Porsche heads into the second half of the season as the World Championship leader with its two 919 Hybrids. On September 19, the fifth of eight rounds of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship will be held in Austin. The Circuit of the Americas (COTA), also a favorite with Formula One, is a spectacular mix of corners, significant elevation changes and fast sections. It will be even more exciting by the time the six-hour race starts: The green flag will be waved at 5:00 pm local time, with sun set at 7:31 pm shrouding Texas in darkness.
In the field of 31 cars, Porsche is entering two of its Porsche 919 Hybrids in the top LMP1 category (class one Le Mans Prototypes). The number 17 car will be shared by Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber.
“Last year’s race was a turbulent one.” said Bernhard “I had a massive aquaplaning experience. Due to its variety of features, COTA isn’t an easy one when it comes to set-up work. Especially challenging are the last three corners of the Esses in sector one, because they break the rhythm. This year we have a package that we are able to win with, and we have to maximise our potential to gain ground on the drivers’ championship. I’m looking forward to it!”
The number 18 sister car will be in the hands of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb.
“In 2014 we had a wild race in Austin.” said Jani “After the tremendous rain I was on intermediate tyres, which was the perfect choice. I had a comfortable lead, but then a technical problem occurred and we failed to win. I always enjoy going to America and Austin is a great track. With our new aero package we will be stronger than in 2014. The heat that is expected and the fast corners will for sure make it a very physical race.”
The Porsche 919 Hybrid is a research laboratory for future sports car technology. It is powered by a downsizing two-litre V4-cylinder turbo charged petrol engine and an electric engine, which is fed by two energy recovery systems (brake energy from the front axle and exhaust energy). This unique and ground-breaking power train temporarily turns the 919 into a four-wheel drive car with a system performance of around 1,000 hp.
Since the 919’s debut back in 2014, it has won three races: Interlagos 2014, Le Mans and Nürburgring 2015. The car has entered 12 races in total and started from pole position eight times. To date in 2015, a 919 has been on pole for every race. Porsche leads the manufacturers’ World Championship, with 184 points ahead of Audi on 151 and followed by Toyota on 89. In the drivers’ standings, Bernhard/Hartley/Webber improved to second place, with the gap to the leading Audi trio reduced to 17 points. With a tally of just two points less, teammates Dumas/Jani/Lieb are in third place.
After the victorious Le Mans 24-Hours entry, the Porsche 919 Hybrid has an entirely new aerodynamic package for higher downforce on the shorter tracks in the second half of the season. The comprehensive update proved itself at the Nürburgring when Bernhard/Hartley/Webber achieved their first ever WEC win on August 30.
Last year in Austin, the two Porsche 919s started from P2 and P3. Dumas/Jani/Lieb led the race until a technical problem with a loss of power in the final hour caused them to drop back to finish fourth. Bernhard/Hartley/Webber came fifth after losing some positions in a sudden downpour, which started 100 minutes into the race and caused an interruption of 45 minutes.
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1 closed by saying, “The second half of the World Championship with the races in Austin, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain is all about fighting for the titles. Porsche is focusing on the manufacturers’ crown, but the drivers’ ranking isn’t any less exciting. Our driver crews are 19 and 17 points behind the currently leading trio from Audi, which means they are both within reach of the top. In 2014 COTA was the season’s most difficult track for us. This year we hope to be able to fight for another race win there. But we don’t expect to be dominant like we were at the Nürburgring.”