IMSA/WEC: Porsche 963 racing at Long Beach and Portugal this weekend

Porsche Penske Motorsport travels to round three of the North American IMSA series in Long Beach feeling highly motivated. After the dramatic 12-hour race in Sebring, the factory squad is now determined to bring home a top result from the Pacific Coast of the United States with the Porsche 963. However, the contrasts could hardly be greater: Next up after the two longest races of the year comes the shortest event of the season – with the short 100-minute sprint on the 3.167-kilometre city circuit held as part of the IndyCar Grand Prix weekend. Qualifying for the event is particularly critical: overtaking on the Long Beach Street Circuit is rare and when all goes well, the teams come into the pits only once.

“After the spectacle in Sebring, our Porsche Penske Motorsport now faces the next highlight,” explains Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “Racing on the streets around Long Beach has a very different character compared to the first two events of the season at Daytona and Sebring. It’ll be an intense sprint. We’ve worked meticulously to prepare our two Porsche 963 for this special challenge. After narrowly missing out on our first victory at Sebring, we have a clear goal for Long Beach. I’m looking forward to an exciting race in the GTD classes and I’m certain that our customer teams can be winners with the Porsche 911 GT3 R.”

“First we tackled the two endurance races in Florida over 24 and 12 hours, next up is the short sprint in Long Beach – the challenges in the early part of the IMSA season could hardly be more different,” exclaims Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh adds: “We drew important conclusions from our outing in Sebring. Now we finally want to reap the rewards in Long Beach. Our two Porsche Penske Motorsport squads again face another intense weekend: while the IMSA team competes in California, the WEC crew will be tackling round two of the world championship in Portimão. We aim to score maximum points on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport: “We are ready to tackle something different this week, with the first sprint race of the year at Long Beach. These types of races play out totally different than the endurance events, so as a team we need to have a different mindset and a different type of preparation in the shop. For us, we are encouraged by the speed we had in Sebring and hope that can transfer over to Long Beach. This is an important race for us as well, because we will be sharing the weekend with our Team Penske counterparts in IndyCar, so there will be a lot of eyes on how we perform. Our goal is to qualify up front, minimize mistakes and hopefully bring home the win at one of the legendary races in North America.”

The IMSA race

Round three of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be contested on the Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit. The 3.167-kilometre city circuit features eleven turns and is regarded as the American equivalent of the Monaco Grand Prix. The course runs in a clockwise direction around the Long Beach Convention Center. Its special features include the sweeping start-finish straight along the Pacific coast and the sharp right-hander at the end of the lap. The temporary circuit has served as a racetrack since 1975 and hosted Formula 1 eight times between 1976 and 1983. On the third weekend in April, the popular American IndyCar series will be contested at Long Beach, in which Team Penske is also represented with a team.

The Porsche teams and drivers

Four regular IMSA drivers share the cockpits of the two Porsche 963 fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory squad in the GTP class. Nick Tandy from the UK and Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet helm the No. 6 vehicle, with the No. 7 sister car shared by Australian Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr from Brazil.

In the GTD-Pro class, Austria’s Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet from France drive Pfaff Motorsports’ No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3 R. In the GTD category, Kelly-Moss with Riley fields two Porsche. Sharing driving duties in the No. 91 car are Alan Metni from the USA and the Porsche North America selected driver, Kay van Berlo from the Netherlands. American Alec Udell and Jeroen Bleekemolen from the Netherlands drive No. 92 entry campaigned by the customer team from the US state of Wisconsin.

Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman from America compete for Wright Motorsports as the regular drivers in the No. 77 Porsche. AO Racing relies on PJ Hyett from the USA and Sebastian Priaulx from the UK. Thanks to its distinctive dinosaur livery, their bright green No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R has been nicknamed “Rexy”.

