Best Porsche customer team scores third with the 911 RSR
Stuttgart. As the most successful Porsche customer team at the Le Mans 24-hour race, Abu Dhabi Proton Racing clinched third place in the GTE-Am class with a consistently strong performance and after leading for many hours in front of more than 260,000 spectators. At the 84th running of the long distance classic in France, which started behind the pace car on Saturday for the first time in its history due to heavy rain, Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA), as well as David Heinemeier Hansson (Denmark) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) shared the 470 hp Porsche 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car. For the team, this was the second podium placing after 2014 at the world’s toughest automobile race, which had a record number of entries with 60 cars.The 911 RSR with the starting numbers 91 and 92 campaigned by the Porsche Motorsport works squad – the double winners from 2013 – did not make it through the night on the Circuit des 24 Heures. After leading the strongly-represented GTE-Pro class early in the race against 14 vehicles from five famous manufacturers, various problems over the course of the race saw them fall back down the field. The number 91 contender with Nick Tandy, the British Le Mans overall winner from 2015, as well as Frenchmen Patrick Pilet and Kévin Estre lost valuable time when a stone flew up and punched a small hole in the radiator. After the pit stop to change the cooler, they launched a charge through the field turning consistently fast lap times, which came to an abrupt end at 01.12 hours with engine damage. The number 92 vehicle shared by New Zealand Earl Bamber, the outright Le Mans winner in 2015, as well as Frédéric Makowiecki (France) and Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) lost several positions due to a sheered-off drive peg, which required a new wheel hub. Afterwards, the 911 RSR had to pit with a faulty power steering. The vehicle finally retired at 02.36 hours with a broken linkage on the front chassis suspension.
Race quotes
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “This year’s Le Mans is a huge disappointment for us. We experienced technical problems with both works cars which ultimately led to their retirement. That’s a shame for the fans, the team and, of course, the drivers who tackled the race with great expectations. To make matters worse, even under dry conditions we had no chance to match the lap times of the frontrunners. But these are things we’ll need to analyse after the race. Congratulations to our customer team Abu Dhabi Proton Racing. With a flawless performance, the squad with our works driver Patrick Long scored an outstanding third place.”
Drivers 911 RSR #91
Patrick Pilet: “It hurts, obviously, to watch the second half of the Le Mans 24-hour race as a spectator, especially after it all started so well for us. In the rain we were able to make the most of the 911 RSR’s traction advantage. But once the racetrack dried we struggled. It proved almost impossible to overtake the others, especially on the long straight. And then there were the technical problems. In Le Mans you can’t afford to show the slightest weakness, otherwise you have no chance.”
Nick Tandy: “After my victory with the 919 Hybrid last year I was keen to win again this year with the 911 RSR. But unfortunately that has to remain a dream. We saw in practice and qualifying that it would be tough for us here. And it was, although we were looking good again after the radiator damage. But there’ll be another Le Mans race in 2017. We now have to wait a whole year for our next chance. But there’s still a lot to do this season.”
Kévin Estre: “This retirement is such a huge shame, because Le Mans is something very special for every racing driver. We already knew after the qualifying that we couldn’t match the absolute top times, but even so, the balance of our 911 RSR was incredibly good. The car was great fun to drive. After a strong start and the first setback things looked quite good for us again. Until the engine damage suddenly occurred. That was bitter.”
Drivers 911 RSR #92
Frédéric Makowiecki: “To not be able to reach the finish of a great race like Le Mans is particularly annoying. It’s a pity for the team who worked so hard for us to be successful here. There can only be one goal for us now, namely to come back stronger in 2017. We’ll work hard towards this.”
Earl Bamber: “After the setbacks that cost us a lot of time we were ready to fight to the end for a good result. We owed this to the entire team who supported us so wonderfully. But in the end we were powerless and had to give up – in Le Mans of all places. That really hurt.”
Jörg Bergmeister: “I had expected something quite different this weekend. The car was perfectly prepared and our pit stops were fast and faultless – in fact, everything looked good. But we simply had to drive faster to keep up with our rivals and this was a major contributor to the damages. It’s a shame that such a thing happened in Le Mans of all places.
Customer team drivers
Patrick Long (911 RSR #88, Abu Dhabi Racing): “Our race was strong. The car handled well. Our podium result is a great success; this is Le Mans after all, one of the toughest races in the world. I’m incredibly proud of my team. They were not only extremely professional in their work, but kept calm when things didn’t go so smoothly.”
David Heinemeier Hansson (911 RSR #88, Abu Dhabi Racing): “To score third at such a race is amazing. I’m absolutely thrilled. Today is the highlight of my career.”
Khaled Al Qubaisi (911 RSR #88, Abu Dhabi Racing): “It was again a fantastic weekend here in Le Mans at the greatest race in the world. We could have won but we had a big problem during the night to find the right tyre pressure. Because of this we lost several seconds each lap.”
