Two podium spots for the Porsche 963, 911 GT3 R wins the GT class

Porsche continues to top the leaderboard in the manufacturers’ classification of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The two Porsche 963 racing cars fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team wrapped up the six-hour race in São Paulo, Brazil, in second and third place. Thanks to this result, works drivers Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor extended their lead in the drivers’ championship. In the LMGT3 class, Manthey PureRxcing celebrated its second win of the season with the 911 GT3 R and is now the exclusive leader of the team classification.

The conditions at round five of the season on the Formula 1 circuit in Interlagos were totally different to the practice days: sun and air temperatures of over 25 degrees Celsius got teams and drivers sizzling after considerably cooler temperatures. Witnessed by 73,205 spectators, the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC put on a great show in both classes at its comeback to Brazil after ten years.

When the lights turned green for round five of the season, Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki defended his third place at the wheel of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 5 car. His Porsche colleague Laurens Vanthoor initially lost ground in the sister car but quickly worked his way back up the order to fifth place. In the ensuing fourth-place battle, the Belgian became entangled in a collision caused by the identical Porsche 963 fielded by the Hertz Team Jota customer team. As a result, he sustained a puncture, pitted early and temporarily lost a lap. 

A spirited pursuit followed: After his two-hour stint, Vanthoor handed the 512 kW (696 PS) hybrid prototype off to his German teammate André Lotterer in seventh place. The three-time Le Mans overall winner continued the charge to the top. Ultimately, Frenchman Kévin Estre brought the car across the finish line in second place, just ahead of the sister car shared by Makowiecki, Michael Christensen from Denmark and Australia’s Matt Campbell.

“This is a mega result for us,” says a delighted Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “Toyota was simply out of reach today, so we’re thrilled with the result. Two cars on the podium earn us a heap of points. We’re currently leading both world championship classifications. Congratulations to our works team and drivers. The spectators were treated to an extremely entertaining race today. The LMGT3 class was full of action, too. Manthey again set the benchmark with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The trip to São Paulo was well worth it for us!”

“The different conditions today put the focus on tyre strategy,” states Urs Kuratle. The Director of Factory Motorsport LMDh adds: “Our works team played to its strengths in terms of strategy and did a perfect job. Both cars suffered minor setbacks on the way to the podium, but the end-result is still fantastic. Unfortunately, our customer teams didn’t have such a banner day with their Porsche 963 racers. Both Proton Competition and the Hertz Team Jota deserved a better result.” 

“Although the race was not without incident for both works cars, this is a superb outcome,” said Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport. “Our number 6 Porsche 963 made a great comeback after an early contact and a puncture. We had to change the rear wing on the sister car after a collision with a GT car. The team handled it brilliantly. Our strategy was great too. As the championship leaders, we’re now looking forward to the upcoming race in the USA.”

After five of this year’s eight races, Porsche leads the manufacturers’ classification, four points ahead of the hottest pursuer. Estre, Lotterer and Vanthoor rank first in the drivers’ championship. Their Porsche colleagues Campbell, Christensen and Makowiecki have advanced to fourth overall. 

Luck evaded the customer-run Porsche 963 cars at the first WEC race in Brazil in a decade. Both Hertz Team Jota entries maintained a strong pace over long stretches and remained in contact with the leading group for a long time. However, incidents and penalties ultimately relegated the No. 38 and No. 12 vehicles to seventh and 18th place. Proton Competition’s identical vehicle finished in P15.

Manthey PureRxcing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R secures second win of the season  Manthey PureRxcing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R proved unbeatable in the LMGT3 class. Tackling the race from the second grid spot, it took UK driver Alex Malykhin only 90 minutes to catapult the No. 92 Porsche 911 to the top. Teammates Joel Sturm from Germany and former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler from Austria successfully defended the lead. “We didn’t have the fastest car, but we managed to win the class with our tyre strategy,” explains Manthey’s Managing Director Nicolas Raeder. “Our tyre management during the stints worked well and ultimately, we were faster than the competition. It’s a shame that number 91 missed out on the result it deserved.” The car driven by Le Mans class winners Richard Lietz from Austria, Dutchman Morris Schuring and Australian Yasser Shahin took the flag in twelfth place after being hampered by several penalties and incidents. 

The teams will stay on the west side of the Atlantic for round six of the 2024 season. The world championship holds another six-hour race at the Circuit of The Americas (CoTA) in Austin, Texas, on 1 September.

Drivers’ comments after the race

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #6): “What a perfect result for the championship! We didn’t expect it. I’m delighted. My stints were good but unfortunately, there was an unnecessary collision with a Jota car. But anyway, we caught up and extended our lead in the world championship – it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “I was determined to turn my laps without incident, only to have a GT car rear-end our Porsche. Everyone opted for different tyre strategies, which led to constant changes in the pecking order during the race. Toyota was simply stronger today. Second and third place was the best we could do based on what was possible.”

Phil Hanson (Porsche 963 #38): “What a rollercoaster ride! My first stint went perfectly. But in the second stint, my tyres deteriorated badly, and I lost a lot of ground. Things improved eventually and we were up with the frontrunners. With eight minutes left on the clock, we were still in fourth place and the podium was within reach – then we were handed a penalty and that was it for us. What a shame. A top result would’ve been possible for us today.”

Joel Sturm (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “We’re thrilled to be right up at the front again. The race was trickier than expected. My stints were good, I managed the tyres perfectly and defended our lead. Both our performance and strategy were spot on. Everyone in our great team did a mega job, from the mechanics to the engineers and my teammates.”