Rookie Bastian Buus wins Supercup race at the Circuit Paul Ricard

The race

After 13 laps in hot summer temperatures on the Formula 1 circuit in Le Castellet, Buus took the flag roughly half a second ahead of his English BWT Lechner Racing teammate, Harry King. Third place went to defending champion Larry ten Voorde (GP Elite) from the Netherlands. Scoring fourth place, the Luxembourger Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing) held on to his lead in the championship rankings.

Despite the Mediterranean heat and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, Bastian Buus kept a cool head. Le Castellet was only the fifth Supercup race for the 19-year-old Dane. Moreover, the youngster from the BWT Lechner Racing squad started from pole position for the first time. The rookie, however, got off the line like a seasoned pro and defended his spot from his relentlessly attacking teammate Harry King. When the safety car was deployed during the first lap, Buus remained vigilant and again defended his lead after the restart to bring home a commanding victory at the wheel of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “To be honest, I fluffed my start a little – and Harry pulled alongside me. But I swore to myself, I wasn’t going to brake until he brakes. It was extremely late, but it worked,” said Buus describing his first few seconds of the race. 

The final lap did not run smoothly either for the 19-year-old from the seaport city of Kolding. “Towards the end of the race, Harry came dangerously close. His tyres seemed to be in an better condition than mine. I suspected it would be a close finish – then suddenly the flag came out. It was a complete surprise because I thought I had another lap to go.” 

Harry King praised his young teammate. “Bastian didn’t make a single mistake that I could have taken advantage of. I conserved my tyres to attack at the end – it almost worked. Still, I’m extremely pleased with second place,” concluded the BWT Lechner Racing driver from England. 

Larry ten Voorde, too, was greatly relieved: The defending champion from the GP Elite squad left the previous race in Austria empty-handed after becoming entangled in an accident. Third place at the Circuit Paul Ricard enabled him to close the gap on the championship leader. “First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate Bastian Buus on his first Supercup win – I almost feel old next to him,” joked the 25-year-old Dutchman. “I’m pleased to be back on the podium after my bad luck at the Red Bull Ring. I’m not thinking too much about the title yet. I just want to win races.”

Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich crossed the finish line in fourth place. But he was handed a three-second time penalty after the race and lost this position. The stewards of the meeting accused the German from the SSR Huber Racing team of exceeding the track limit immediately after the start. As a result, Heinrich had to relinquish his fourth place to Dylan Pereira. With this, the Luxembourger from BWT Lechner Racing defended his overall lead in the rankings. 

“Congratulations to Bastian Buus: To win his first race during his first Supercup season is extremely impressive and speaks volumes about his huge talent. All in all, we witnessed an action-packed race with thrilling fights for positions among the frontrunners, the midfield and also further back in the order. My respect goes to the drivers and teams who worked professionally in these hot summer temperatures,” stated Oliver Schwab, Project Manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. 

In the Rookie classification, Bastian Buus remains unbeaten after five rounds of the season. Victory in the ProAm class at Le Castellet went to Norway’s Roar Lindland driving for the Pierre Martinet by Alméras squad. Buus and Lindland both lead their respective classes.

After the race on the ultra-modern Circuit Paul Ricard, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup now heads to one of the most tradition-steeped racetracks on the Formula 1 calendar: In five weeks, the 911 GT3 Cup will contest round six at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium (24 to 26 August 2022).

Result race 5 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Le Castellet (F)

1. Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 29.21.612 minutes
2. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.452 seconds
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), +3.813 seconds
4. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), +10.230 seconds
5. Laurin Heinrich (D/SSR Huber Racing), +10.655 seconds
6. Marvin Klein (F/CLRT), +11.683 seconds

Points’ standings 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 5 of 8 races)

1. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 92 points
2. Laurin Heinrich (D/SSR Huber Racing), 88 points
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 82 points
4. Harry King (GB/BWT Lechner Racing), 80 points
5. Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 73 points

Full race results and championship standings:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/mobil1supercup/pmsc-2022-results

The qualifying

Bastian Buus from the BWT Lechner Racing team set the fastest time in practice on Friday and also dominated the qualifying session for round five of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. On the Formula 1 circuit in Le Castellet, southern France, the 19-year-old Supercup rookie from Denmark secured his first ever pole position for a race of the international one-make cup. Second fastest time was posted by Frenchman Marvin Klein driving for the CLRT squad. Third and fourth fastest were Harry King from England and series leader Dylan Pereira from Luxembourg, like Buus both competing for Robert Lechner’s team. Round five of the Supercup gets underway on Sunday (24 July 2022) at 11:45 am CEST just before the French Grand Prix Formula 1 race.