Michael Christensen (911 RSR #77, Dempsey Proton Racing): “Despite our problems we got the most we could out of the championship. It’s a shame, because more would have been possible with the car and team. As always, Le Mans was an experience.”
Richard Lietz (911 RSR #77, Dempsey Proton Racing): “That was typical of Le Mans – rain, drying track and glorious sunshine. It’s always a great challenge to drive here. Our 911 RSR ran perfectly for most of the time. Unfortunately we experienced a small problem during the night with the drive shaft. Until that point the setup was perfect.”
Philipp Eng (911 RSR #77, Dempsey Proton Racing): “My first Le Mans was really cool. I drove the last stint which wasn’t the original plan. But it was a great and unforgettable experience. It’s a pity that we experience the fault, otherwise perhaps we could have achieved a solid top-five result. I’m grateful that I could gain so much experience here.”
Ben Barker (911 RSR #86, Gulf Racing): “I’m delighted with the result. I know it’s not a podium spot but we weren’t far off and we were would have had it. The 911 RSR ran over the 24 hours without any problems whatsoever. I’m so pleased to have shared this day with all those who have supported me.”
Adam Carroll (911 RSR #86, Gulf Racing): “Le Mans is definitely an experience that every racing driver should experience. It’s an incredibly demanding circuit. It’s really tough, especially at night at the end of your second stint when the tyres are very worn.”
Michael Wainwright (911 RSR #86, Gulf Racing): “The car was fantastic. We had no problems over the entire 24 hours. The team did their best and we’re all very pleased with how everything ran for us.”
Wolf Henzler (911 RSR #78, KCMG): “We started strongly into the race and led for a long time. Unfortunately we were then hampered by problems and had to come into the pits for repairs twice. That dashed any chances we had to win. Still, we continued to fight and we finished the race. That’s quite a feat here in Le Mans. And to drive over the finish line at such a major race in front of cheering fans is an indescribable feeling, no matter what the result.”
Christian Ried (911 RSR #78, KCMG): “At the end of the day the result was rather sobering. The car ran very well, but towards the end we stopped attacking so as not to risk anything. Le Mans is the highlight of the season and it’s always great to race here. That’s why we go to all this trouble every year.”
Joel Camathias (911 RSR #78, KCMG): “With a little more luck we could have performed much better here. When we had the problem with the engine we were running in second place. Of course I’m a bit disappointed but I have to thank my incredible team. I take my hat off to the mechanics who tackle motorsport with so much passion.”
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring/Germany on 24 July marks the fourth of nine Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC rounds.
Race result
GTE-Pro class
1. Hand/Müller/Bourdais (USA/D/F), Ford GT, 340 laps
2. Fisichella/Vilander/Malucelli (I/SF/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 340
3. Briscoe/Westbrook/Dixon (AUS/GB/NZ), Ford GT, 340
4. Johnson/Mücke/Pla (USA/D/F), Ford GT, 339
5. Turner/Sörensen/Thiim (GB/DK/DK), Aston Martin, 339
6. Stanaway/Rees/Adam (NZ/BRA/GB), Aston Martin, 337
8. Christensen/Lietz/Eng (D/A/A), Porsche 911 RSR, 329
GTE-Am class
1. Sweedler/Bell/Segal (USA/USA/USA), Ferrari 458 Italia, 331 laps
2. Collard/Perrodo/Aguas (F/F/P), Ferrari F458 Italia, 331
3. Al Qubaisi/Long/Heinemeier Hansson (UAE/USA/DK), Porsche 911 RSR, 330
4. Mok/Sawa/Bell (Mal/JP/GB), Ferrari 458 Italia, 329
5. Wainwright/Carroll/Barker (GB/GB/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 328
10. Ried/Henzler/Camathias (D/D/CH), Porsche 911 RSR, 300
Please note: Photo and video material from the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC is available for accredited journalists from the Porsche Press Database on https://presse.porsche.de. The Twitter channel @PorscheRaces provides live updates with the latest information and photos from race tracks around the world. Journalists also have access to the digital Porsche Motorsport Media Guide on https://presse.porsche.de/motorsport. Porsche Communication provides a new service for journalists, bloggers and online multipliers under www.newsroom.porsche.com. Up-to-date video news can be downloaded from www.vimeo.com/porschenewsroom.
Model range 911 (Type 991 II): Fuel consumption combined 9.3 – 7.4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 216 - 169 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): F – D
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Oliver Hilger
Communications, Sustainability and Politics
Spokesperson 911 and 718
+49 (0)170 911 3915
oliver.hilger@porsche.de文本
英語 (Porsche AG)
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2016-06-19
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- 赛车运动
- 2016赛季
- 24h Le Mans GT
- World Endurance Championship GT
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- France \ Le Mans
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- 赛车
- 911 RSR, Gen. 991
World Endurance Championship WEC, round 3, 24 Hours of Le Mans - GT: Best Porsche customer team scores third with the 911 RSR