Don't get too excited yet but the boys from Stuttgart will be back in LMP1
http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/269545/porsche_returns_to_le_mans_24_hours.htmlPorsche is returning to Le Mans. The German car maker is the most successful marque at the 24-hour race, with 16 overall victories. And from 2014 it will once again be challenging for honours with a sports prototype in the top LMP1 category.
It comes days after a Porsche 911 once again clinched victory at the Nurburgring 24-hour race, courtesy of Manthey Racing, while Porsche’s hybrid 911 finished the race for the first time.
It’s a huge hint that a return to the Le Mans big time would be with a hybrid-powered Porsche RS Spyder racer. The diesel Audi and Peugeot LMP1 cars currently dominate the race’s top positions, so alternative power seems likely. Any decision on how the new Porsche racer is powered will be heavily influenced by what the race regulations are set to allow in three years’ time, however.
Hartmut Kristen, head of Porsche Motorsport – ‘Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.’
Porsche last won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1998 with the legendary 911 GT1 of Allan McNish, Laurent Aiello and Stephane Ortelli. McNish currently drives Audi’s LMP1 car, and was quick to welcome Porsche’s return via Twitter – ‘Great news about Porsche back in LMP1 at Le Mans, looking forward to good hard competition from the boys from Flacht.’
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http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92733 Porsche to return to Le Mans 24 Hours with new LMP1 car in 2014
By Simon Strang Thursday, June 30th 2011, 13:33 GMT
Porsche will return to the Le Mans 24 Hours with a full factory LMP1 prototype in 2014, the Stuttgart-based sportscar manufacturer has announced.
As the event's most successful manufacturer, the company has not been represented in a works capacity in the top class at Le Mans since 1998 when Porsche claimed the last of its 16 outright victories with Allan McNish, Stephane Ortelli and Laurent Aiello in the 911 GT1.
It has retained a strong presence in the GT class since then, however.
President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG, Matthias Muller, said the company had always intended to return to Le Mans as a factory team and had been waiting for the right time to announce its intentions.
"Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand," said Müller. "So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing.
"Porsche's successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory."
Porsche's last factory involvement in the prototype class was its successful American Le Mans Series-winning LMP2 RS Spyder - which was run and developed by Penske.
Porsche back at Le Mans with new LMP1The company has not released details on the new project, or whether it will be a coupe or an open roof car, but indicated that it wanted to make the most of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's inticing approach to green technologies.
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, said: "We're looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances.
"Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car.
"These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option."
Porsche indicated that it could use the new project to highlight new technologies as it did recently with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, which raced in the recent Nurburgring 24 Hours with the flywheel KERS system developed by Williams.
"With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront," said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. "For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency.
"Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption."
Porsche's run of victories at Le Mans began in 1970 with Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann in the fabled 917. The French track then witnessed the marque dominate through the 1980s, with a consecutive wins from '81 - '87, the last six of those with the 956/962 derivatives.
GREAT NEWS ALL ROUND
