Porsche Penske Motorsport faced a challenging start to their season in Qatar, with technical difficulties and accidents impacting performance. The team’s two hybrid prototypes encountered multiple setbacks, resulting in a tenth and eleventh place finish. The customer team Proton Competition finished fifteenth, while the LMGT3 class entrants struggled with performance issues, emphasizing the need for improvements in future races.
Porsche Penske Motorsport experienced a challenging season opener in Qatar, where the race began at 2:00 PM local time under sunny skies. The 5.419-kilometer Grand Prix circuit saw temperatures of 21 degrees Celsius in the air and 34 degrees on the track initially, but conditions changed dramatically as nightfall reduced track temperatures to 18 degrees, complicating race dynamics for teams and drivers.
In the opening hours, Porsche’s two hybrid prototypes faced significant hurdles. Julien Andlauer had to make an unexpected pit stop due to a damaged tire after only half an hour, dropping him to last in the Hypercar class. Along with teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Michael Christensen, they managed to briefly regain fifth place after an early refueling under a safety car but ultimately finished in tenth after additional tire issues and repairs.
Laurens Vanthoor, driving the sister car, also encountered difficulties when another competitor collided with him at the start, necessitating a rear wing replacement. The reigning champions and their co-driver Matt Campbell crossed the finish line in eleventh, reflecting a disappointing outcome compared to their previous year’s podium finish.
Urs Kuratle, Head of Factory Motorsport LMDh, noted the race’s challenges: “We knew from the start that we were in for a difficult race…the result is disappointing.” Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, pointed out that both cars faced various setbacks, stating, “Our two Porsche had a long day” and emphasized plans for improvement ahead of the next race in Imola.
In the customer category, Proton Competition faced struggles as they finished 15th. Drivers Neel Jani and teammates experienced a brake problem that hindered their performance significantly, causing them to lose crucial laps during the race.
The LMGT3 class also presented challenges for Porsche customers, with the two 911 GT3 R cars from Manthey showing performance issues. Richard Lietz and his co-drivers finished in twelfth, while the Iron Dames team, comprising female drivers, finished in thirteenth. Both teams recognized the need for further development to improve their competitive standings.
Overall, Porsche Penske Motorsport began the season with notable obstacles, including technical issues and collisions that prevented the teams from achieving better results. Despite the disappointing performance, there were signs of resilience, and team leads expressed commitment to enhancing their setups before the next race. The ongoing development process will be crucial for the subsequent events in the World Endurance Championship.
Original Source: newsroom.porsche.com