An overview of the teams and drivers

GTP-class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6): Mathieu Jaminet (F), Nick Tandy (UK)
Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7): Matt Campbell (AUS), Felipe Nasr (BR)

GTD-Pro class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Pfaff Motorsports (#9): Klaus Bachler (A), Patrick Pilet (F)

GTD-class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Wright Motorsports (#77): Alan Brynjolfsson (USA), Trent Hindman (USA)
AO Racing (#80): PJ Hyett (USA), Sebastian Priaulx (UK)
Kelly-Moss with Riley (#91): Alan Metni (USA), Kay van Berlo (NL)
Kelly-Moss with Riley (#92): Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Alec Udell (USA)

The schedule (local time, CEST -9 hours)

Friday, 14 April
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Free practice 1
12:45 pm – 2:30 pm: Free practice 2
5:15 pm – 5:30 pm: Qualifying GTD-Pro/GTD
5:40 pm – 6:00 pm: Qualifying GTP

Saturday, 15 April
2:05 pm – 3:45 pm: Race (100 minutes)

Drivers’ comments ahead of the race

Nick Tandy (Porsche 963 #6): “Long Beach should be fantastic in a GTP car. I’ve been lucky enough to compete there a lot but never in a prototype – that’s going to be exciting. Plus, we share the weekend with our Penske friends from the IndyCar series. Perhaps we could swap information which would assist both teams.”

Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “We’re about to face the first street course of the season set against the unique backdrop of Long Beach. The circuit is super technical with several pretty tight corners but it’s also very exciting. I always enjoy going there, especially with its great vibes from the Californian fans. With many other series competing there, the level of grip usually increases during the weekend. This factor is the key to finding the best setup for the car. We learned a lot in Sebring, now we have to continue this work. We aim to climb to the top of the podium with our Porsche 963 soon.”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #9): “I’ve never competed in Long Beach so again I’m stepping into new territory. However, there is one advantage: because it’s a temporary street course, nobody has been able to test and practice there before the race. I’ll definitely prepare well. Luckily, I have a great teammate with Patrick Pilet at my side. He knows the track and can share a few tips with me. I like street circuits and I’m super excited about the race weekend.”

Next weekend, Portimão will host a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC for the second time since 2021. The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve serves as the stage for the European debut of the new Porsche 963. After a solid performance at the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in the USA, the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team has set its sights on a podium spot at the second race of the season. The Mannheim-based WEC squad knows the circuit from extensive tests there recently. Consequently, the driver crews, engineers and mechanics are well-prepared to tackle the six-hour race. Given the racetrack’s undulating nature and fast corners, the so-called “Algarve rollercoaster” promises plenty of action. The demanding track layout puts the Michelin tires under stress and throws physical challenges at the drivers.

“Our Porsche Penske Motorsport works team collected critical information from the season opener in Sebring,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “Using this data and experience as a basis, we now have to get much more potential out of the Porsche 963. I’m confident that the processes in our newly formed WEC squad are constantly improving. We aim to achieve our first podium result at the race in Portugal.”

“Our two teams are competing at the same time on both sides of the Atlantic – the WEC squad in Portimão and the IMSA crew in Long Beach,” explains Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh adds: “Although the venues are very different due to their unique characteristics, the teams are in close communication with each other. Every kilometer driven in each series helps us to understand the car better. The circuit in Portugal is notorious for its rough asphalt. This means not only high grip levels but high tire wear. Thus, the key to success lies in making the best possible use of the Michelin racing tires.”

Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport: “After Sebring, our WEC program has a lot to build upon and we are encouraged as we head to Portimão. We had a great test there before the season and were able to simulate some race conditions, which really helped our team prepare for the opener and for this race. Then, we had a solid outing in Sebring where we didn’t experience any major issues and was able to get our team a full race weekend together. Now, we want to take what we learned from all of that, plus some of the data we’ve been able to collect from the IMSA program, and apply it to the second race of the year at Portimão.”

The WEC race

Opened in 2008, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is nestled in the hilly hinterland of the Atlantic coast close to the resorts of Portimão and Lagos. The 4.684-kilometre circuit, which has hosted Formula 1 twice, features 16 turns and many rolling passages. The steepest downhill section of the track has an incline of over twelve per cent. Drivers also face several blind corners and deep gravel beds. The start-finish straight stretches over 969 meters.

Porsche teams and drivers

In the FIA WEC, the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory squad fields two LMDh-prototypes in the Hypercar class. In accordance with the current Balance of Performance (BoP), the power output is 516 kW (702 PS). In the No. 5 cockpit is occupied by Dane Cameron from the USA, Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki and Michael Christensen from Denmark. Kévin Estre (France), André Lotterer (Germany) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) share the No. 6 sister car.

Porsche’s customer teams campaign six of the 911 RSR racers in the GTE-Am category. Iron Dames is the only all-female team in the WEC. The pink No. 85 nine-eleven is driven by Sarah Bovy from Belgium, Michelle Gatting from Denmark and Rahel Frey from Switzerland. Sharing driving duties in the No. 60 sister car of the Iron Lynx squad are Italians Claudio Schiavoni and Matteo Cressoni as well as Alessio Picariello from Belgium.

