911 RSR (92), Race, Le Mans, 2018, Porsche AG

Le Mans 2018 live!

Porsche has won the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours in both the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes and has extended their lead in the FIA WEC Championship. The 24 Hours of Le Mans at a glance.

Live!

3.00 pm

In the factory-run Porsche 911 RSR with the starting number 92, Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) 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 Makowiecki (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 at Le Mans in its anniversary year

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.

Find the final race report with quotes here.

2.42 pm

Last impressions from the race track in Le Mans:

2.33 pm

Porsche fans in Zuffenhausen follow the race and keep their fingers crossed in the last few minutes of the race.

2.22 pm

2.15 pm

A look at the current status in the last hour before the finish.

2.00 pm

1.56 pm

We spent our Sunday morning with Patrick Dempsey – talking with him in his pit garage.

Patrick Dempsey Interview
Patrick Dempsey Interview

12.19 pm

12.02 pm

11.06 am

10.02 am

8.54 am

8.30 am

The #92 Porsche 911 RSR continues to lead the GTE-Pro class after two-thirds of the race distance. At the long-distance classic in Le Mans, the trio line-up of Kévin Estre (France), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) turned flawless laps during the night to defend their lead. Richard Lietz (Austria), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) are also performing strongly and currently rank second.

In the GTE-Am class, the #77 vehicle fielded by Dempsey-Proton Racing and driven by Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) safeguarded its top position. And the nine-elevens with the starting numbers 99 (Proton Competition), 56 (Team Project 1) and 80 (Ebimotors) are still looking promising at the world’s toughest endurance race.

Comments on the start of the race in the press release (downloads).

7.12 am

5.56 am

5.47 am

3.59 am

2.50 am

2.15 am

A few hours ago we had the chance to talk to Kevin Estre. See whats in his mind.

0.20 am

11.54 pm

11.15 pm

11.02 pm

The current leaders in the GTE-Pro class: Porsche 911 RSR #92, #91 and #93.

10.45 pm

Porsche driver Kévin Estre shares his impressions after nearly eight hours of racing.

9.52

8.39 pm

Greetings from the fans in Zuffenhausen.

8.03 pm

After five hours of racing in Le Mans, there are three Porsche 911 RSR among the Top 4.

7.30 pm

In Dempsey's pit garage
In Dempsey's pit garage

7.02 pm

The “Pink Pig” is still in the lead after the safety car left the track.

6.38 pm

The safety car is on the track.

The 911 Turbo will be the safety car for the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) until 2020. The details.

6.28 pm

A perfect start for the Porsche 911 RSR at the 86th edition of the long-distance classic at Le Mans. After two hours, the #92 vehicle leads the GTE-Pro field, with the (#91) 911 RSR following in position two. The two Porsche 911 RSR with the starting numbers 93 and 94 also hold promising prospects in the race.

In the GTE-Am class, the Porsche 911 RSR racers also got away well into the Le Mans 24-hour race. The cars fielded by Dempsey-Proton Racing (#77 und #88) and Proton Competition’s #99 vehicle have settled in amongst the frontrunners at the world’s toughest long-distance race, which finishes on Sunday at 3pm.

Comments on the start of the race in the press release (downloads).

6.01 pm

A tight race between the #91 and #92 car.

5.09 pm

After two hours of racing, the 911 RSR #92 is leading the GTE-Pro class at Le Mans. 911 RSR #92 follows on position 3.

4.04 pm

3.55 pm

3.19 pm

The two Porsche 911 RSR #91 and #92 are in the lead.

3 pm

The race has started!

On the grid

Porsche gets ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fingers crossed

Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen and Laurens Vanthoor celebrate 70 years of  Porsche sports cars today.

TV coverage

Get all information on TV coverage and live streaming in this article.

Warm-up is over

Talk with Christina Nielsen

We’ve catched up with Christina Nielsen yesterday evening and she opened up about what it feels like just before the race, to have a dad that drove at Le Mans and her message for girls who think they might like to be a racing driver themselves one day.

