WEC / Le Mans – Porsche “proud of its crew”

The Night of Champions organized by Porsche in Weissach allowed the German manufacturer to unveil its full line-up for its LMP1 program. Brendon Hartley and Marc Lieb have unsurprisingly been confirmed on the 919 Hybrid alongside Romain Dumas, Mark Webber, Neel Jani and Timo Bernhard. “We are very proud of this international crew”, commented Wolfgang Hatz, member of the Research and Development department of Porsche AG. “Three of the six drivers come from our own Porsche team (Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard), two of them were even juniors. This is something we are very proud of. The name 919 Hybrid follows the tradition of the Le Mans-winning 917, but it is also a nod to the 918 Spyder. This marks the structure's commitment to hybrid technology. » The German team carefully selected its drivers to obtain the best compromise. “We have received a considerable number of requests for our two 919 Hybrids”, adds Fritz Enzinger, director of the LMP1 project. “We looked for experience, pure speed, technical understanding, while looking for team players because this parameter is more important in endurance than in any other discipline. »

Brendon Hartley is the youngest of the crew. Aged 24, the New Zealander went through car before bouncing back Endurance with notably Murphy Prototypes in LMP2. “I am very proud that Porsche chose me. I was really impressed by my first participation at Le Mans (retirement in 2012 and 13th place this season). But we enter another dimension when driving in LMP1 for a manufacturer as prestigious as Porsche. » Both an engineer and a cutting-edge driver, Marc Lieb will be a valuable asset to the team's workforce. “I have been lucky enough to celebrate victories with Porsche all over the world”, adds the multiple winner of the Le Mans GT event. “Everyone was always asking us when we would come back to LMP1. Since the project was started, I have only dreamed of one thing: to be part of it. Le Mans and Porsche, I can't describe what it does to me. »