In Dempsey-Proton Racing’s No. 77 entry, team owner Christian Ried from Germany joins forces with Mikkel Pedersen from Denmark and the former Porsche-Junior Julien Andlauer from France. In the No. 88 Porsche 911, Proton Competition puts its trust in Ryan Hardwick from the USA, Canadian Zacharie Robichon and UK driver Harry Tincknell.

The No. 56 Porsche 911 RSR campaigned by Project 1 – AO is helmed by the two Portuguese Guilherme de Oliveira and Miguel Ramos as well as Matteo Cairoli. The Italian has also come up through the ranks from the Porsche-Junior squad. Michael Wainwright and Ben Barker from the UK share GR Racing’s No. 86 cockpit with Riccardo Pera from Italy.

Overview of the teams and drivers

Hypercar class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport (#5): Dane Cameron (USA), Michael Christensen (DK), Fréderic Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6): Kévin Estre (F), André Lotterer (D), Laurens Vanthoor (B)

GTE-Am class (Porsche 911 RSR):
Project1 – AO (#56): Matteo Cairoli (I), Guilherme de Oliveira (P), Miguel Ramos (P)
Iron Lynx (#60): Claudio Schiavoni (I), Matteo Cressoni (I), Alessio Picariello (B)
Dempsey-Proton Racing (#77): Christian Ried (D), Mikkel Pedersen (DK), Julien Andlauer (F)
Iron Dames (#85): Sarah Bovy (B), Michelle Gatting (DK), Rahel Frey (CH)
GR Racing (#86): Michael Wainwright (UK), Riccardo Pera (I), Ben Barker (UK)
Proton Competition (#88): Ryan Hardwick (USA), Zacharie Robichon (CDN), Harry Tincknell (UK)

The schedule (local time, CEST -1 hour)

Friday, 14 April
10:30 am – noon: Free practice 1
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Free practice 2

Saturday, 15 April
11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Free practice 3
3:30 pm – 3:45 pm: Qualifying GTE-Am
4:20 pm – 4:35 pm: Qualifying Hypercar

Sunday, 16 April
Noon – 6:00 pm: Race

Drivers’ comments ahead of the race

Michael Christensen (Porsche 963 #5): “I’m curious to see in Portimão if we can improve on our Sebring performance. The previous race didn’t go as we’d hoped because we still lacked a bit of power. After the weekend we immediately went testing. We feel that we’ve made some progress. Hopefully, we can put that into practice in Portugal and fight for decent positions.”

Kevin Estré (Porsche 963 #6): “We tested in Portimão in late February so we’re not starting from scratch. Compared to the opening round in Sebring, we expect a familiar racetrack surface – without bumps. Everything will also be more ‘normal’ for the rest of our WEC crew, like the pit stops for example. The team has kept up the hard work between the two races and we anticipate a better performance.”

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 RSR #77): “We had a good start to the season in Sebring with second place. Everything worked pretty well right off the bat. We’re pleased with the car, the driver crew, the technical side, the engineers and the mechanics. Now we’re heading to Portimão – a circuit that I particularly enjoy with the 911 RSR. I’m determined to earn more points there. We’ll do our best to bring home another trophy.”

Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 RSR #85): “The race in Portugal’s Algarve is another special one on the WEC calendar. The circuit is like a rollercoaster with its undulating layout, which always promises a lot of action. We know all about emotional rollercoaster rides from Sebring. After Sarah Bovy’s great pole position performance in qualifying, I made a mistake that had unfortunate consequences and hampered us from achieving a better result. That means we have a lot to make up for. We feel incredibly comfortable in the Porsche and we have the pace. This was evident in Florida. We have a great crew and strong team members as support, which makes us even more competitive. We’re ready to take on the challenge in Portimão and we can’t wait.”

Ryan Hardwick (Porsche 911 RSR #88): “At the season opener in Sebring, we were the unwitting victims of an accident in the second practice session which sadly heralded an early end to our race weekend. Now I’m very much looking forward to racing against the rest of the WEC field in Portimão. I tested the 911 RSR here last autumn and I like the track a lot. I think we have a strong driver line-up in the number 88 car with Harry Tincknell, Zacharie Robichon and me. I can hardly wait to finally get cracking in Portugal.”