At the foot of Mount Fuji the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) enters its critical phase on October 11: The six-hour race on the famous high-speed circuit in the Japanese Alps is the sixth of eight championship rounds. Porsche has a clear target to pursue with the two 919 Hybrids: to extend its lead in the manufacturers’ standings. Currently the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart has 220 points to its tally, followed by Audi (184) and Toyota (101).
In the drivers’ championship an Audi trio is leading, but Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AU) have closed the gap to ten points by winning the last two races, held at the Nürburgring (DE) and in Austin (US). They have now 103 points, while their teammates Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) lie third in the rankings (77.5 points).
Featuring the longest straight on the calendar, but also 16 corners that are relatively tight on a lap of only 4.549 kilometers, the Fuji Speedway is extremely demanding when it comes to set-up work.