For Dorian Boccolacci, a first experience in a Hypercar that whets the appetite

Pile Porsche Having been in Asia since this season, Dorian Boccolacci has been able to experience the joys of Hypercar racing with the private Proton team, which fields one of the three Porsche 963s in year-round competition. WECWith the German brand's factory program ending on the evening of the Bahrain Rookie Test, the Cannes native may well be one of the last drivers to have taken the wheel of the 963.

An opportunity that allowed him to race in Sakhir for the third time, and which came at the perfect time, since, as he told us, his previous visits were spaced six years apart… like this Sunday's, which came six years after his participation in the weekend of Formula 2 !

“I come here to Bahrain every six years. I first came in 2013, for the World Championships of karting"So the circuit is right next door. Then I came in 2019, it was in Formula 2, and now in 2025 in Hypercar with Proton in the Porsche 963."

An opportunity the 27-year-old driver hoped to seize, now that he is even more closely linked with Porsche. Mission accomplished. “Since I’ve been somewhat linked to Porsche this year with my contract in Asia, it naturally makes you want to test it. It was fantastic to be able to test this car, which is obviously completely different from the GT. I’ve never tested an LMP3 or LMP2 before. So, of course, it’s a huge difference. But I got used to the car quickly. After that, I think it’s a bit of a mix between the car which I know from Formula 2 and the GT racing I'm currently doing. It's a good compromise, and I get the same feeling from each.

Boccolacci was able to test the car in several configurations, on a long stint at the end of the day but also on a shorter run in the early afternoon, when the sun is at its zenith and the track temperature is highest. Enough to whet his appetite for another run, or even more?

“I did ten laps this morning to get used to the car. Then, I did five laps on new tires in the early afternoon when it was very hot. And that’s usually when performance is at its lowest. Then, at the end of the day, we did a long run to see how the tires degrade on this circuit, which is very abrasive and very demanding on tires. So it was interesting to see all the different aspects. For a first time out, I couldn’t have hoped for much better because while there are true rookies like me, there are also some ‘fake’ ones who know these cars very well! Ultimately, I’m very happy with today; I learned a lot, and maybe it will be useful to me in the future, you never know!”

Once the Porsche 963 was returned to Proton Competition, there wasn't much time to enjoy the Bahrain paddock, as Dorian Boccolacci was expected at the airport! Next stop: Macau and the GT World Cup…

“Tonight, I’m taking a flight to Macau to compete in the GT World Cup. There are 16 of us drivers, and I’ll be there representing Phantom Global Racing. It will be my first time in GT racing there, but my second time in Macau, as I participated in the race ten years ago, in 2015.” Formula 3 »

Interview by Valentin Glo, in Sakhir (Bahrain)

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