Porsche 911 RSR secures pole position for 1000 miles of Sebring.
Porsche has secured the best possible starting position for the 1,000-mile race at Sebring with defending world champions, factory drivers Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen taking pole position in the number 92 Porsche 911 RSR.
Piloted by Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni, the number 91 Porsche will start from eighth on the grid at the sixth round of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship which starts at 4pm local time (8pm in the UK).
The Porsche GT Team kept both factory cars in the pit lane during the opening phase of the qualifying in an attempt to avoid heavy traffic during the hunt for top times. Christensen made the best use of the situation with a fast lap time; his teammate Estre turned a perfect lap utilising all the grip of his fresh tyres. The combined time of 1:57.500 minutes put the duo at the top of the time sheet and earned them an additional championship point.
Reflecting on the qualifying session, Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92) said: “Once again Michael did a super job. He’s always fast, but he’s particularly strong in qualifying. He turned an awesome lap. We also had a bit of luck and the right strategy. We went out late and that gave us the advantage of having fresher tyres in the final phase.
“The point we earned is important for the world championship. I feel optimistic for the race, because the car is obviously really strong in the cooler night-time asphalt temperatures.”
Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92) added: “Our car was absolutely perfect. I simply felt really good with the qualifying conditions. The top lap time came automatically. Kévin also made the most of the huge potential. We now have a perfect starting position, but we have to see how it’ll turn out in the race. The track conditions change enormously from day to night.”