Porsche continues racing into the future with the 919 Hybrid.The board of Porsche AG has decided to extend the Le Mans prototype programme until the end of the 2018 season. With its ground-breaking concept – a downsizing turbo engine and powerful energy recovery systems, combined with an extreme lightweight design – the racing car with a performance of around 1,000 hp serves as a research laboratory for future sports car technology.
Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, said: “Motorsport is an important part of Porsche’s brand identity – but not an end in itself. Racing has got to help the technology of future road going sports cars. It was the revolutionary efficiency regulations that convinced us to return to top-level motorsport for the 2014 season. That we have managed to take the crown jewels of endurance racing in only our second year, with a one-two result in Le Mans in 2015 with our highly innovative and complex 919, is an outstanding testimony to the people in the Weissach research and development centre. The competition bears fruits and we see further potential for future synergy between the racing and road car programmes. This is why we have extended the programme.”
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1, added: “Back in 2012 we began in Weissach with a handful of people, literally a white sheet of paper, high expectations and a strong amount of courage. I’m very proud of this team of 230 employees and I’m pleased for each of them that from now on we can plan securely for three more world championship seasons and Le Mans entries.”
Porsche will be entering two 919 Hybrid cars in the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring this Sunday. This will be the first competitive outing of the 919 Hybrid on home soil. The six-hour race in the Eifel mountains is the first ever appearance by Germany for the WEC which has run since 2012.
After two six-hour races, at Silverstone (GB) and Spa (BE), the Porsche 919 Hybrid went on to win the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 14th. While the winning car, driven by Earl Bamber (NZ), Nico Hülkenberg (DE) and Nick Tandy (GB), will not be competing this weekend, it will be proudly displayed in the ‘Ring Boulevard’.
While the three 919s at Le Mans appeared in three different colours, the two remaining race cars have returned to the original white paintwork. This is not the only visible difference, around 80 per cent of the bodywork has been changed to allow for a new aerodynamic package for high downforce.
Fritz Enzinger, comments: “We are looking forward to our home race at the Nürburgring very much. The WEC takes on the great heritage of the 1000 kilometre races, in which Porsche was so successful and we will see many fans and Porsche employees on site. The brand and the “Ring” have very close ties, not least because the neighbouring ‘Nordschleife’ is still the ultimate test ground for our road-going sports cars. After we scored the one-two win at the season’s highlight at Le Mans, our focus is now on World Championship points.”
The six hour race begins at 1pm local time on Sunday, August 30th. You can find out more about the FIA World Endurance Championship here.