Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche 911 GT3 R wins LMGT3 debut at Le Mans

The 2024 Le Mans 24-hour race ended on Sunday at 4 pm with the 111th class win for a Porsche racing car.

4:15 pm

Manthey EMA won the LMGT3 category.

3:10 pm

The last hour of the race has begun. Here are the current standings for the Porsche cars: 

2:30 pm

Preparations are being made for rain. Nevertheless, the cars in Porsche's LMGT3 class are doing great with 1st and 14th place. 

1:30 pm

We are in the last 3 hours of the race. Here are the results of the Hypercar class:

12:40 pm

Things are looking good! All Porsche Customer Racing teams are still in the race after a successful night, and Manthey Racing is fighting for its first LMGT3 victory in the 24-hour race. Both Porsche 963 cars from Jota Sport are in the top 10 of the overall standings. 

11:47 am

Car number #5 receives a drive-through penalty. 

11:05 am

Words about his race from Nick Tandy:

Interim Report 2

Changeable weather, heavy rain and a long full-course yellow phase during the night in Le Mans posed challenges for teams and drivers. The big decision was the choice between dry and rain tyres. The crew of the No. 6 Porsche 963 chose well: the works car systematically battled its way up the order from 13th place. On a wet track, Kévin Estre ultimately advanced to second place shortly after midnight. The Frenchman shares the hybrid prototype with André Lotterer from Germany and the Belgian Laurens Vanthoor. At that time, the No. 38 entry fielded by Hertz Team Jota and driven by ex-Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, his British compatriot Philip Hanson and Oliver Rasmussen from Denmark was running sixth as the best customer Porsche 963.

Promptly at 4 am – halfway through the race – the three safety cars were deployed after heavy rain began to fall. They spearheaded the field for the next four hours until 8:15 am local time. When the race went green, Frédéric Makowiecki from France, Michael Christensen from Denmark and Australian Matt Campbell grabbed their chance in Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 5 car, catapulting into the same lap as the leader. Jota’s second car driven by Will Stevens and Callum Ilott from the UK and Frenchman Norman Nato did the same.

“We’re in second place with our number 6 car and all of our Porsche 963 are still in the race, so that’s good news,” says Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Racing LMDh. “The long stint behind the safety car, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily bode well for the cars and it’s exhausting for the drivers. However, it should stay dry for the rest of the race now. That means we can get back to normal racing.”

Drivers’ comments on the race so far

André Lotterer (Porsche 963 #6): “When I was in the car at the beginning of the race, we switched from slicks to wet tyres – and then immediately back again. That cost us a few positions. But we made progress in the first half of the night. We’re currently in second place and things are looking good for us. One very lengthy safety car period later and in still very slippery conditions, we now need to see who can maintain the pace at the front. The race continues to be very exciting and close!”

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 963 #5): “When it started to rain again during the night, we opted to stay on slicks. Consequently, we lost about two-thirds of a lap. But that’s just the way it is. We’ll have to see what comes of it when all is said and done.”

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #4): “There’s not a whole lot going right for our number 4 car in this race. When the rain started, we made the right decision and switched to rain tyres. The race organisers made a good call in bringing out the safety car: The conditions were simply too bad. It’s still raining – and our windscreen wipers aren’t working.”

Alex Malykhin (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “We’re doing well in the race and our strategy is paying off. But there are a few technical issues with the car that had become more troublesome as time goes on.”

Preliminary standings after 16 of 24 hours

Hypercar class:
1. Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa (CH/NZ/J), Toyota #8, 198 laps
2. Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor (F/D/B), Porsche 963 #6, -2.329 seconds
3. Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen (I/E/DK), Ferrari #50, -4.972 seconds
6. Hanson/Button/Rasmussen (UK/UK/DK), Porsche 963 #38, -15.204 seconds
10. Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki (AUS/DK/F), Porsche 963 #5, -22.834 seconds
11. Ilott/Stevens/Nato (UK/UK/F), Porsche 963 #12, -28.017 seconds
17. Tandy/Nasr/Jaminet (UK/BR/F), Porsche 963 #4, -2 laps
18. Andlauer/Jani/Tincknell (F/CH/UK), Porsche 963 #99, -5 laps

LMGT3 class:
1. Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm (A/UK/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, 179 laps
2. Lietz/Shahin/Schuring (A/AUS/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 R #91, -2.731 seconds
3. Hamaguchi/Pino/Sato, (J/RCH/J), McLaren #95, -17.393 seconds

9:25 am

Porsche #4 is into the tyre wall!

