Race
The decisive move happened right after the lights went off: Larry ten Voorde’s start was not ideal and he lost the sprint to the first corner against Harry King. The UK driver then defended his lead at the wheel of his 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the BWT Lechner Racing team.
“My car ran perfectly,” reported King, who also celebrated his first victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland four weeks ago. “I could have driven a little faster but I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks – in Monaco, you always have to expect a safety car, which wipes out any advantage.”
King was proven right with this prediction. A few minor incidents occurred during the opening laps. However, they did not affect the running of the race. Jorge Lorenzo was one of the victims, with the five-time motorcycle world champion from Spain failing to reach the flag. On lap twelve of 17, a 911 stranded in a barrier caused a safety car phase. Since clearing the track could not be done immediately, the race ended behind the safety car.
As a result, Larry ten Voorde could no longer attack Harry King. “I botched my start, which was my mistake,” admitted the two-time Supercup champion. “I'm sorry for the team. At first, I managed to keep Harry under pressure but I didn't really get a chance to overtake.” Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus was not entirely happy with his race either. “I was expecting a bit more,” said the 19-year-old Dane. “Still, I achieved a podium finish and that’s the most important thing in terms of the season ahead.”
Fourth and fifth place went to Dutchman Loek Hartog (Team GP Elite) and Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (CLRT) respectively. Huub van Eijndhoven, who also drives for GP Elite, secured victory in the rookie classification. The Dutchman finished seventh overall ahead of two other Supercup newcomers, Italian Giorgio Amati (Dinamic Motorsport) and Australian Harri Jones (BWT Lechner Racing).
“The first race of the season in Monaco threw big challenges at the drivers and teams. However, they all mastered them exceptionally and treated fans along the racetrack to some great motor racing. It’s a pity that the race ended behind the safety car, but we could still see that the level of competition is very high this year,” commented Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.
The next destination for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is Spielberg in Austria’s Styria region. Run as part of the Austrian Grand Prix support programme, the hunt for the championship leader Harry King begins.
Result round 1 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monte Carlo (Monaco)
1. Harry King (United Kingdom/BWT Lechner Racing), 29:52.330 minutes
2. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), +1.818 seconds
3. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (Denmark/BWT Lechner Racing), + 2.407 seconds
4. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), + 0.158 seconds
5. Dorian Boccolacci (France/CLRT), + 2.979 seconds
Full race results
Qualifying
In 2021 and 2022, Larry ten Voorde already demonstrated his unbeatable form in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races in Monte Carlo. Driving for the GP Elite team, the Dutchman will head into Sunday’s season-opening race from pole position.
He once again outpaced the rest of the field during the qualifying session on the Formula 1 circuit through the streets of the Principality. Positions two and three on the grid are occupied by the two BWT Lechner Racing drivers Harry King from the United Kingdom and Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus from Denmark.
Less than a second separated the ten fastest qualifiers at the season opener of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monte Carlo. The first two grid rows are locked out by the teams GP Elite and BWT Lechner Racing. Pole position for Sunday’s race went to GP Elite driver Larry ten Voorde, who had previously set the top time in free practice. The racer from the Netherlands shares the first grid row with UK driver Harry King, who lapped the 3.337-kilometre Formula 1 circuit around two-tenths of a second slower. The third fastest was King’s teammate at BWT Lechner Racing, the 19-year-old Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus from Denmark. P4 on the grid was claimed by another GP Elite driver, Loek Hartog.
“I think I could’ve been even quicker,” analysed Larry ten Voorde, who set the best time early in the qualifying on his first set of tyres. “But on the laps with the second set of tyres I made too many mistakes.” Harry King had a similar experience. “The track definitely got faster towards the end of qualifying. Unfortunately, my last attempt to beat Larry’s best time was thwarted because of a red flag,” said the driver from the UK. The qualifying session was interrupted twice due to minor accidents, which almost always cause a gridlock on the comparatively narrow circuit through the urban canyons of Monte Carlo.
For Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus, the qualifying session brought good and bad luck in quick succession. “While attempting a flying lap on my second set of tyres, I was stopped by the first red flag. However, at the restart, I was the only one in the leading group who could turn a lap without any problems before the second red flag came out. That turned out to be my fastest lap, so I can’t complain,” he said, describing how he clinched third position. Buus lines up on the second grid row next to Dutchman Loek Hartog.
