WEC
P. Zurlinden: “Motor sport remains obvious at Porsche” despite Covid-19
Comment la division Porsche Motorsport fait face au Covid-19 ? Son Directeur Pascal Zurlinden s’est exprimé à ce propos, lundi 27 avril.
The French manager first wants to be reassuring; the Zuffenhausen firm keeps motorsport as a vital aspect of its activity. “Motor sport remains obvious to Porsche. It won't change. However, we cannot say what the sporting landscape will be after the coronavirus. »
Forced to telework just like his staff, Pascal Zurlinden keeps in touch with the engineers and pilots. “It’s no problem maintaining a lively exchange with them. »
Porsche Motorsport activity
Unlike many pilots Formula 1, official Porsche drivers will not reduce their salaries, because they will not be unemployed during the second semester. “If the 2020 season restarts after the crisis, they will be extremely busy. Their working hours will not be reduced compared to previous years.
#MyFitness – How to stay fit during the # COVID2019 pandemic? Watch works drivers @VanthoorLaurens, @Mathjaminet, @DWernerRacing, @RomainDumas, @Sven_Mueller14 and @RichardLietz doing their fitness program #StayFit #Staysafe #StayAtHome #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/qpk3q7fpxp
— Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) April 20, 2020
It would even be quite the opposite: the level of effort and tension will be very high, then we will not reduce their salaries. » Indeed, calendars risk being overloaded from the end of summer.
“At the moment, each championship is looking for a solution to organize as many events as possible. Naturally, clashes of dates will arise. The situation is evolving day by day. As for how many races will take place, it is not yet clear. We are in regular contact with opposing teams. We are all in this together.
Here at Porsche we often talk about the “motorsports family.” In these difficult times, it becomes even more obvious that motorsport is a family, regardless of the manufacturers and the competition on the circuits. One thing is certain: when racing resumes, fans will be rewarded with a mountain of activity, weekend after weekend. »
Covid-19 disrupted the plans of the ACO and theIMSA, who were to announce in detail the regulations for the LMDh class at Sebring in March. The future of the queen class of Endurance could be done with Porsche, but nothing has yet been decided internally.
“We will carry out a detailed analysis of the settlement only after receiving the announcement, probably in the coming weeks, continues Pascal Zurlinden. Our R&D board member, Dr. Michael Steiner, has given a clear mandate to carefully review these rules.
We will look at how LMDh could be interesting for Porsche and what level of effort it would involve. Porsche has a certain interest in it of course in order to claim victory in the general classification at Le Mans and Daytona, but make no mistake. We have not yet made a decision regarding an LMDh factory program. We should also see if there will be LMDh cars for customer teams. If the financial plan is appropriate, there would be no reason against it.
If the prototype remains in a state of evaluation, the GTE program with the 911 RSR is expected to continue in the near future. “I am sure that GTE will continue in the WEC. The cars are approved for three years, nothing prevents you from continuing with current cars.
As to know whether this will be in the GTE Pro category in the long term remains to be seen. However, the GTE Am is certainly in good shape and there is a considerable increase in the number of entries. »
Present since the fall of 2019 in the electric series, Porsche fully supports the decision of the FIA and the FE to temporarily surprise the season. “While gaining experience is critically important when you are starting out, the health of Formula E employees and the community remains the priority.
Watch @Andre_Lotterer's bold move in lap 4 which later got him a sweet P3 finish in @FIAFormulaE's #RaceAtHomeChallenge test race in #Monaco.#RacingNeverStops #TAGHeuerPorsche #PorscheFormulaE pic.twitter.com/buAFpaHMGg
— TAG Heuer Porsche FE Team (@PorscheFormulaE) April 18, 2020
In principle, we would be happy to make up for postponed events or by doing "double-headers", assuming the FIA and FE see this as a possibility. However, preparations for the 2020-21 season must not suffer and are of the highest priority for us. »
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The rise of simracing is obvious, and Porsche has jumped into it with the participation of Neel Jani and André Lotterer in the virtual Formula E championship. “Esport allows us to come into contact with a young audience, totally immersed in the virtual world. This also helps strengthen team spirit within the FE community during this period. »
#PorscheMobil1Supercup / #virtualPMSC – In race two @circuitspa, @loekhartog put in a breathtaking charge through the field: Starting from 25th on the grid, Hartog plowed his way up to fourth place, only to miss out on a podium spot by a mere 0.223 seconds @iracing. pic.twitter.com/1wDvIolezI
— Porsche Motorsport (@PorscheRaces) April 26, 2020
The Porsche Supercup also took the plunge with a competition on iRacing mixing all the “real” participants of the discipline. “We provide a great platform for our teams and drivers to convert this free time into an opportunity for their fans and sponsors. Our Supercup staff is currently the link between the Supercup teams and drivers and simracing players. It works perfectly. »
Medhi Casaurang
Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!
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