9:00 am

A look at the standings in the 17th hour of the race.

8:37 am

Number #92 of the Manthey PureRxcing Team had to go to the garage due to a technical problem.

8:12 am

The safety car phase is over, the rain subsides and the race picks up again.

7:10 am

After 15 hours of racing, here are the latest results from the class leaders. Everyone is eagerly awaiting the end of the safety car phase.

4:00 am

It's officially half time. The safety car is back on the track due to heavy rain.

2:00 am

10 hours down. 14 still to go. These are the current standings:

00:15 am

After a safety car phase, we finally the green light. Here are the standings after eight hours of driving.

Interim Report 1

After the first phase of the Le Mans 24-hour race, five of the six Porsche 963 are still looking good for a top result. At around 9 pm local time, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 5 works car is running in third place. The hybrid prototype shared by Fréderic Makowiecki, Michael Christensen and Matt Campbell is just 23 seconds behind the leading Ferrari. In the LMGT3 class, the Porsche 911 GT3 R racing cars fielded by Manthey PureRxcing and Manthey EMA have settled in among the frontrunners and are fighting for first place.

The 92nd edition of the endurance classic got underway at 4 pm local time in dry conditions. At the wheel of the No. 6 hybrid prototype, Laurens Vanthoor got off the line from pole position and duelled with the two factory Ferraris for the lead. The Belgian shares the car with Frenchman Kévin Estre and André Lotterer from Germany. 

At around 5.40 pm, a brief shower turned the order on its head. The No. 5 Porsche opted against changing tyres and catapulted up the rankings. After a good five hours of racing, the car driven by Fréderic Makowiecki from France, Michael Christensen from Denmark and the Australian Matt Campbell was maintaining third. The sister car crewed by Felipe Nasr from Brazil, UK driver Nick Tandy and the Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet currently holds eighth. Positions seven and nine are occupied by the two customer cars from Hertz Team Jota. Philip Hanson (UK), Oliver Rasmussen (DK) and the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button (UK) were ahead of their colleagues Norman Nato (F), Will Stevens and Callum Ilott (both UK). After pitting briefly for repairs, Proton Competition’s 963 fell back to P21.

“After five hours of racing, we have four Porsche in the top ten with the fifth car in eleventh – so things are looking pretty good for us,” said Urs Kuratle. “We’re currently implementing two strategies, and both are working out. Things could turn chaotic again during the night. Right now, it’s all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We had to replace the number 4’s rear wing and later the illuminated number plate on the right-hand side after a shunt with a GT car in the early stage.”

In the LMGT3 class, the 911 GT3 R of Porsche’s customer team Manthey PureRxcing tackled the endurance classic on the Circuit des 24 Heures from the second grid spot. After Englishman Alex Malykhin handed the No. 92 Porsche 911 off to Klaus Bachler, the Austrian promptly chased down the leading pack. At around 9 pm, the car was in fifth place. In Manthey EMA’s car, Yasser Shahin started the race from eleventh on the LMGT3 grid. Morris Schuring then took over the No. 91 cockpit from the Australian. After around four hours of racing, the young Dutchman swept into the lead. By 9 pm, the ca. 416 kW (565 PS) 911 was in second place.

Drivers’ comments on the race so far

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #6): “It was hard defending the lead – the Ferraris are very fast on the long straights. Still, we managed to keep up and save some fuel, which meant we were able to catch them again at the refuelling stop. When the rain started, we opted for the wrong tyres. Now we’re battling our way back to the top.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 963 #4): “Our Porsche is running beautifully. When the first full course yellow began, we unfortunately had to make our scheduled fuel stop where we were only allowed a ‘splash and dash’ so we had to pit a second time. That was bad luck. Then we received a time penalty because we braked two-tenths of a second too late from 250 km/h into an FCY in the middle of the Porsche curves. That was a mistake. We also had to replace the rear wing due to a contact in the early stages of the race. But the good thing is, we’re still on the same lap as the leader. We remain optimistic.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “That was interesting! Shortly after I took the wheel from Fred Makowiecki, it started to rain. We stayed on slicks for dry conditions, which was the right decision despite the water on the track – but I had to be extremely careful to keep the tyres at the right temperature without going too fast. That was critical to maintain grip.”

Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “It was a pretty hectic start to the race, but we managed to make some good decisions and opted for slicks when the rain came. That proved to be the right choice. We’ve managed to stay out of trouble so far and that’s the plan until the morning. Hopefully, we’ll still be at the sharp end.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “The start went quite well for us initially, but it began to rain about 100 minutes into the race. We thought it would continue so we switched to rain tyres – unfortunately, that proved to be the wrong decision, we should’ve stayed on slicks. That cost us some ground. Still, depending on the pit stop rhythm, we’re in the top 5. The competition is extremely tough. That and the changeable weather keep things exciting.”

Morris Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “I’ve just completed my very first stint in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – simply incredible! I managed to turn the fastest GT3 lap so far and handed our Porsche back to Yasser Shahin in first place. Things are going extremely well up to now, but of course, we still have many hours to go. We’ll stay focused and see what happens.”

Interim results after five of 24 hours

Hypercar class:
1. Kubica/Shwartzman/Ye (PL/IL/CN), Ferrari #83, 79 laps
2. Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen (I/E/DK), Ferrari #50, -15.777 seconds
3. Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki (AUS/DK/F), Porsche 963 #5, -23.121 seconds
7. Hanson/Button/Rasmussen (UK/UK/DK), Porsche 963 #38, -1:52.592 minutes
8. Tandy/Nasr/Jaminet (UK/BR/F), Porsche 963 #4, -1:59.040 minutes
9. Ilott/Stevens/Nato (UK/UK/F), Porsche 963 #12, -2:04.169 minutes
11. Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor (F/D/B), Porsche 963 #6, -2:11.541 minutes
21. Andlauer/Jani/Tincknell (F/CH/UK), Porsche 963 #99, -4 laps

LMGT3 class:
1. Al Harthy/Rossi/Martin (OM/I/B), BMW #46, 70 laps
2. Lietz/Shahin/Schuring (A/AUS/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 R #91, -26.662 minutes
3. Heriau, Mann, Rovera (F/USA/I), Ferrari #55, -1:08.882 minutes
5. Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm (A/UK/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, -1:14.688 minutes

All results on fiawec.alkamelsystems.com.

10:00 pm

Heavy rain on the way!

9:00 pm

After five hours, there are still five Porsche 963s in the top 15, with the two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs from Manthey Pure Rxcing and Manthey EMA in second and third position in the LMGT3 class.

8:05 pm

Four hours have passed and there is no more rain. This is the current standings from a Porsche perspective: five Porsche 963s are in the top 15.

7:45 pm

Michael Christensen in the No. 5 Porsche 963 battles with a Ferrari for the second position after a full course yellow.

7:10 pm

After three hours of racing, we have the following intermediate result in the hypercar class: four Porsche 963s are in the top 10. Rain is expected soon.

6:12 pm

After two hours and a short rain shower, we have the following interim result. Meanwhile, the two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs from Manthey EMA and Manthey Pure Rxcing are in the top 15.

5:05 pm

After one hour of racing, we have the following snapshot of the hypercar class.

4:00 pm

Let's go! The 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024 have started.

2:45 pm

These are the starting drivers from Porsche Penske Motorsport, Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition.

Hyperpole

The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team will tackle this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans from pole position. In the so-called Hyperpole – the final shootout for the best grid spots – Kévin Estre set the fastest time in the No. 6 Porsche 963.

This hands Porsche it’s 19th pole position in Le Mans. In the race, the Frenchman will share the cockpit of the hybrid prototype with Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor and three-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer from Germany. These three currently lead the drivers’ standings in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the LMGT3 class, UK driver Alex Malykhin qualified Manthey PureRxcing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R on P2.

The so-called Hyperpole shootout for the best eight grid positions for the 92nd edition of the endurance classic was packed with drama and tension. At first, the final qualifying session was delayed by 35 minutes due to repairs to the track barriers. When the track went green, a battle for pole position unfolded – only to be halted by a red flag 20 minutes later. The race director then restarted the session for 7:41 minutes. The extreme pressure brought out the best in Porsche works driver Kévin Estre. In a last-gasp bid, the 2018 Le Mans class winner turned the fastest lap time of the day in 3:24.634 minutes. 

“Unbelievable – the 19th pole position for Porsche in Le Mans,” grins Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “That was incredibly close. When the track reopened after the red flag, we only had time for two flying laps. Everything came together perfectly: The tyres were in their optimum operating window, and Kévin made the most of it. Pole is a fantastic confirmation of the team’s hard work. Now, we need to maintain a consistently fast pace over 24 hours of the race.”