Talk with Christina Nielsen
Talk with Christina Nielsen

Getting in the mood

Morning News

Porsche Brand Ambassador Mark Webber summarizes the starting situation on race day.

Morning News
Morning News

Race day

Drivers' parade

Fans are cheering for the Porsche drivers at the traditional drivers' parade on the eve of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Welcome at Le Mans

Mark Webber gets us in the mood for the world’s toughest long-distance race.

Welcome at Le Mans
Welcome at Le Mans

Christina Nielsen

Christina Nielsen’s love for speed beganin the cradle. Today, she lives out her dream on the world’s race tracks. 2018 will see the Danish driver take on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche. More about the only female driver in the new episode of 9:11 magazine.

Final qualifying

Gianmaria Bruni lapped the 13.626-kilometre circuit in 3:47.504 minutes. Never before has a GT vehicle turned a faster lap at Le Mans. This puts the Italian and his teammates Richard Lietz (Austria) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France) on pole position for the 24-hour race. The #92 Porsche 911 RSR driven by Michael Christensen, who also posted his fastest lap in the first qualifying, takes up the race from the second grid spot. The Dane shares the cockpit with Frenchman Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium.

Find more information like the qualifying results in the press release (downloads).

 

Qualifying quotes

Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsports and GT Cars: “All our vehicles are performing well and have been very reliable. The qualifying results are great with the fastest time in the GTE-Pro class and positions one, two and three in the GTE-Am class. As race preparation this is good because it has a calming effect and shows where we stand. Gianmaria Bruni’s fastest lap was simply magic. Everything came together perfectly: no mistake, little traffic and slipstream. You see from the times how close the competition is and how tough things are out there. Unfortunately this also led to some trips off the track. The #94 was badly damaged, but the car will be back on its wheels in time for the race. 24 hours is a long time, so it’s certainly important to avoid making mistakes.”

Pascal Zurlinden, Director GT Factory Motorsport: “The track was a little slower during the final qualifying, however two of our cars managed to improve their times. We’re facing very strong opposition, but we have four fast cars with experienced teams and drivers. Our goal is to perform consistently and win the race.”

Find quotes of the drivers in the press release (downloads).

Qualifying 1

In his very first lap, start driver Gianmaria Bruni set a phenomenal time of 3:47.504 minutes in his #91 Porsche 911 RSR, a time that none of his opponents could even come close to. The Italian’s 510 hp racer was setup specifically for a fast lap and benefited from the fact that the 13.626-kilometre circuit has become significantly faster compared to last year. Bruni’s vehicle then suffered a puncture and was unable to continue. However, he and his teammates Richard Lietz (Austria) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France) managed to retain the top spot in the first qualifying session at the toughest long-distance race in the world.

Behind the trio, Michael Christensen (Denmark), Kévin Estre (France) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) planted their #92 Porsche 911 RSR on second. The two other 911 RSR that will contest the GTE-Pro class at the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours posted the sixth and seventh quickest time.

Find more information like the qualifying results in the press release (downloads).

The race

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, regarded as the toughest automobile race in the world, enjoys a long and illustrious tradition. Initiated in 1923 as the Grand Prix d’Endurance de 24 Heures, Porsche first took on the challenge of the world’s largest motorsport event in 1951. Legendary corners such as Mulsanne and Tertre Rouge and chicanes flow into high-speed passages like the Mulsanne Straight. Adding to the legend is the fact that the 13.626-kilometre course is a combination of permanent racetrack and everyday national roads. Even Hollywood has paid tribute to the race with the 1971 film “Le Mans” featuring Steve McQueen in the lead role.

The works squad travels to round two of the FIA Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) as the leader of the Manufacturers’ Championship. In the 60-strong field, four customer teams campaign six additional 911 RSR from Weissach. In the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am class, the Porsche 911 RSR clocked the fastest lap times at the test day on 3 June.

