by John Glynn | Mar 3, 2014 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Race fans deserve epic paint schemes. Standing outside in all weathers, watching cars go around with no clue what’s happening half the time, the least teams can do is make the cars sexy with a great livery to inspire followers.
Porsche has finally dressed the 919 Hybrid for in its Le Mans livery. The car is pure sex, but the paint scheme’s got all the allure of a fax machine. Let’s hope there’s a stealth raid on Leipzig with some pig-coloured spray paint.
Bring on the Martini Williams! And where’s the Veltins on LMP1? Can’t be the final version.
by John Glynn | Jun 27, 2013 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Press release from Porsche. No big surprise as the Ferdinand blog featured Mark Webber’s rumoured move to Porsche a long time ago. Webbo’s contract is for LMP1 at Le Mans 24 Hours and in the WEC. So who will take the Red Bull seat next year? Lots to look forward to.
The Australian Formula 1 pilot Mark Webber has signed a contract with Porsche that extends over several years. From the 2014 season he will compete in Porsche’s new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship WEC. The 36-year-old Australian has already raced at Le Mans twice. In 1998 he finished runner-up in the FIA GT Championship at the wheel of a sports prototype. Over the course of his Formula 1 career from 2002 until today, Webber has achieved 36 podium places, nine race victories and has started from pole position eleven times.
“It’s an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level,” says Mark Webber. “I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.”
“I’m very pleased to have secured Mark Webber for our LMP1 project as one of the best and most successful Formula 1 pilots of our time,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “Mark is without doubt one of the world’s best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hour race and on top of that he’s been a Porsche enthusiast for many years.”
“I learned to appreciate Mark’s qualities when we were both involved in Formula 1,” says Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. “He is one of the best pilots I could imagine for our team. I’m absolutely delighted that we have such an experienced and fast regular driver onboard from 2014.”
Competing in the new LMP1 car alongside Mark Webber are the two long-standing Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) as well as the ex-Formula 1 test driver Neel Jani (Switzerland). Bernhard and Dumas already joined forces in 2010 to bring home overall victory from the Le Mans 24 hour race. In the years 2007 and 2008, they secured the American Le Mans Series title at the wheel of the RS Spyder LMP2 sports prototype. Neel Jani has contested the LMP1 class since 2010.
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by John Glynn | Apr 14, 2013 | Porsche People, Race and Rally
Just watched a great Chinese Grand Prix, and now watching the 6-Hour World Endurance Championship event at Silverstone.
The 991 RSR is going well: number 92 at the hands of Marc Lieb had a good second stint, claiming a few scalps thanks to a combination of raw pace and Ferrari chaos. A Lieb/Kobayashi dogfight ended prematurely, when Kamui’s 458 went off on a slippery track following a sizeable Strakka/Ferrari crash.
Number 91 has been in the garage, losing two laps when Bergmeister boxed with suspected loose front suspension. The RSR looked quick in clean air and is now back in the hunt. That said, it’s just had a dig in the right front corner from a passing prototype.
The 991 is just one story here at Silverstone. Another hot Porsche topic amongst Radio Le Mans commentators is a rumour that Red Bull F1 Racing driver, Mark Webber, has signed a five-year deal to drive for Porsche.
Currently unconfirmed, there’s been some buzz surrounding Webber and Porsche in the last few days, and this rumour makes some sense, given potential changes in Webber’s arrangements at the end of this season following the Multi21 episode in Malaysia.
Would the deal be Le Mans only, or might it cover a wider campaign by Webber and Stuttgart? The second option would seem to call for F1 retirement. Mark’s about more than F1 and is a mega Porsche fan, so we’ll regard any drive as good news for enthusiasts. Will keep you informed.