“First place is unreal, it’s yet to really sink in for the whole team,” says Urs Kuratle, summarising his emotions. The Director Factory Racing LMDh adds: “Huge congratulations to everyone. What the engineers, mechanics and drivers have achieved on the journey to this pole position is tremendous. It’s wonderful to see the relief on their faces.”

“What a day for Porsche Penske Motorsport,” states Roger Penske, founder of the Penske Corporation. “Last year we came to Le Mans and weren’t quite up to speed. This year the world looks a lot brighter – that’s thanks to everyone in the team, the Porsche Motorsport staff and our strong partners. Kévin’s incredible lap gives us all another huge boost as we head into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

In the first hunt for top times on Wednesday, only one of the three Porsche 963 fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport qualified for the Hyperpole shootout for the best grid positions. The 511 kW (695 PS) sister cars with the starting numbers 5 and 4 will head into the race on Saturday from positions 10 and 19. “After our disappointment on Wednesday with only one car advancing to the top 8, today’s result was the perfect follow-up,” says Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport. “That also makes us the first to achieve pole positions at the Daytona 500, Indy 500 and Le Mans all in the same year. It’s one hell of an accomplishment! We’re now determined to turn the pole position into victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.” 

Despite qualifying for the shootout after securing eighth in yesterday’s session, the No. 12 customer-run Porsche 963 was unable to take part in today’s Hyperpole. “Our car was so badly damaged in an accident in the second free practice session on Wednesday evening that we had to change the chassis,” explains Dieter Gass, Team Principal of Hertz Team Jota. “The extensive repairs meant there was no way we could participate in the Hyperpole session. We’re now systematically preparing the car for the race.” The Porsche 963 fielded by the British customer team is expected to be ready for the warm-up on Saturday at noon. The hybrid prototype will head into the race from the fourth grid row. 

The Manthey PureRxcing customer squad also achieved a top result in the LMGT3 class. Alex Malykhin secured the second grid spot at the wheel of the No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The UK driver shares the cockpit with former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler from Austria and Joel Sturm from Germany. Manthey EMA’s second 911 will tackle the race from P16 in the GT class.

“Racing for Charity”: Porsche donates towards helping ill children 

The sports car manufacturer will donate 750 euros for each lap completed by the three works-run Porsche 963 racing cars in Le Mans. After the motorsport highlight of the year, the total amount will be donated to three non-profit organisations that, among other things, support and care for seriously ill children worldwide: Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V. and the Ferry Porsche Foundation.

TV coverage and live streaming of the race

The 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway this coming Saturday, 15 June at 4 pm. The official apps of the FIA WEC and the Le Mans organiser ACO offer a fee-paying live stream and live timing.

Drivers’ comments on the Hyperpole

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “It’s an indescribable feeling to be on pole at Le Mans. The team put a mega car on the track for me. Things got really stressful at the end. There was only just enough time on the clock for two hot laps and the car was almost out of fuel. But it was a lot of fun to drive the Porsche 963 with the tyres in the ideal operating window. I simply stayed on the gas and pulled off the lap. I’m so proud – of the pole and the amazing work from the entire team over the past few months. Now, we get to start the biggest race in the world from the very front!”

Alex Malykhin (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “The car felt great in the Hyperpole. It was a real pleasure to drive the Porsche 911 GT3 R – our team did a first-class job. We were still a little dissatisfied in the first practice sessions, but we’ve taken a very important step. Now, we’re starting the race from the front row of the LMGT3 class. That allows us to avoid the mad scramble of cars in the midfield at the start of the race.”

Hyperpole results

Hypercar class:
1. Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor (F/D/B), Porsche 963 #6, 3:24.634 minutes
2. Lynn/Bamber/Palou (UK/NZ/E), Cadillac #2, 3:24.782 minutes
3. Bourdais/van der Zande/Dixon (F/NL/NZ), Cadillac #3, 3:24.816 minutes
8. Ilott/Stevens/Nato (UK/UK/F), Porsche 963 #12, DNS

LMGT3 class:
1. Schandorff/Iribe/Millroy (DK/USA/UK), McLaren #70, 3:58.120 minutes
2. Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm (A/UK/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, 3:58.928 minutes
3. Petrobelli/ten Voorde/Yolic (I/NL/TR), Ferrari #66, 3:58.938 minutes

Qualifying

Two Porsche 963 have advanced into the so-called ‘Hyperpole’ in qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In this 30-minute session, the eight fastest drivers in each category will make a bid for pole position on Thursday at 8 pm. Kévin Estre qualified the No. 6 Porsche 963 for the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team. As eighth quickest, the Hertz Team Jota outfit will send one of the hybrid prototypes from Weissach into the Hyperpole session, too. In the LMGT3 class, Austria’s Klaus Bachler progressed into the critical shootout at the wheel of Manthey PureRxcing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R.

