The hypercar customer team Proton Competition and GT3 operations team Manthey also reported positive results after an intensive day of testing.
After some heavy rain on Saturday, the weather at Le Mans improved significantly for Sunday’s crucial test day ahead of the 93rd edition of the 24-hour race. With temperatures just above 20 degrees Celsius and light cloud cover, the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team made the most of both three-hour sessions. Throughout the day, the team refined the setup of its three 511 kW (695 PS) Porsche 963 hybrid prototypes. By the end of the test, drivers reported a consistently balanced car. In total, the three hybrid prototypes logged 194 laps, covering a distance of 2,643 kilometres.
‟It was a very productive test day, during which we ticked off a full to-do list with all three cars,” said Urs Kuratle, Director of Factory Racing LMDh. ‟We evaluated different setup options and tested components in preparation for race week. The team worked together seamlessly. This is the first time since last year that we’re running three cars, and we’ve successfully applied the lessons we learned. These insights are more valuable than lap times alone.”
‟We had a sunny start to the Le Mans race week and our cars performed well,” added Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director at Porsche Penske Motorsport. ‟We ran on Michelin’s medium tyres all day, in anticipation of warmer conditions next week. We wrapped up the day incident-free, and the drivers provided positive feedback. Now we’ll dive into the data and hopefully make further progress based on that.”
In the No. 4 car, the third entry alongside the two FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Porsche 963 cars, Formula E World Champion Pascal Wehrlein turned his first laps of the Circuit des 24 Heures. At the wheel of the No. 5 sister car, Nico Müller prepared for all contingencies; the Swiss driver is on standby as a reserve for Le Mans. The Porsche 963 fielded by the Proton Competition customer team also covered 60 laps of the 13.626-kilometre track with its Porsche 963.
LMGT3 Class: Thorough race preparation for the three Manthey 911 GT3 R
The Manthey customer team also took full advantage of the sole test day at the legendary circuit in western France. The No. 85 entry, fielded under the Iron Dames banner, covered 872 kilometres, while the No. 90 and No. 92 sister cars turned a total of 133 laps on the unique layout of the permanent circuit and public roads.
There will be no on-track activity at the Circuit des 24 Heures on Monday and Tuesday (9-10 June). Race week officially begins on Wednesday with two free practice sessions and the qualifying. The 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway on Saturday, 14 June, at 4 pm local time (CEST).
The race on TV and online
In Germany, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be broadcast live by Nitro (RTL Group) and sports channel Eurosport. A paid live stream and live timing are available via the official apps of the FIA WEC and Le Mans organiser ACO.
Driver comments on the Le Mans test day:
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #4): ‟We managed to get a lot done. We first ticked off tasks such as running in components like brakes and fitting body parts for the race. In the afternoon, we focused more on the setup and made good progress. We’ll keep building on this.”
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #5): ‟The car ran without issues, which is a strong start. It’s hard to predict how we stack up against the competition – the field seems closely matched. As expected, our Porsche felt good, but there’s still room to improve. We’ll continue fine-tuning over the coming days.”
Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): ‟It was a good test day, and we completed almost everything we set out to do. Unfortunately, we encountered an extended red flag period at the end – which prevented us from trying something out with Laurens. Still, we got the answers we needed, which gives us a solid foundation. Lap times don’t tell the whole story.”
Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #99): ‟Our 963 felt good throughout the test. We have a solid baseline, which is encouraging. It was a successful day that gave us valuable insights heading into race week. Of course, there’s still room for improvement. We’ll need to keep optimising our Porsche throughout the upcoming practice sessions – after all, the other teams will be making progress too.”
Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 GT3 R #85): ‟We drove a lot of laps without any incidents – that’s always a plus. Coming back to Le Mans means adapting to the car’s low-downforce setup again, which is essential on this circuit.”
Antares Au (Porsche 911 GT3 R #90): ‟This was my first time driving at Le Mans. It was all about learning the quirks of the track. The team has a wealth of experience, and the car is well prepared with a great setup. I just need to improve as a driver, that’s where the biggest gains are for now, and I know my teammates will help.”
Riccardo Pera (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): ‟It’s always special to return to Le Mans. We concluded our planned programme without issues and are happy with where we are. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car for Wednesday’s practice.”
All official test day results available at fiawec.alkamelsystems.com
