Our FIA WEC race previews will be online next week but here are the latest updates from the WEC and TUSCC ahead of next weekend’s action in Texas
Porsche Testing Continues
The Porsche Team has completed a third successful track test with the 919 Hybrid during the FIA WEC summer break.
A single car ran for two-and-half days at Magny-Cours with LMP1 drivers Brendon Hartley and Marc Lieb on duty together with Porsche GT works drivers Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki. With fine weather throughout the team completed 1903 kilometres with the team’s test car.
Team Principal Andreas Seidl:
“We kept focussing on improving our race performance. After the introduction of our new aerodynamic package at the recent test at the EuroSpeedway, it was important for us to gain more experience with it on another racetrack with Marc and Brendon. Furthermore, we did set-up work on the car and the car’s systems, and, facing high temperatures in Texas, we have been evaluating a harder tyre compound from Michelin.
“Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki got used to the 919 Hybrid very quickly, were able to contribute to the programme and so we are very pleased with them. In terms of logistics, this test was a big challenge for us because, at the same time we were preparing and running the Magny-Cours test, we had to build up the two race cars for Austin and get underway with the airfreight to the US. We have made progress in almost every area since the Le Mans race, and we are ready for the second part of the season.”
“When I got the call to say I’d be testing the 919 Hybrid I couldn’t believe it at first,” says Christensen. “The car is totally fascinating. The extra boost from the electric motors almost takes your breath away. However, I quickly adjusted to the handling of the car. Marc Lieb helped me a lot with this. Less than a year ago he was a GT driver too and he can still remember his first LMP1 test kilometres.”
“The 919 Hybrid is a fantastic car,” says Makowiecki. “I very quickly built confidence in the driving behaviour and picked up the pace from lap to lap. What amazed me the most were the high corning speeds that are possible with this car.”