In ideal weather conditions with scattered clouds and an air temperature of almost 20 degrees Celsius, the qualifying got underway with a jostling congregation at the pit exit. The reason: whoever is first on the racetrack has the clearest run in the early stages and thus the chance of advancing into the Hyperpole on Thursday. Right from the start, many competitors set impressive lap times. For this session, the three Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 were driven by the works drivers Nick Tandy from Great Britain (No. 4), the Australian Matt Campbell (No. 5) and Kévin Estre. At the wheel of the No. 6 car, the Frenchman qualified for the Hyperpole in 3:25.501 minutes. His Porsche 963 currently ranks first in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The sister cars, which also put out 511 kW (695 PS), are expected to start the 24-hour race on Saturday at 4 pm from positions 10 and 19.

“That was a close and gripping qualifying session with a tightly packed field in the Hypercar class,” stated Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We would’ve preferred to have had more works-run Porsche 963 reach the Hyperpole, so we’re disappointed. We now need to look at the results and draw the appropriate conclusions with a view to the race on Saturday. Unlike in previous practice sessions, I think we got a better idea in the qualifying of how we stack up against the competition and we have some orientation in this regard.”

“In the end, the top eight were separated by just seventh tenths of a second – that gives a clear indication of just how close the qualifying was on this 13-kilometre course,” explains Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. Our number 6 car made it into the top 8, the other two works cars simply couldn’t get a clear run. Nick Tandy was particularly unlucky in our number 4 car and so was Matt on his second flying lap. We’re getting good feedback from the drivers about the performance of our cars so we’re feeling optimistic as we head into the upcoming race.”

Hertz Team Jota’s No. 12 Porsche also made it into the Hyperpole thanks to Callum Ilott (UK). As all the lap times of another competitor were subsequently cancelled, the customer team moved up to eighth place. In P17, the British team’s second hybrid prototype missed out on advancing into the next heat, as did the identical racing car fielded by Proton Competition, in which former Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer from France qualified 14th.

In the LMGT3 class, the two Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned by Manthey EMA and Manthey PureRxcing fought for a top-eight result in qualifying. Klaus Bachler gave the seasoned customer squad from Germany’s Eifel region good reason to celebrate: the Austrian planted the No. 92 Porsche 911 on fifth place. The sister car is expected to tackle the endurance classic from 16th on the grid.

Live streaming of the race

The 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway this coming Saturday, 15 June at 4 pm. The official apps of the FIA WEC and the Le Mans organiser ACO offer a paid live stream and live timing.

Drivers’ comments on the qualifying

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “We had an hour to turn the fastest lap possible. A lot was going on out on the track – with 62 cars there was obviously a lot of overtaking. I did my best and ultimately it worked. Half a tenth of a second was the deciding factor in our favour. We now need to see where we can make tweaks to improve before the race. But right now, I’m excited about competing into the Hyperpole on Thursday."

Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #5): “I’m thrilled for our colleagues in the number 6, but personally I’m a bit disappointed – I would have preferred to reach the Hyperpole, as well, but luck wasn’t on my side today. Cars kept getting in my way, so I had to slow down. It’s a shame. Now we’ll start from P10 on the grid, which isn’t as ideal.”

Callum Ilott (Porsche 963 #12): “That was close, but our eighth place is not bad at all considering we’re only a tenth of a second behind the fastest Porsche 963 from the Porsche works team. I reckon I got the most out of it, although with 62 cars out on the track, it was very hard to get a clear lap. One thing is sure, it’s what happens in the race that counts.”

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 963 #99): “We didn’t get a clean run – but we weren’t the only ones. I get the impression that our Porsche is handling quite well in the corners but we’re obviously losing time on the long straights. We need to adjust our setup so that we achieve a better top speed and improve traction. I would’ve liked to qualify further up the grid, but now we’ll have to battle our way up the order in the race.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “What an intense session – my team sent me out on the track twice with fresh tyres. I was unlucky the first time because I was hampered by slower cars. When I went out the second time, things went better. I made it into the Hyperpole with fifth place. I’m delighted and satisfied with the result. Hopefully, we can fight for pole position in the LMGT3 class on Thursday.”

