WEC – Porsche builds confidence at Spa-Francorchamps

Porsche took first place on the grid for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the No. 919 14 Hybrid of Lieb-Jani-Dumas who finished with an average of 2'01"198 at the cost of a daring strategy on a track drying. The German LMP1 is thus ahead of the Toyota No. 8 by Davidson-Buemi-Stone by more than 6 tenths despite the good performance of the TS040. “The conditions were complicated, especially on my first lap on slicks. It then went better during my second round.", explains the former Rebellion Racing resident. “I was still worried because the sky was getting darker. I thought I could improve but the team called me to give the wheel back to Marc. It surprised me but it was actually a great strategy. »

The second 919 Hybrid was a little less successful since it only took fifth position on the grid, failing more than two seconds from pole. Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley nevertheless remain satisfied with their services and the performance delivered by the No. 20. “The 919 was already very good in the wet yesterday morning and I was comfortable behind the wheel”, underlines the 24-year-old New Zealander. “Temporary four-wheel drive provides much greater traction than I have experienced. The conditions were complicated but the team coped very well. » His German teammate regrets that the team's cadet was not able to improve his performance. “I stayed on the track a little too long and then Brendon didn't have enough time to do two flying laps and improve his times. In any case, I congratulate the No. 14 team because it’s a great moment for us. »

The start of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be at 14:30 p.m. The race will be broadcast on Motors TV.