Double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner Earl Bamber will be behind the wheel of a GTE-Pro class Porsche 911 RSR in the 2018 that gets underway in under a fortnight’s time. This weekend’s official pre-test marked the start of the critical phase for the world’s toughest automobile race that will see 180 drivers and 60 vehicles will fight for victory at Le Mans.
“We’re contesting the GTE-Pro category with four Porsche 911 RSR this year,” commented Bamber. “You get a lot of data and information from such a test. Our task as a team is to pull it all together and make the most out of it. We’re well on our way. I’m looking forward to the race in two weeks.
“I can’t wait to return to Le Mans. It’ll be really exciting, especially after our LMP1 win for Porsche in 2017. Fielding four 911 RSR is a big challenge for the factory. My aim is clear: I’m going for the podium. I’m looking forward to competing at the world’s biggest race with my team from the IMSA Championship.”
Porsche tackles the 86th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours with the largest GT works contingent in the history of the company. The two Porsche GT Teams will field four of the Porsche 911 RSR at the classic on 16-17 June on the Circuit des 24 Heures in France.
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 ca. 510 hp 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.
In slightly cloudy conditions and just under 28 degrees Celsius, all twelve Porsche works drivers worked on optimising various setups at the pre-test. Patrick Pilet (France), Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and the New Zealander Earl Bamber reeled off 912.942 kilometres in the #93 Porsche 911 RSR, making them the fastest on the test day. Richard Lietz (Austria), Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki covered 1034.576 kilometres in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR and clocked the second best time in the GTE-Pro category.
Kévin Estre (France), Michael Christensen from Denmark and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) shared driving duties in the sister car with the starting number 92. In the two four-hour test sessions, they covered a distance of 940,194 kilometres and turned the seventh best lap time. Timo Bernhard from Germany, Romain Dumas (France) and Sven Müller (Germany) completed 65 laps and 885,69 kilometres. They share the cockpit of the #94 racer from Weissach and posted the fourteenth best time.
The customer teams Dempsey Proton Racing, Proton Competition, Project 1, Gulf Racing and Ebimotors campaign six additional Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class. They, too, used the pre-test to focus on the setup and tyres. The driver trio with Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia) of Dempsey Proton Racing set with 3:55,970 minutes the best time in the GTE-Am class.
The race starts on Saturday, June 16, 2018, at 15.00 hrs CEST.
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