Porsche close to IMSA title despite mixed result at Indianapolis

Porsche will have to arm himself with a little more patience to be crowned in IMSA. If the manufacturer had a first match ball in Indianapolis, on Penske's land, the dream scenario did not take place. It would have taken extraordinary conditions to pocket the titles from the "Battle of the Bricks" ... and it was not very close.

In unpredictable weather, the two official 963s failed to secure victory, defeated by the two BMWs who scored a historic one-two. However, their main rivals were no better off, quite the contrary: despite the pole position of the #01, Cadillac did not place any car in the Top 5, with the #01 only 8th three laps behind due to a puncture and the retirement of the #31 due to an oil leak. A result that puts Porsche in a more than ideal position before the final round, at Road Atlanta, for Petit Le Mans.

Indeed, the three titles – namely the Drivers', Teams' and Constructors' titles – should go to the German-American team in Georgia on October 12. With a 124-point lead over Cadillac, all it takes is for the official Porsches to start Petit Le Mans to be crowned Constructors' champion, regardless of the result, thanks to the American points system that offers points to almost all participants. As for the Drivers' title, it will be decided between the leading No. 7 (Nasr-Cameron) and No. 6 (Jaminet-Tandy), since the No. 01 Cadillac (Bourdais-Van der Zande) is relegated to 164 points.

Internal duel at Porsche at Road Atlanta

It was with this accounting balance sheet in mind that Porsche Penske left the Brickyard, obviously disappointed not to have won at home but delighted with the consequences in the championship. "First of all, I would like to congratulate BMW on this well-deserved double. We know very well, having experienced it last year, how pleasant such a result is, stressed Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport. Our team has fought tirelessly. The reward is that we can now head into the grand finale with a healthy lead in the championship. We will do everything in our power at 'Petit Le Mans' to conclude this great IMSA season with important trophies."

At Road Atlanta, once the start has been taken and the titles are assured, the two official 963s will compete for the titles. For the moment, no team orders (but after all, why would there be any?) on the horizon. The two crews are separated by only 14 points, still to the advantage of the #7, but its lead has melted away at Indianapolis following its setbacks during the race.

"I have to congratulate Felipe [Nasr]. The way he finished the race with the #7 without power steering was impressive. We need to look at the problem more closely., said Jonathan Diuguid, director of Porsche Penske Motorsport. Everything went smoothly with the sister car. We did everything in our power to gain maximum points for the championship without taking too many risks. Now we look forward to Road Atlanta, where we will fight to win the full GTP class titles."

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