Porsche expects a tough challenge in Austin

After the passage of Hurricane Harvey at the beginning of the month, weather conditions returned to normal in Texas for the month of September with temperatures above 30°. Conditions which will put the LMP1 Hybrids to the test since, this year, the 6 Hours of COTA will take place all day.

« We have a lot of respect for the race in Austin, explains Andreas Seidl, Team Principal of Porsche. This circuit is not only recognized as demanding by our drivers, but also by the Porsche 919 Hybrid. Especially if it's as hot as last year and we can no longer count on the night to cool things down. We have intensified our preparation for these conditions in Barcelona with our partner Michelin. »

In addition to the initial challenge that COTA represents in its aesthetics and layout, the fact that the race is brought forward from 12:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m. local time makes things more complicated with the factor of temperature and cooling to manage.

« The COTA is a superb track which represents a real challenge, comments Timo Bernhard. Even if it is part of the new routes in F1, it's not boring. The variety of its sectors requires very different speeds. The most interesting part is the first sector with the Esses.

« Obviously no longer running at night is a big difference. I think it's a shame. I loved the atmosphere when we ran at night. The expected temperature will have consequences on the choice of tires and the tuning of the car."

Since the victory of the n°2 at Le Mans, Porsche did not leave the first step of the WEC, and even scored two doubles at the Nürburgring and in Mexico, despite the announcement of Porsche's withdrawal at the end of the season last July. This gives the Bernhard–Bamber–Hartley crew 41 points ahead of the crew Toyota Davidson – Buemi-Nakajima.

« I am very proud of the amount of energy our team has put into preparing for the second half of the season, confides Fritz Enzinger, vice-president of the LMP1 project. After the announcement of our withdrawal from the championship at the end of the season, motivation could have fallen very easily. But that was not the case. We want to end our story with the Porsche 919 Hybrid with two new world championship titles."