Porsche clinches WEC podium in strong Fuji showing

Making its first appearance at Fuji Speedway, the Porsche 963 was competitive from the outset, locking out the second row with the Porsche Penske Motorsport pair.

Despite an incident for #5 at the start, which put it to the back of the field, the #6 jumped up into second and led the race in periods, including at the four-hour mark. The crew kept up the pace for the remaining laps to claim its second podium finish of the season.

Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Yifei Ye again showed fantastic pace in the #38 Hertz Team JOTA machine. After an early drive-through penalty put the squad on the back foot, the team’s speed and execution of a flawless strategy saw them make a great comeback. Yifei took the wheel for the final two hours, setting Hertz Team JOTA’s fastest lap of the race and bringing the car home in a solid sixth place.

The #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 had a tough day, with issues delaying its progress, eventually finishing ninth in only its second WEC event of the season.

The 2023 campaign comes to an end at the next round in Bahrain, with the race taking place on 4 November.

Meanwhile, at Shanghai International Circuit, Lin Weixiong kept up his excellent form in GT Super Sprint Challenge, taking two race victories and extending his championship lead for HEHEHE Racing in the #233 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

Yifei Ye: “P6 is a positive result for us and we’re happy with our progress this weekend following the summer break. We had good pace in all conditions throughout the event and learned a lot ahead of the season finale in Bahrain. The early penalty set us back but the whole team worked really well and we recovered strongly to take a solid finish. We’re expecting Bahrain to be similar in terms of temperature and tyre management, so we’ll analyse our data and make a big push for the final race!” 

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “We’re very happy with the weekend overall. It was a smooth execution from the whole Porsche outfit and we continue to progress in the right direction. Congratulations to Porsche Penske Motorsport for their second podium of the season, they had very good pace throughout qualifying and the race. Yifei and Hertz Team JOTA also maintained their development, they’ve been on an upward trajectory together and this weekend proves that. Yifei had great speed in the final two hours to secure a solid P6 finish, which we’re pleased with. Looking forward to Bahrain and hoping for a strong race there as well.”