At Goodwood, the prototype will compete with a union flag graphic on the roof and Mark Webber at the wheel.
“The Taycan’s power delivery is awesome,” reports the experienced Formula 1 driver. “I took part in this event in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS two years ago, so I already knew that it all comes down to power and traction. But, even for a thoroughbred racing driver like me, it is amazing how the Taycan – even though it’s still a prototype – accelerates off the start and out of the corners,” says Webber.
Last week, the Taycan was taken for a spin by Chinese racing driver Li Chao. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia competitor completed demo laps on the challenging handling track at the Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) in Shanghai. Works driver Neel Jani will get behind the wheel of the Taycan for the season finale of the ABB FIA
Formula E Championship taking place on July 13 and 14, 2019 in New York City. As a result, the Taycan will have visited China, the UK and the US – some of the biggest markets for Porsche’s first all-electric sports car.
The Taycan will be presented in September and launched on the market at the end of the year. As to be expected from the Porsche brand, the development goals for the all-wheel drive vehicle with over 600 PS included circuit performance and multiple acceleration runs, as well as a range suitable for everyday use. The car’s 800-volt architecture will enable short charging times and the lithium-ion battery will boast a capacity of around 90 kWh.
The driver: Mark Webber
Professional racing driver Mark Webber (42) last competed as a works driver for
Porsche in the FIA World Endurance Championship, in which he drove the Porsche 919 Hybrid in the LMP1 class. In November 2015, the Australian driver became World Endurance Champion alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley. Webber competed in Formula 1 between 2002 and 2013, during which time he racked up some impressive statistics: 215 races, nine victories, 42 podium finishes, 13 pole positions and 19 fastest laps. Mark Webber has been a Porsche brand ambassador since November 2016.
The track: Goodwood Hillclimb
The Sunday Times once described the legendary hillclimb at the Festival of Speed as a “cross between the Monaco Grand Prix and Royal Ascot”. Every year, almost 200,000 motor sport enthusiasts visit the unique event in West Sussex in the South of England. Narrow, uneven and hedged by bales of straw, the 1.87 kilometre track presents a challenge for drivers and vehicles alike. The course runs through the grounds of Goodwood House, the residence of Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, and an absolute motor sporting enthusiast, who founded the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1993.