The fastest rookie in qualifying also came from the GP Elite team: Setting the eighth fastest time, Huub van Eijndhoven from the Netherlands narrowly relegated another Supercup newcomer – the Italian Giorgio Amati from the Dinamic Motorsport squad – to ninth place.
Ex-motorcycle world champion Jorge Lorenzo: Preparations with video games
As a five-time motorcycle world champion, Jorge Lorenzo knows also many Formula 1 racetracks from a driver’s perspective. However, the street circuit in Monte Carlo is completely new terrain for the 36-year-old Spaniard, who drives with an Italian racing license. After contesting a season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, Lorenzo tackles his first race on Sunday as a permanent competitor of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup for the German team Huber Racing.
“I prepared for this race by playing video games and in the simulator. So basically I know where the corners are,” joked Lorenzo, who last year drove the VIP 911 at the Supercup race in Imola, Italy. “But of course, it’s something very different to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on this unique racetrack. I have to admit, it’s tougher than I expected. The smallest mistake and you end up in the crash barrier. Nevertheless, it is a terrific feeling to experience this incomparable atmosphere and the fans in the packed grandstands.”
Lorenzo tackles round one of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup from P24. “I improved by around two seconds compared to free practice, so that’s positive. However, I’m still further from the fastest than I would’ve preferred,” he admitted. “My goal for the race is to finish in the top 20.”
TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season opener
The opening round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup takes off on Sunday (28 May 2023) at 11:55 am CEST and runs over 17 laps. TV channel Sky Sport provides a live broadcast, with the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also televising the race.
Qualifying result, race 1 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monte Carlo (Monaco)
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 1:33.573 minutes
2. Harry King (United Kingdom/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.190 seconds
3. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (Denmark/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.254 seconds
4. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), + 0.273 seconds
5. Dorian Boccolacci (France/CLRT), + 0.362 seconds
Full qualifying results
Preview
A fleet of 28 ca. 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will line up on the grid of the legendary street circuit in the Principality of Monaco. There, the new Porsche Junior Bastian Buus from Denmark will go up against the likes of five-time motorcycle world champion Jorge Lorenzo from Spain. The international aspect is one of the strong points of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the most challenging of Porsche’s one-make cups worldwide. The 28 registered drivers contesting the full 2023 season come from 15 different countries. The spectrum of homelands ranges from Europe to the USA, from South Africa to South America and, for the first time, also includes a driver from North Macedonia. All competitors will race in technically identical 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup vehicles.
The most famous newcomer among the permanent drivers in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the five-time motorbike world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard competes with an Italian license and in 2022 has contested a full season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia as well as one Supercup race as a guest driver in Porsche Motorsport’s VIP car.
Lorenzo’s rivals include ten young drivers who are tackling their first Supercup season. These rookies, who are no older than 25 years, will compete for prize money totalling 25,000 euros. The rookie champion receives an additional 30,000 euros on condition that he returns to contest the entire Supercup season the following year. One youngster from this group is Benjamin Paque. The Belgian has just turned 18.
The international aspect is one of the strong points of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the most challenging of Porsche’s one-make cups worldwide. The 28 registered drivers contesting the full 2023 season come from 15 different countries. The spectrum of homelands ranges from Europe to the USA, from South Africa to South America and, for the first time, also includes a driver from North Macedonia. Four guest drivers from Italy and the United Kingdom will also pit themselves against the regular contestants at the season-opening race on Sunday (21 May 2023) at the Formula 1 circuit in Imola. All competitors will race in technically identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup vehicles.
Lechner Racing contests its 20th Supercup season
Because the number of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars permitted at the Monaco Grand Prix is capped at 28, the Supercup accepts precisely this number of permanently registered participants with guaranteed starting places. Depending on the capacity of the other racetracks, this number can increase to 32.
The permanent entrants compete for eleven teams, most of them fielding three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. Starting number 1 is emblazoned on a nine-eleven fielded by last year’s team champions BWT Lechner Racing. The Austrians are about to tackle their 20th Supercup season – an impressive record. Because reigning champion Dylan Pereira will not defend his title, the new Porsche Junior Bastian Buus from Denmark will race with the prestigious number. Fach Auto Tech hails from Switzerland. Huber Racing is represented by two teams: One will compete with a German license and the other, with Jorge Lorenzo at the wheel, with an Austrian license. The French team Alméras and GP Elite from the Netherlands – for whom two-time champion Larry ten Voorde competes, among others – also run two separate teams. France is home to the CLRT squad, which races with a Belgian license, and the Italian colours are represented by Dinamic Motorsport and Ombra.