Bastian Buus has emerged as the fastest rookie of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup since the start of the season. In the qualifying session for round five, the 19-year-old from the seaport city of Kolding in Denmark outpaced also all the experienced drivers for the first time. Buus lapped the 5.842-kilometre Formula 1 circuit at Le Castellet in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by BWT Lechner Racing 0.122 seconds faster than Frenchman Marvin Klein (CLRT). “My first flying lap was the fastest at that point. That put the others under pressure. I didn’t need to go all-out during the second attempt. I just drove as smoothly as I could and was even faster,” shared Buus after the session. 

Klein’s second place is also his best qualifying result so far this season. “After my first hot lap, we tweaked the setup of my car slightly, so my second lap was even better,” reported the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France. However, his strong performance was clouded by a penalty from the previous race in Austria: As a result, Klein has to relinquish his second grid spot and takes up Sunday’s race from P5. 

In contrast to his BWT Lechner Racing teammate Buus, the qualifying for Harry King proved extremely stressful. “I had to come into the pits twice to get a new front splitter, so I only had time for one flying lap,” said the UK driver, who posted third fastest time in qualifying. However, because of Klein’s penalty, King takes up the race from the first grid row. Lying in wait behind them sit the current series leader Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing) and defending champion Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite). Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (D/SSR Huber Racing) qualified on P7. “I’m seven-tenths of a second off pole position. To be honest, I don’t know where I can find those fractions of a second,” said the puzzled 20-year-old from Germany. 

Porsche Junior drives a racing oldie: Laurin Heinrich in the 911 RSR from 1973

Laurin Heinrich was born in 2001. The racing car in which the Porsche Junior delighted spectators last weekend at the “Solitude Revival” is more than twice his age: a Porsche 911 RSR 2.8 from 1973, which today is one of the treasures of the Porsche Museum. Heinrich turned demo laps in the former works car on the historic racetrack near Stuttgart, which from 1961 to 1964 even hosted Formula 1 races. “No power steering, no brake booster, H-pattern gear shift. That’s really hard work – but it’s fantastic,” beamed Laurin Heinrich after his outing in the ca. 221 kW (300 PS) GT racer, which Porsche designed back then for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, among others. 

Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich in the 911 RSR 2.8 from 1973

Like in 1973, Porsche continues the concept of developing winning racing cars from production vehicles. For the 911 RSR 2.8, the starting point was the legendary Porsche 911 RSR 2.7 with its distinctive “ducktail spoiler”. The latest Supercup 911 is also based on a GT production model. Compared to the 911 RSR, the Supercup 911 with electrically assisted power steering and shift paddles offers drivers more comfort. In one respect, however, the 1973 racing oldie seems to have an advantage. “The temperatures in the cockpit of the RSR are more pleasant,” states Laurin Heinrich after his journey into Porsche’s racing past. 

Round five of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup on TV and the Internet

The 13-lap race on the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet takes off on Sunday (24 July 2022) at 11:45 am CEST. The TV station Eurosport2 broadcasts the race live. Moreover, the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also airs the Supercup race.

Qualifying result, round 5 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Le Castellet (F)

1. Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 2:04.689 minutes
2. Marvin Klein (F/CLRT), +0.122 seconds
3. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.139 seconds
4. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.252 seconds
5. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), +0.429 seconds
6. Morris Schuring (NL/Huber Racing), +0.698 seconds

Full qualifying results:
motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/mobil1supercup/pmsc-2022-results

The preview

Since its 1993 debut, the Porsche Supercup has raced on 23 circuits in 18 countries. Another racetrack will be added to that tally this coming weekend: For the first time, the international one-make cup with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will be contested at the Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France, close to Le Castellet. Race five of the season gets underway on Sunday (24 July 2022) at 11:45 am CEST, right before the Formula 1 French Grand Prix.