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “I tried twice, as well. Between the two attempts we readjusted the setup – unfortunately, this suddenly resulted in more understeer and then we ran out of time. We have to live with that now. My grid position isn’t great, but we have 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday to work our way up.”

Qualifying result

Hypercar class:
1. D. Vanthoor/Marciello/Wittmann (B/CH/D), BMW #15, 3:24.465 minutes
2. Bourdais/van der Zande/Dixon (F/NL/NZ), Cadillac #3, -0,177 seconds
3. Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen (I/E/DK), Ferrari #50, -0.266 seconds
7. Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor (F/D/B), Porsche 963 #6, -0.586 seconds
8. Ilott/Stevens/Nato (UK/UK/F), Porsche 963 #12, -0.680 seconds
10. Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki (AUS/DK/F), Porsche 963 #5, -0.842 seconds
14. Andlauer/Jani/Tincknell (F/CH/UK), Porsche 963 #99, -1.527 seconds
17. Hanson/Button/Rasmussen (UK/UK/DK), Porsche 963 #38, -1.825 seconds
19 Tandy/Nasr/Jaminet (UK/BR/F), Porsche 963 #4, -1.897 seconds

LMGT3 class:
1. Barker/Hardwick/Robichon (UK/USA/CDN), Ford #77, 3:55.263 minutes
2. Schandorff/Iribe/Millroy (DK/USA/UK), McLaren #70, -0.143 seconds
3. Juncadella/Koizumi/Baud (E/JP/F), Corvette #82, -0.842 seconds
5. Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm (A/UK/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, -0.926 seconds
16. Lietz/Shahin/Schuring (A/AUS/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 R #91, -1.763 seconds

All results on fiawec.alkamelsystems.com.

Statistics, drivers’ comments, schedule

Porsche takes on this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (15/16 June) as the most successful manufacturer. Before the 92nd edition of the classic gets underway, teams and drivers prepared for the unique characteristics of the Circuit des 24 Heures at an official test day last Sunday (9 June). Public roads make up a good nine kilometres of the 13.626-kilometre-long circuit. They are only closed to everyday traffic for the practices, qualifying and race. Racing cars from the Stuttgart sportscar manufacturer have contested the world’s largest endurance race since 1951. This year, more than 320,000 spectators are expected.

The Le Mans event marks the annual highlight on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar. The first running of the race was in 1923 to showcase automotive innovation, durability and performance. The only time the classic was not contested was in 1936 due to a general strike in France as well as during WWII and the reconstruction between 1940 and 1948. The famous 24 Hours of Le Mans will be contested at the Sarthe for the 92nd time this year.

In addition to the prospect of securing its 20th outright victory at Le Mans, Porsche celebrates a special anniversary: 50 Years of the Porsche Turbo. The turbocharged engines were developed in motorsport from 1971 and migrated into the road-going 911 just three years later. In 2024, the Porsche 963 hybrid prototype will also be powered by a bi-turbo engine. A classic example of the motorsport commitments from Stuttgart: Porsche advances innovations on the racetrack, subjects them to the toughest tests in fierce competition before they successfully flow into series production shortly afterwards.

Drivers’ comments ahead of the race

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #4):
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is without a doubt the most important race of the year. I’m not the only one who thinks this, all drivers feel the same. As a Frenchman, this is particularly true. Even on the test day, we local heroes noticed the special attention. It’s great to feel like stars for a week! After the race, however, it’s back to normal life very quickly.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “It’s always incredibly difficult to gauge your chances before the start of the race. Nobody knows how the competition will stack up. We’ve already achieved some excellent results in this year’s FIA WEC and the IMSA series. The car’s great, the team is in top form and the drivers are fighting fit. Everything’s ready. We’ll do our best to be in the lead at the flag.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “Judging from the way the WEC season has panned out so far, we’re heading into the highlight event with high expectations and great anticipation. As a first step, we want to perfect the setup then qualify well and advance into the Hyperpole. It’s the only time I’m competing at home in France and it’s the biggest event. It’ll be a memorable experience to drive in front of so many spectators again. I can hardly wait to get going on Saturday at 4 pm.”

Will Stevens (Porsche 963 #12): “It’s wonderful to be driving in Le Mans again. Our team has already achieved big successes on this racetrack in the LMP2 class. We’re very familiar with this race and its special features. We’ve learned a lot from the races so far this season and now we’re keen to implement this knowledge to the best of our ability and prepare ourselves perfectly for the big Le Mans challenge.”

