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Added on the 14/06/2022 08:04:10 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
On June 16, the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours takes off. This weekend’s official pre-test marked the start of the critical phase for the world’s toughest automobile race. 180 drivers and 60 vehicles will fight for victory at Le Mans. With four ca. 510 hp Porsche 911 RSR contesting the GTE-Pro class, Porsche fields the largest GT works contingent in the company’s history at the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures. Four customer squads run an additional six 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class. At the test day, fans saw the two works cars with the starting numbers 91 and 92 sporting the traditional Le Mans livery from the 1970s and 1980s for the first time on the track. With 19 overall victories and 105 class wins, Porsche is a record holder at Le Mans.
"Porsche has won the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in both the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes. In the factory-run Porsche 911 RSR with the starting number 92, Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Laurens Vanthoor (Bel-gium) crossed the finish line first in the GTE-Pro class on Sunday afternoon. Second place went to the #91 sister car driven by Richard Lietz (Austria), Frédéric Ma-kowiecki (France) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy). In the GTE-Am class, the Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) took the flag in first place for the Porsche customer team Dempsey-Proton Racing. This makes 18-year-old Andlauer the youngest class winner in Le Mans history. Porsche celebrates class win number 106 und 107 at Le Mans in its anniversary year “70 Years Porsche Sports Cars”. “We’re absolutely delighted that we were able to come out on top in this fierce competition against five other automobile manufacturers after starting from Pole Position. These two wins underline once again why Porsche is a record-holder at Le Mans,” says Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars. No other marque has secured as many successes at the world’s toughest long-distance race and is as closely linked to the legend of Le Mans as Porsche. 2013 marked the last time Porsche celebrated a double victory with the 911 RSR."
"Porsche has won the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in both the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes. In the factory-run Porsche 911 RSR with the starting number 92, Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Laurens Vanthoor (Bel-gium) crossed the finish line first in the GTE-Pro class on Sunday afternoon. Second place went to the #91 sister car driven by Richard Lietz (Austria), Frédéric Ma-kowiecki (France) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy). In the GTE-Am class, the Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) took the flag in first place for the Porsche customer team Dempsey-Proton Racing. This makes 18-year-old Andlauer the youngest class winner in Le Mans history. Porsche celebrates class win number 106 und 107 at Le Mans in its anniversary year “70 Years Porsche Sports Cars”. “We’re absolutely delighted that we were able to come out on top in this fierce competition against five other automobile manufacturers after starting from Pole Position. These two wins underline once again why Porsche is a record-holder at Le Mans,” says Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars. No other marque has secured as many successes at the world’s toughest long-distance race and is as closely linked to the legend of Le Mans as Porsche. 2013 marked the last time Porsche celebrated a double victory with the 911 RSR."
At the official pre-test, the Porsche GT Team has continued its preparations for the 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the two four-hour sessions on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures, both Porsche 911 RSR run by the works team turned a total of 143 laps.
After a long night at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Porsche GT Team has an excellent chance to score a podium result. As the sun rose on Sunday morning, the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR driven by Kévin Estre, Neel Jani and Michael Christensen was running in third in the GTE-Pro class after 16 hours of racing. The identical No. 91 ca. 515 PS vehicle currently ranks fourth. However, both factory-run cars have lost contact with the leaders.
The Porsche GT Team will take up the 88th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from pole position in the GTE-Pro class. In today’s Hyperpole, the Italian Gianmaria Bruni turned the fastest lap at the wheel of the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR in 3:50.874 minutes. His brand colleague Michael Christensen from Denmark planted the No. 92 sister car on sixth place. In the GTE-Am category, works pilot Matt Campbell was the fastest Porsche driver. The Australian claimed the second grid spot in his class with the No. 77 Porsche 911 RSR fielded by Dempsey-Proton Racing. He was only 0.056 seconds off the top time.
Fans of endurance racing have rarely had so much time to look forward to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as they have this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the French classic was moved from its traditional mid-June date to 19/20 September.There has only been one other delayed start in the almost 100-year history of the race: in 1968, the Le Mans 24-hour race was contested on 28/29 September due to ongoing unrest in Paris. The postponement of the race also has wide-reaching consequences for the Porsche GT Team. This includes changes to the schedule as well as the waiving of popular fan events such as the technical scrutineering in the town square and the drivers’ parade the day before the start.In mid-June around the summer solstice (20 June), the days are longest in the northern hemisphere. On the originally planned date for the 88th edition of the endurance race on 13/14 June, the vehicles would have driven in darkness for only 8.02 hours. On the new September date, the sun will set on the Saturday evening at 20:01. The first rays of light will appear on the Sunday morning at 07:44 – which means that the period of darkness is almost four hours longer than it would have been shortly before the official start of summer. In the fight twice around the clock on the Circuit des 24 Heures, teams will spend only around 12 hours in daylight.
Pascal Zurlinden shares some behind-the-scenes insights from the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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