Porsche awaits the first verdict with the 911 RSR

If the news Porsche 911 RSR a déjà réalisé des débuts prometteurs aux 24 Heures de Daytona, avec une 2e place dans la catégorie GTLM décrochée avec Pilet-Werner (6e du classement général), la nouvelle monture du constructeur allemand fera ses débuts en WEC this weekend with the 6 Hours of Silverstone where the Stuttgart brand will make its official return to GTE Pro after a year of absence.

This will notably be an opportunity to observe how the new 911 RSR, which now has a flat 6 4l in the central rear position and no longer in an overhang, behaves against the Ferrari 488, Ford GT and Aston Martin Vantage.

“It feels good to return to the WEC with the official GT team and our brand new 911 RSR, commented Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Director of Porsche Motorsport. Our team was able to prepare in the best possible way during the Prologue in Monza (Italy) for the racing conditions and the feedback from the drivers was very positive. The competition remains very competitive and difficult to assess in GTE Pro. We will have a better idea of ​​our situation after the first race. In any case, Silverstone promises an exciting start to the season. »

Savings on erasers

The new Porsche 911 RSR will have to be economical with its Michlin tires, the new WEC regulations requiring crews to double their stints with 4 sets of tires available for qualifying and the race (on 6-hour events) compared to 6 up to now.

“We used the Monza Prologue to work on the car settings and try to double our stints in preparation for the first race of the season, added Marco Ujhasi, Porsche's GT project manager. The level of grip at Silverstone is very high and requires special adjustments. The regulations limiting the race to four trains will require further optimization of the use of rubber. »

Porsche will aim for the world title finally promised to the GTE Pro with new faces, Frédéric Makowiecki working with Richard Lietz on the No. 911 91 RSR, while Kévin Estre will work with Michael Christensen on the No. 92.

“We are going to have to pay even more attention to our tires this season so that they do not deteriorate too much over the distance. This will definitely spice things up. The new 911 RSR in any case met our expectations during testing at Monza”, confirmed Richard Lietz.

Discover the decryption of the new Porsche 911 RSR in the 2017 WEC d’AUTO Season Guidehebdo, still available in digital version on all platforms and on kiosks.