Jenson Button (Porsche 963 #38): “I’ve contested Le Mans twice so far and this year I’m racing for a team with extremely high ambitions. I really like that. At the WEC race in Spa, we showed that we’re able to run at the front if everything goes right. That gave us a great deal of confidence. If we draw on all our experience, then there’s no doubt we have every opportunity to achieve something really big.”

Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #99): “We believe we have a good chance. It’s not that we’re dreaming of an overall win, but we might be good for a podium spot. That’s our goal. We still have some work to do on the setup and we still need to figure out our race strategy. We’ll implement all the insights we’ve gained over the past weeks and months to be as well prepared as possible in time for the start.”

Morris Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “This is my first Le Mans race. It’s quite funny looking at the numbers among our crew: My teammate Richard Lietz is competing for the 18th time and I’m only 19 years old. I’m the young rookie. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team. We’re ready. If we do everything right, we’ll achieve something great – it’ll be a result that will make the Porsche family proud.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “Given that the Le Mans circuit is not a dedicated racetrack, we expect the grip conditions to change a lot during the week compared to other tracks. We have the best team behind us! The goal is to win our class. We’ve spent months preparing for this challenge and we’ll do our utmost to make our big dream come true.”

Porsche’s unparalleled track record at Le Mans

In 1951, Porsche sent a delegation to the 24-hour race in Le Mans for the first time. With success: the two Frenchmen Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche promptly clinched class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 365/4 SL Coupé. Since then, the Porsche brand has been represented on the grid of the world’s greatest endurance race every year. To date, a total of 855 Porsche racing cars have contested the classic. Thanks to 19 overall victories and 110 class wins so far, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart is by far the number one on the list of achievements of the organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO).

24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche’s outright victories

1970 – Herrmann (D) / Attwood (GB) – Porsche 917 KH
1971 – Marko (A) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 917 KH
1976 – Ickx (B) / Van Lennep (NL) – Porsche 936
1977 – Ickx (B) / Haywood (USA) / Barth (D) – Porsche 936/77
1979 – Ludwig (D) / D. Whittington (USA) / B. Whittington (USA) – Porsche 935 K3
1981 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 936
1982 – Ickx (B) / Bell (GB) – Porsche 956
1983 – Schuppan (AUS) / Haywood (USA) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 956
1984 – Pescarolo (F) / Ludwig (D) – Porsche 956
1985 – Barilla (I) / Ludwig (D) / Krages (D) – Porsche 956
1986 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1987 – Bell (GB) / Stuck (D) / Holbert (USA) – Porsche 962C
1994 – Dalmas (F) / Haywood (USA) / Baldi (I) – Dauer Porsche 962 LM
1996 – Wurz (A) / Reuter (D) / Jones (USA) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1997 – Kristensen (DK) / Alboreto (I) / Johansson (S) – TWR Porsche WSC-95
1998 – Aiello (F) / McNish (GB) / Ortelli (F) – Porsche 911 GT1
2015 – Bamber (NZ) / Tandy (GB) / Hülkenberg (D) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2016 – Jani (CH) / Lieb (D) / Dumas (F) – Porsche 919 Hybrid
2017 – Bernhard (D) / Hartley (NZ) / Bamber (NZ) – Porsche 919 Hybrid

The schedule (all times CEST)

Thursday, 11 June
14:00 – 15:00 hrs: Autograph session (pit lane)
14:00 – 18:00 hrs: Pit walk
15:15 – 16:30 hrs: Pitstop Challenge

Wednesday, 12 June
14:00 – 17:00 hrs: Free practice 1
19:00 – 20:00 hrs: Qualifying
22:00 – midnight: Free practice 2

Thursday, 13 June
15:00 – 18:00 hrs: Free practice 3
20:00 – 20:30 hrs: Hyperpole
22:00 – 23:00 hrs: Free practice 4

Friday, 14 June
15:00 – 20:00 hrs: Track walk for fans
16:00 – 19:00 hrs: Drivers’ parade (city centre)

Saturday, 15 June
12:00 – 12:15 hrs: Warmup
16:00 hrs: Green light 24 Hours of Le Mans

Sunday, 16 June
16:00 hrs: Chequered flag 24 Hours of Le Mans

Preview

Porsche is keen to add to its illustrious record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the 92nd edition of the world’s biggest endurance race, the three Porsche 963 racing cars fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team are targeting their 20th outright victory. For each lap completed by the three factory cars, Porsche will donate 750 euros towards the “Racing for Charity” initiative.

