By winning the race, Porsche, with the 919 Hybrid, extended their lead in the manufacturer standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) came fourth in the race and continue to lead the drivers’ world championship. Just like the 2015 debut, the German round of the WEC was a success: 58,000 spectators witnessed breathtaking motorsport in nice summer weather in the Eifel mountains.
This is the third victory this season for the Porsche 919 Hybrid, after wins at the Silverstone and Le Mans races. In total the prototype has won ten races since its 2014 debut. For Bernhard/Hartley/Webber it is their fifth success. Porsche now leads the manufacturers’ standings with 164 points ahead of Audi (129) and Toyota (97). Dumas/Jani/Lieb lead the drivers’ standings by 33 points.
How the race went in the LMP1 class
How the race went for car number 1:
Immediately after the start Timo Bernhard (DE) overtakes the number 8 Audi and improves from third to second. From the 15th lap onwards he attacks the leading number 7 Audi but cannot overtake. Only when the first pits stops are due, the number 1 Porsche takes the lead. When refuelling, changing tyres and drivers after 31 laps, the Porsche crew works faster than the competition. Now Brendon Hartley (NZ) is leading the race but is put under pressure. On lap 45 and 48 respectively, he is overtaken by the two Audis and drops back to third. The team identifies a tyre pressure loss and calls the car in for an early stop.
After 53 laps Hartley hands over to Mark Webber (AU) who passes the leading car on to Bernhard after 86 laps. Short after half distance the race’s third “full course yellow” is in operation, this time both cars pit. After 108 laps Hartley gets behind the wheel again. The title defenders are running in P2. When the course is “yellow” for the fourth time, after 139 laps, Webber takes over again and leads the race. After 165 laps, at a pit stop during full course yellow number five, Bernhard jumps in again to bring home the winning car after 194 laps.
How the race went for car number 2:
Neel Jani holds fourth at the start. On lap 22, in turn one, he attacks the third placed Audi number 8. He almost gets past him but then loses the rear under braking and slips off the track. However, he continues in P4. After 30 laps Marc Lieb jumps into the car. When the sister car has its slow puncture and the Audis have their next pit stops, on lap 57, Lieb takes the lead. After 62 laps he hands over to Romain Dumas.
When 91 laps are completed, the number 2 trio benefit from the second “full course yellow” for another pit stop and driver change. Jani continues with the leading car. At the stop after 108 laps, during the third “full course yellow”, an unhappy stint for Lieb begins. On lap 138 he touches the GT Porsche (number 88) when he wanted to lap the car. From lap 139 Jani continues with a new nose cone in P2 and is soon in the lead again. After 147 laps he has to take a drive through penalty for the earlier collision and drops back to P3. On lap 156 he tries to overtake the number 8 Audi but is pushed outside the track limits. Then Jani finds himself in a sandwich between the two Audis. A thrilling battle for positions two and three develops – touching cars included. The next pit stop follows during full course yellow number five on lap 165. An unscheduled stop for rear repairs was ordered by race control after 172 laps. Jani continues and finishes in P4.
How the race went in the GT classes
Premiere for KCMG: The Porsche customer team from Hong Kong has secured its first podium result with the Porsche 911 RSR in the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC. Wolf Henzler (Germany), Christian Ried (Germany) and Joel Camathias (Switzerland) finished second in the GTE-Am class after a strong drive in the race car, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car.
After making a good start from pole position, the 911 RSR fielded by Abu Dhabi Proton Racing initially took the lead on the Eifel circuit. Patrick Long (USA) defended the top spot in the GTE-Am class over the first hour of racing. While handing the car off to David Heinemeier Hansson (Denmark), a fire started in the pits. This cost the lead. At the beginning of the fifth racing hour, Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) had to pit after a collision with an LMP1 prototype, dashing the hopes of the third place-getters at the Le Mans 24 Hours for a second podium spot this season. The team ultimately had to settle for fifth ahead of Gulf Racing’s 911 RSR.
In the GTE-Pro class, the 911 RSR run by the Dempsey Proton Racing team with drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Michael Christensen (Denmark) scored sixth.
Quotes after the race
Michael Steiner, Board Member Research and Development, Porsche AG: “It was a hard race, we were fighting for a long time, and I’m very happy about this win on home soil.”
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1: “It is incredible. We have won nine out of the last ten races, including the 24 hours of Le Mans twice. With this result we are going into the summer break and you cannot ask for more. I feel sorry for our number 2 car. It had the win within reach, too. But a fourth place is still a strong result. We saw a fantastic race and motorsport at it’s highest level, now we look forward to Mexico. Until then I wish all team members here and at home in Weissach a wonderful holiday.”
Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: “A huge compliment to all team members at the track and in Weissach for this outstanding performance. Crew number 1 was able to exploit the full potential of our 919 Hybrid and they were nearly incident-free. Their slow puncture did not cause an extra pit stop. Unfortunately, car number 2 had some unlucky incidents on the track that cost them a top position. We improved our points advantage in the constructors’ championship and crew number 2 collected some valuable points for the drivers’ world championship as well. Getting the season’s third aero package ready for this race was done with huge effort since it was developed at the same time as we prepared for Le Mans. The new package worked well over the entire weekend. We clearly had the fastest car in the race and we want to keep the momentum for the races to come overseas.”
More quotes in the press releases.
Race results
GT classes
GTE-Pro class
1. Bruni/Calado (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE, 170 laps
2. Rigon/Bird (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE, 170
3. Mücke/Pla (D/F), Ford GT, 170
4. Sörensen/Thiim (DK/DK), Aston Martin, 169
5. Stanaway/Turner (NZ/GB), Aston Martin, 169
6. Christensen/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 RSR, 169
7. Franchitti/Priaulx/Tincknell (USA/GB/GB), Ford GT, 155
GTE-Am class
1. Lamy/Dalla Lana/Lauda (P/CAN/A), Aston Martin, 166 laps
2. Ried/Henzler/Camathias (D/D/CH), Porsche 911 RSR, 166
3. Collard/Perrodo/Aguas (F/F/P), Ferrari F458 Italia, 166
4. Yamagishi/Ragues/Ruberti (J/F/I), Chevrolet Corvette, 165
5. Al Qubaisi/Long/Heinemeier Hansson (UAE/USA/DK), Porsche 911 RSR, 164
6. Wainwright/Carroll/Barker (GB/GB/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 164
Info
Round five of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC is contested in Mexico City on 4 September.