Porsche drivers

Both of the Porsche GT Teams from the FIA WEC and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will tackle the 86th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Twelve works drivers will race for victory in the GTE-Pro class. Sharing driving duties in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR are Richard Lietz (Austria), Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki. Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen from Denmark and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) contest the long-distance classic in the #92 car. Manning the third 911 RSR (#93) for the Porsche GT Team are Patrick Pilet (France), Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and New Zealander Earl Bamber. Timo Bernhard from Germany, Romain Dumas (France) and Sven Müller (Germany) helm the #94 race car. With Bamber, Bernhard, Dumas and Tandy, four outright Le Mans winners contest the 24-hour race for Porsche.

Customer teams

Four customer teams field another six Porsche 911 RSR racers in the GTE-Am class. Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and the 18-year-old Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) tackle the race in Dempsey Proton Racing’s #77 car. Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Khaled Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates) and Giorgio Roda (Italy) drive the second 911 RSR of the squad that enjoys support from the actor Patrick Dempsey. With Patrick Long, Timothy Pappas and Spencer Pumpelly, an all-American crew share the cockpit of the #99 Porsche 911 RSR run by Proton Competition. The Project 1 WEC team relies on Porsche works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Egidio Perfetti (Norway) and Patrick Lindsey (USA). The 911 RSR of Gulf Racing is manned by British drivers Michael Wainwright and Ben Barker with Australian Alex Davison. The Italian squad Ebimotors competes with Fabio Babini (Italy), Erik Maris (France) and Porsche Selected Driver Christina Nielsen (Denmark).

The Porsche 911 RSR

911 RSR, Porsche GT Team, Le Mans, 2018, Porsche AG

For the Porsche 911 RSR, 2018 marks the second outing at the long-distance race. In its 2017 debut season, the race car from Weissach narrowly missed out on a podium spot, finishing fourth at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Depending on the restrictor, the water-cooled four-litre flat-six engine puts out around 510 hp. The newly developed race car celebrated its premiere in 2017 at the 24 Hours of Daytona. A large rear diffuser combined with a top-mounted rear wing generates high downforce and provides aerodynamic efficiency.

The schedule

Wednesday, 13 June

16:00-20:00 Free practice
22:00-00:00 Qualifying 1

Thursday, 14 June

19:00-21:00 Qualifying 2
22:00-00:00 Qualifying 3

Friday, 15 June

17:00-18:30 Drivers’ parade in downtown Le Mans

Saturday, 16 June

09:00-09:45 Warm-up
14:00-14:30 Presentation of vehicles and drivers
15:00 Race start

Sunday, 17 June

15:00 Race finish

Live and on all channels

Porsche Motorsport provides comprehensive information of the largest GT works campaign in the company’s history with press releases, photos, videos and live coverage.

Well prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche is ready to tackle the long-distance classic at the Sarthe. During official tests, a Porsche 911 RSR ranked first in both the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am class. The preview of round two of the FIA Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC is available here.

Porsche press database

Press releases, images and TV footage are available free-of-charge at presse.porsche.de. To receive regular press information automatically, please register on presse.porsche.de. This is also required for access to the archive.

Porsche Newsroom

The news portal offers at newsroom.porsche.com/lemans2018 the latest news, stories, photos, facts and background information on Porsche’s Le Mans campaign.

Video news

Up-to-date information from the two Porsche GT Teams and customer squads can be found on www.vimeo.com/porschenewsroom.

Porsche Motorsport on social media

All sessions and preparations are covered on the Twitter channel @PorscheRaces. Information, photos and videos from the race as well as a look behind the scenes of the Porsche teams are offered here. On the Instagram account @porsche_newsroom the latest photos and videos will be uploaded constantly.

TV coverage and live streaming

Eurosport 1 broadcasts the 24-hour race live and free-to-view. The TV channel also airs the free practice and qualifying sessions. These live broadcasts are supplemented by background reports and race analyses from Tom Kristensen. Using virtual tools, the Le Mans record winner provides a commentary of the race action. Sport1 televises highlights of the Le Mans 24-hour race in a 60-minute programme on Monday, 18 June, from 23:00 hrs. This sports channel also provides online clips of the race at www.sport1.de. The FIA WEC App is free in its basic version. For a fee, however, the app offers a live stream of the 24-hour race.

Consumption data

911 Turbo: Fuel consumption combined 9.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 212 g/km

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