24H Series
Test run for the evolution of the Porsche 911 GT3 R at the 12-hour race
14 Apr. 2025 • 15:25
Photo : Porsche
| While the highly successful Porsche 911 GT3 R continues to chase victories around the globe during the 2025 season, its successor is already revving up in the wings. This upcoming weekend, the development programme for the new customer racing model, based on the current GT3 race car, will take its next step under competitive conditions. The pivotal test outing will be held in collaboration with Herberth Motorsport on April 19–20 at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps circuit. |
The Creventic 24h Series will stage a split-format endurance race under the banner "Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps" on Saturday and Sunday. Following practice sessions, testing and qualifying, the event begins on April 19 with five hours of racing, before resuming the next day with the remaining seven hours. Behind the wheel of the No. 91 test car – the updated Porsche 911 GT3 R – will be former Porsche Junior and reigning IMSA GTD Pro Champion Laurin Heinrich from Germany, alongside fellow countrymen Ralf Bohn and Alfred Renauer. Both drivers, along with the Herberth Motorsport outfit, are renowned for their wealth of experience in endurance racing.
"The Creventic Series offers the ideal environment for such an important test. The competition features numerous privateer teams racing at a high level, there's a lot of track time, and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit poses a formidable challenge for both drivers and machines," says Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. "As a long-time Porsche customer team, Herberth Motorsport can provide valuable feedback on vehicle handling, serviceability, ergonomics, and operational functions. We're also eager to hear the drivers' impressions."
The evolution of the Porsche 911 GT3 R builds upon the highly successful current model and is set for public reveal in the summer. For the 2026 racing season, Porsche engineers have placed a strong emphasis on enhancing driveability. Modifications to aerodynamic components aim to reduce pitch sensitivity – improving front-end behaviour under braking and acceleration. Important software updates have also been implemented, and the steering system has been refined by the engineering team in Weissach. Further technical details about the evolved Porsche 911 GT3 R will be disclosed at a later date.
This further developed GT3 contender follows in the footsteps of a proven winner. Since the start of the 2023 season, the current Porsche 911 GT3 R has celebrated numerous key victories – such as victory in the LMGT3 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours, winning the FIA Endurance Trophy in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), clean sweeps in all GTD Pro titles in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the first-ever DTM title for the sports car brand, and the manufacturers' title for Porsche in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Most recently, customer squad AO Racing drove the up to 416 kW (565 PS) machine to class victory in the GTD Pro category at the 12 Hours of Sebring in the USA.
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