Output of about 375kW (510 PS) and fuel from renewable sources
The 2023 Supercup season marks the third year for the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The output of the six-cylinder boxer engines with around four litres of displacement remains unchanged at 375 kW (510 PS). As was the case in the previous two seasons, the Supercup nine-elevens will be powered by Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, a bio-based, semi-synthetic fuel blend. In addition to the technically identical race cars, the control racing tyres from Michelin also ensure an equal playing field and gripping competition.
All races as support to Formula 1
In 2023, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup again runs exclusively as support to Formula 1. After the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, seven European rounds make up the calendar. The season now kicks off at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Italy hosting the season finale at the Royal Park of Monza on the first weekend in September. In between, the teams will travel to Spielberg (Austria), Silverstone (UK), Budapest (Hungary), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) and Zandvoort (Netherlands).
Banque Havilland new partner to Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
Starting with the Monaco race, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup proudly welcomes a new partner. Banque Havilland, a well-established banking group, offers a personalised approach to wealth management, tailored to each client’s individual circumstances. Its headquarters are in Luxembourg and the group operates other locations in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Monaco and Dubai.
Circuit de Monaco
The 3.337-kilometre street circuit in the districts of Monte-Carlo and La Condamine has been a regular fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1950 and is one of the world’s most storied racetracks. Where luxury vehicles and super sports cars normally cruise past the marina and casino, the narrow route will be lined with crash barriers and very few run-off areas for the Monaco Grand Prix. Ex-Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet once compared racing in the Principality to “flying a helicopter in your living room”. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup was contested as part of the Monaco Grand Prix in the series’ inaugural season in 1993. Last year’s winner was the two-time Supercup champion Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite).
TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season opener
The opening round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup takes off on Sunday (28 May 2023) at 11:55 am CEST and runs over 17 laps. TV channel Sky Sport provides a live broadcast, with the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also televising the race. Media and fans can also follow the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup action on the social media networks Twitter (@PorscheSupercup and @PorscheRaces), Instagram (@PorscheSupercup) and Facebook (@PorscheSupercup).
Schedule Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 1, Monte-Carlo/Monaco (all times CEST)
Thursday, 25 May
4:30 – 5:15 pm: Practice
Friday, 26 May
6:45 – 7:15 pm: Qualifying
Sunday, 28 May
11:55 am: Race (17 laps)
2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup calendar*
26 – 28 May: Monaco GP, Monte Carlo
30 June – 2 July: Austrian GP, Spielberg
7 – 9 July: British GP, Silverstone
21 – 23 July: Hungarian GP, Budapest
28 – 30 July: Belgian, Spa-Francorchamps
25 – 27 August: Dutch GP, Zandvoort
1 – 3 September: Italian GP, Monza
* Subject to change
2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, registered drivers
1 Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing)
2 Harri Jones (AUS/BWT Lechner Racing)
3 Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing)
4 Morris Schuring (NL/Fach Auto Tech)
5 Alexander Fach (CH/Fach Auto Tech)
6 Gustav Burton (UK/Fach Auto Tech)
7 Leon Köhler (D/Huber Racing)
8 Simone Iaquinta (I/Huber Racing)
9 Jorge Lorenzo (E/Team Huber Racing)
10 Pablo Marcelo Otero (RA/Team Huber Racing)
11 Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT)
12 Benjamin Paque (B/CLRT)
13 Michael Verhagen (NL/CLRT)
14 Jaap van Lagen (NL/Dinamic Motorsport)
15 Giorgio Amati (I/Dinamic Motorsport)
16 Gianmarco Quaresmini (I/Dinamic Motorsport)
17 Risto Vukov (NMK/Ombra)
18 Keagan Masters (ZA/Ombra)
19 Riccardo Pera(I/Ombra)
20 Roar Lindland (N/Pierre Martinet by Alméras)
21 Yves Baltas (USA/Pierre Martinet by Alméras)
22 Alessandro Ghiretti (F/Martinet by Alméras)
23 Jukka Honkavuori (SF/Martinet by Alméras)
24 Loek Hartog (NL/Team GP Elite)
25 Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
26 Lucas Groeneveld (NL/Team GP Elite)
27 Ghislain Cordeel (B/GP Elite)
28 Huub van Eijndhoven (NL/GP Elite)
