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Porsche Targets FIA World Endurance Championship Title At Bahrain Season Finale With 963 Hybrid Prototype
Porsche is aiming for victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its 963 hybrid prototype race car. The team will compete in an eight-hour race in Bahrain on November 2, leading the manufacturers' championship points. Drivers Kévin Estre, André Lotterer, and Laurens Vanthoor are currently first in the drivers' championship standings.
After securing nine titles in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, Porsche is eager to continue its success. The German sports car manufacturer aims to win two world championship titles in the top Hypercar class at the final WEC round. Winning both championships would mark a highly successful year for Porsche.
The upcoming race in Bahrain presents a significant challenge due to high temperatures and fine sand on the track. The 3.362-mile circuit requires teams to manage tire wear carefully. Points for this race are multiplied by 1.5, making it crucial for Porsche's championship aspirations.
Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, expressed confidence: "Our team has converted the penalty kick in the IMSA title fight. Now, we also want to win the FIA WEC championship." He emphasized that maintaining focus and consistency will be key to achieving their goal of becoming 2024 World Champions.
Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, explained that preparations for Bahrain began immediately after their triumphs in the USA. "Our team prepared the two Porsche 963 cars in Mannheim for the final event," he said. The team is eager to reward itself with world championship titles after a season of hard work.
Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, highlighted the challenges faced: "Even with decades of title-winning experience from both Penske and Porsche, you shouldn’t underestimate what it takes to build a world-class race team from scratch." He stressed the importance of operating smoothly and applying lessons learned throughout the season.
Championship Standings
Porsche leads the manufacturers' standings with 161 points ahead of Toyota and Ferrari. A maximum of 39 points can be earned in Bahrain. If Porsche wins or finishes as the best-placed Hypercar works team, they will secure the WEC title. In drivers' standings, Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor lead with 150 points.
The Proton Competition customer team will field another Porsche 963 in Bahrain. This race marks Hertz Team Jota's last WEC appearance with their hybrid prototypes before switching brands for 2025. Manthey has already secured titles in LMGT3 class with their No. 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R dominating standings.
Driver Insights
Laurus Vanthoor shared his thoughts on Bahrain: "We have an incredibly exciting weekend ahead of us... It looks promising but with 1.5 times as many points awarded in Bahrain, standings are still wide open." He hopes consistency will lead them to fulfill high expectations.
Michael Christensen noted challenges posed by tire wear and heat: "Bahrain is always a very special race... We’d like to wrap up season with another success – be that a win or at least podium finish." He aims for securing world championship manufacturers’ title.
Final Race Anticipation
Morris Schuring expressed mixed feelings about season ending soon: "Our anticipation for race in Bahrain is mixed with touch of melancholy because season will soon be over." Despite this sentimentality he remains focused on vice-championship honors fight.
Joel Sturm plans to enjoy last race thoroughly after securing title at Fuji: "Now we want best possible end to season... We plan thoroughly enjoy our last race year leave mark on season."
The FIA WEC rookie test follows Sunday's finale featuring young talents like Gillian Henrion driving Manthey PureRxcing No.92 while Reshad de Gerus tests potential world-champion-winning Hypercar from Porsche Penske Motorsport if they clinch title.
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