The 2020 motor racing season will undoubtedly go down in history as the most unusual and disrupted year on record. Only twice has the Le Mans 24 Hour race been rescheduled from its traditional June slot, to a later date in September, the first being in 1968 when the race was run on 28/29 September due to ongoing unrest in Paris. The second occasion was this race just finished, … [Read more...]
Le Mans 24 Hour memories from 2019
As the weekend of the original 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours approaches, 13-14 June, we take a look back at some of the events that took place during the race week in 2019. Had things been running normally in 2020, we would have been on the ground at Le Mans this week, firmly ensconced in the Media Centre and capturing all the pre-race action, practice, qualifying and all the other … [Read more...]
Finding Ben Barker…
PORSCHE ROAD & RACE has been out looking for some of the Porsche drivers and finding out what they have been up to during the Coronavirus lock-down that has affected most countries around the world. With all major motorsport activities on hold or cancelled, and with no end to the Coronavirus outbreak in sight, there is no way of knowing when things will return to a sense of … [Read more...]
What a race – Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
Spa woke to snow falling at 06h30 yesterday morning, and by the time I had made it to the circuit, the temperature was a steady zero. It looked more like a winter wonderland than a racing circuit, to be honest. There are all sorts of rules relating to whether it is safe to race and with the temperature at the time hovering around one degree plus (10h00), a decision had to be … [Read more...]
6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Preview
Our second trip to Spa in the 2018/2019 Super Season takes place at a time when the teams, across all four classes, have built up a considerable depth of experience and momentum in the championship. This time last year we had a dry race with brilliant sunshine from beginning to end, but the forecast for the race tomorrow is for winter temperatures with rain and even snow. Our … [Read more...]
Double victory for Porsche at Sebring
There was a double victory for Porsche at Sebring, as the #91 Porsche 911 RSR of Gianmaria Bruni/Richard Lietz won round six of the WEC in Florida on Friday. Not to be outdone, Nick Tandy/Patrick Pilet/Frédéric Makowiecki also grabbed a win in the #911 Porsche 911 RSR in round two of the IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship, the 12 Hour of Sebring. WEC Round 6, 1000 Miles … [Read more...]
Porsche double-header at Sebring – weekend preview
This weekend sees the first double-header at Sebring with the running of both round 6 of the World Endurance Championship WEC, as well as round 2 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This weekend’s activities will be a challenge for all involved in the organisation, the drivers and at team level, as everyone seeks to deliver the best performance possible. For the … [Read more...]
Second and third in Shanghai for Porsche after strong effort
Both the factory Porsche 911 RSRs finished on the podium at the final round in 2018 of the WEC in Shanghai. Heavy rain ensured a turbulent race that led to multiple safety car phases, red flags and many changes in position on the track. But a second and third in Shanghai for Porsche were the rewards for the Stuttgart works team after putting in a strong effort. After six … [Read more...]
WEC Round 3 Silverstone 6 Hour Wrap Up
During the closing stages of FP2, I was photographing at Club Corner, just as the cars entered the start/finish straight. The #91 Porsche came past me a few times and as it accelerated up the straight, the engine sounded like it was misfiring. On Saturday evening after Qualifying, in the Porsche ‘Meet the Team’ interview session, I asked Gianmaria Bruni if this was the case and … [Read more...]
Silverstone WEC Round 3 Preview
After the summer break, the WEC heads to Silverstone this coming weekend for WEC Round 3 of the 2018/2019 Super Season. Having moved from its traditional slot as the WEC season opener in April, it will be the first time the Silverstone round of the WEC has been held this late in the year. The LMP1 class should be beyond question with Toyota already well out in front of … [Read more...]