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup heads into the second half of the season this coming weekend at Le Castellet. Only 18 points separate championship leader Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg) from his BWT Lechner Racing teammate Harry King (England) in fourth place. Between the two lie Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (Germany) from the SSR Huber Racing squad and defending champion Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands). The Team GP Elite driver lost the overall lead after the Red Bull Ring race, where he was thrown out of contention by another competitor.

“The best drivers in the overall standings are all competing at the top of their game. I think the bid for the Supercup title will be more gripping in the second half of the season than it’s been for a very long time,” says Oliver Schwab, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Project Manager. “The race in Le Castellet comes at the perfect time. None of the four top drivers has raced there before, so the playing field will be level for this quartet.”

In the first half of the season, Pereira won two races, with one victory each for ten Voorde and Heinrich. These three only know the Circuit Paul Ricard from a cockpit perspective from private test outings with their teams. Several French Supercup drivers, however, can call on previous racing experience on the 5.842-kilometre circuit. Marvin Klein from the CLRT squad and Martinet by Alméras driver Dorian Boccolacci, who currently ranks sixth overall, have raced before at Le Castellet with the 911 GT3 Cup as part of the Porsche Carrera Cup France.

“We’ll see during the 45-minute free practice if they can use their home advantage,” states championship leader Dylan Pereira. “The Circuit Paul Ricard has a couple of tricky combinations where you have to brake really late into the corners – the best places to overtake.”

Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich is hoping for another positive race outcome similar to Silverstone, where he celebrated his first win this season. “The situation for me is similar: I’ve never raced at Le Castellet before, perhaps I can repeat my result from England.”

Four guest drivers will join the 28 regular Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup drivers in Le Castellet: Australians Aaron Love and Stephen Grove will compete for the French Martinet by Alméras squad, with Ariel Levi representing Huber Racing. Levi is the first Israeli driver to contest the Supercup and competes for the second time this season.

Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet (France)

Opened in 1970, the racetrack is named after its first owner, the liqueur magnate Paul Ricard. The track’s special characteristics included the 1.6-kilometre-long Mistral straight and safety measures such as the introduction of curbs, which were innovative features at that time. Between 1971 and 1990, Le Castellet hosted the French Grand Prix several times.

After the sale of the track to a company owned by the former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and its redesign in line with the plans of the German architecture Hermann Tilke, the racetrack again set new safety benchmarks. The track offers several layouts up to 6.105 kilometres in length. In 2018, the Formula 1 French Grand Prix returned to what is now officially called the “Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track”. Many teams use this racetrack for endurance tests in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races for the first time on the 5.842-kilometre Grand Prix circuit.

TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup

Round five of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup takes off on Sunday (24 July 2022) at 11:45 pm CEST and runs over 13 laps. The TV channel Eurosport2 and the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com provide a live broadcast. Media and fans can also follow the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup action on Twitter (@PorscheSupercup and @PorscheRaces), Instagram (@PorscheSupercup) and Facebook (@PorscheSupercup).

Schedule round 5, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (all times CEST)

Friday, 22 July
3:30 – 4:15 pm: Practice

Saturday, 23 July
11:10 – 11:40 am: Qualifying

Sunday, 24 July
11:45 am: Race (13 laps)

Points’ standings 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 4 of 8 races)

1. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 78 points
2. Laurin Heinrich (D/SSR Huber Racing), 76 points
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 65 points
4. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 60 points
5. Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 48 points

Full race results and championship standings:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/mobil1supercup/pmsc-2022-results

2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup calendar (subject to change)

22 – 24 April, Imola (Italy)
26 – 29 May, Monte Carlo (Monaco)
01 – 03 July, Silverstone (Great Britain)
08 – 10 July, Spielberg (Austria)
22 – 24 July, Le Castellet (France)
26 – 28 August, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
02 – 04 September, Zandvoort (Netherlands)
09 – 11 September, Monza (Italy)