A total of 23 prototypes from nine different brands, including three customer Porsche 963 from Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition, will pit themselves against each other in the top Hypercar class. In the new LMGT3 category, 23 vehicles from nine manufacturers will also battle for victory. Porsche is represented in this class by two 911 GT3 R entries from its Manthey partner team.

To increase the chances of clinching its 20^th overall win, Porsche Penske Motorsport again fields three Porsche 963 this year. The works cars can be differentiated by the colours of their wing mirrors, the Porsche lettering on the windshield and the rear fin. As usual, those parts of the two regular cars from the FIA WEC will be painted black (No. 5) and white (No. 6). The No. 4 vehicle will feature red accents on those areas. Top drivers from the Porsche works squad will crew the hybrid prototypes from Weissach. The odds in the fiercely contested Hypercar class also look promising for the three identical racing cars from the customer teams Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition.

“There can only be one goal for Porsche at Le Mans – to win. We hold the record number of victories and we’re determined to add another triumph to our record. That puts big pressure on everyone involved. We’re by no means underestimating our rivals,” says Thomas Laudenbach, outlining the intention of the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. The Vice President Porsche Motorsport adds: “The top Hypercar class is extremely competitive with a total of 23 prototypes from nine different manufacturers. That’s precisely what motivates us. We want to underline our expertise and technical skills in the world’s toughest race. That applies not only to our factory team but also to the strong customer teams with their Porsche 963. We’re also looking strong in the LMGT3 category. Manthey’s two 911 GT3 R will be well placed to fight for class victory.”

“Our preparations have gone very well – at the first races of the year on both sides of the Atlantic as well as at last Sunday’s test drives,” explains Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh is excited about the highlight of the FIA WEC season: “It's great to see how the suspense continues to build among everyone in the team. Everyone is working with total concentration. We’re united by one big goal: we want to bring home Porsche’s 20th overall victory. I’m curious to see how the competition evolves over the next few days.”

“We got off to a great start on the test day for this year’s Le Mans race,” states Jonathan Diuguid, in reference to the official pre-test last Sunday. Looking ahead to the race week, the Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport adds: “We expect similarly good conditions in practice, qualifying and on both race days. If this happens, then our insights from the test will have been very valuable. We’ll then need to focus on making further tweaks to the cars.”

“Racing for Charity”: Porsche donates towards helping ill children

The sports car manufacturer will donate 750 euros for each lap completed by the three works-run Porsche 963 racing vehicles. After the racing highlight of the year, the total amount will be donated to three non-profit organisations that, among other things, support and care for seriously ill children worldwide: Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V. and the Ferry Porsche Foundation.

The race

The 24 Hours of Le Mans marks the fourth round on the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC calendar and is the highlight of the season. Due to the long distance, double points will be awarded towards the world championship. Porsche tackles the 92nd edition of the world’s greatest endurance race leading all world championship standings. The classic event, which was contested for the first time 101 years ago, offers other novel features: for instance, the deployment of three safety cars at once on the track. The reason for this is that each lap of the Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans is extremely long at 13.626 kilometres. This year’s race gets underway on Saturday, 15 June, at 4 pm CEST.

The storied circuit south of the city with its 150,000 inhabitants consists mainly of public roads. Normally, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Mulsanne Straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours. The fast Porsche curves are both famous and notorious: high speeds and narrow run-off zones pose special challenges and ensure spectacular race action. The unique racetrack in the Sarthe department is only open to the teams to go testing once a season. This took place last Sunday.

TV and live streaming of the race

The official apps of the FIA WEC and the Le Mans organiser ACO offer a paid live stream and live timing from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The full TV distribution list is available at fiawec.com.

An overview of the drivers and vehicles

Hypercar class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #4: Mathieu Jaminet (F) / Felipe Nasr (BR) / Nick Tandy (UK)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #5: Matt Campbell (AUS) / Michael Christensen (DK) / Frédéric Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (F) / André Lotterer (D) / Laurens Vanthoor (B)
Hertz Team Jota #12: Callum Ilott (UK) / Norman Nato (F) / Will Stevens (UK)
Hertz Team Jota #38: Jenson Button (UK) / Phil Hanson (UK) / Oliver Rasmussen (DK)
Proton Competition #99: Julien Andlauer (F) / Neel Jani (CH) / Harry Tincknell (UK)

LMGT3 class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Manthey EMA #91: Richard Lietz (A) / Morris Schuring (NL) / Yasser Shahin (AUS)
Manthey PureRxcing #92: Klaus Bachler (A) / Alex Malykhin (UK) / Joel Sturm (D)