything went to plan and we experienced no technical hiccups. We didn’t use any tactics but instead drove all-out. It’s not our philosophy to hide things. And besides, you can’t learn anything by doing that.

Gianmaria Bruni (I), Frederic Makowiecki (F), Richard Lietz (A), Porsche GT Team (l-r)

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “It was a great feeling to present our beautiful car with its special paintwork on the racetrack at Le Mans for the first time. That makes you very proud. During the tests we ticked off our tasks meticulously and are very pleased. We can now head to the 24 Hours of Le Mans feeling optimistic.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “The Le Mans circuit has improved a lot since last year. It now offers significantly more grip and there’s less debris on the track. We managed to complete our programme and we’ve found our rhythm. The 911 RSR ran exceptionally well. The retro design has truly overwhelmed me. I admire all the employees who had the courage and the power to pull this off. As a driver it’s wonderful to climb into such a beautiful car. But at the end of the day it also has to be fast – and it is.”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “It’s great to be back here, especially as a Frenchman. Le Mans is an absolute highlight for almost every race driver. Our RSR was very well balanced. The pre-test is a great chance to see where we stand and to check out what still needs to be done. As always, our plan was to test the real performance and not to strategise.”

Kevin Estre (F), Michael Christensen (DK), Laurens Vanthoor (B), Porsche GT Team (l-r)

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The work during the test day was very intensive. We were able gain a lot of data and insights. Unfortunately, I encountered a lot of traffic and caution phases during my stint, so I couldn’t push quite as much as I’d hoped. Our Porsche 911 RSR was good and of course its design attracted a great deal of attention. It’s feels good to get a lot of encouragement from the fans, but it’s even better when it comes from other race drivers.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “The test went very positively. The car ran just as we’d expected. We’re well prepared for the race in 14 days. I’m proud to drive the RSR with the retro design. I really like it. And I also hope we make the team proud at the 24-hour race.”

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “I personally like to do things differently than others. That’s why I think the new design is extremely cool. The test ran well. We managed to collect a lot of valuable data.”

Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “At the beginning of the tests the track was still very slippery so we had to be a bit careful. But over the course of the day it was very good. We tested at full power. The car’s balance was really great. Due to this I could finally score the fastest lap time.”

Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “We’re contesting the GTE-Pro category with four Porsche 911 RSR this year. You get a lot of data and information from such a test. Our task as a team is to pull it all together and make the most out of it. We’re well on our way. I’m looking forward to the race in two weeks.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 RSR #93): “For us as a team, and by that I mean us drivers and the mechanics and engineers, the test went very well in getting the procedures right at such a special race. We also worked on the setup and tested the tyres.”