Porsche Motorsport around the world

Porsche Motorsport around the world

Newsletter 8 - 2011

Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world. More detailed information and additional photographs are available for accredited journalists from the press database. French GT Championship: Beltoise and Pasquali are the champions Anthony Beltoise and Laurent Pasquali brought their campaign to a successful end with their fifth win of the season at the 13th of 14 races during the final meeting in Le Castellet (29/30 October). With this, the pair secured the French GT Championship title with the Porsche 911 GT3 R of the proven Pro-GT by Almeras squad. At the last race of the year, the freshly-crowned champions clinched second. Patrick Bornhauser and Laurent Groppi wrapped up the season as third overall in a Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Larbre Compétition. Spanish GT Championship: Strong finish earns title for Manuel Giao Victory and second place at the final round of the Spanish GT Championship on the Circuit de Cataluña near Barcelona (29/30 October) was enough for Portugal’s Manuel Giao to take out the title. Giao shared the cockpit of the 911 GT3 RSR run by the Drivex team (Madrid) with Spaniard Miguel Angel de Castro. Two wins at the penultimate race weekend in Jerez catapulted Giao (15/16 October) to the top of the points’ table. British GT Championship: Trackspeed defends team championship After Gregor Fisken and Tim Bridgman’s win in June with the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Trackspeed in Brands Hatch, fourth place at the final round of the British GT Championship in Silverstone (8 October) was enough for their British squad to retain the team title. The best Porsche pilot in the 2011 drivers’ classification is last year’s champion and owner of the Trackspeed team, David Ashburn, in third place. US GT Championships: Porsche pilots net two titles Andrew Davis and Leh Keen won the Grand-Am GT Championship with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the famed Brumos Racing team. After the twelfth and final race (17 September) of a dramatic season, the first three driver pairings were separated by a mere four points. And another perfect result in the American World Challenge: Works driver Patrick Long won the GT Championship title driving TruSpeed’s 911 GT3 Cup, which handed the squad the team championship. Porsche took home the manufacturers’ title. Belcar Endurance Championship: Goossens and Soulet celebrate title with win at final After 72 gripping laps, Marc Goossens and Maxime Soulet came out on top by a nail-biting five hundredths of a second over a Ferrari at the last race of the Belcar Endurance Championship in Spa (23 October). The Belgians had already taken the championship title early with a victory in Prospeed Competition’s Porsche 911 GT3 R on the first weekend in October at the penultimate round in Zolder. International GT Open: Gianluca Roda crowned vice-champion Clinching vice-championship honours in the GTS class for GT3 race vehicles, the 2011 season ended successfully for Gianluca Roda. At the wheel of Autorlando Sport’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, Roda had won both races at the penultimate weekend in Monza. One point shy of the leader in second, he travelled to the finale on the Circuit de Cataluña near Barcelona (29/30 October), but his retirement from the second race after finishing the first in fourth robbed him of his title chance. Autorlando Sport ranks second in the team championship. Japanese Super GT: Porsche 911 GT3 R on third Tomonodu Fujii and Masami Kageyama secured second place from the eighth and final event on the Twin Ring Motegi (15/16 October). The pair took up the race from the pit lane after their Hankook KTR Porsche 911 GT3 R underwent repairs shortly before the start. The squad and its drivers brought their first year of competition to a successful conclusion with an impressive third place in the championship. Carrera Cup Asia: Keita Sawa champion after heart-stopping finale Definitely not for the faint-hearted: At the twelfth and final race on the Shanghai International Circuit (23 September), 26-year-old Keita Sawa from Japan snatched third place and the championship title in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of LKM Racing with a difference of just one-point over Rodolfo Avila (Team Jebsen) from Macao. Third overall in the fiercely-competitive Cup went to Alexandre Imperatori. Carrera Cup Deutschland: Nick Tandy champion at second attempt With three wins, four other podium results, a fifth place and just one retirement, last year’s runner-up Nick Tandy from Great Britain (26) claimed the championship title in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Konrad Motorsport. Tandy is the first British driver to take home the title in the 22-year history of the German Carrera Cup. Vice-championship honours went to his compatriot Sean Edwards, whose performance contributed to his Deutsche Post by tolimit crew securing the team championship. Carrera Cup France: Ten straight wins earn Kévin Estre the championship title From the guest appearance of the Carrera Cup France in Nogaro in the southwest of France late April to the final race in Le Castellet at the end of October (29 October), Kévin Estre pocketed ten consecutive wins in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by AS Events. After this string of successes, the 23-year-old new champion from Lyon ranks 113 points ahead of second-placed Sylvain Noël. A total of twelve races made up the 2011 calendar. Carrera Cup Great Britain: James Sutton reclaims the title After 19 races and second place at the final round in Silverstone (16 October), James Sutton (26) once again walked away with the championship. The SAS/Redline pilot, who was also the champion of the Carrera Cup Great Britain in 2007, wrapped up a thrilling year with a seven-point lead over his teammate Michael Meadows, who was forced to pit with a faulty tyre during the decisive final round. SAS/Redline won the team title, Nick Tandy won the last race. Carrera Cup Italia: Alessandro Balzan defends his title At the penultimate race weekend in Vallelunga (16/18 September), Ebimotors pilot Alessandro Balzan picked up an early title win. Still, with the second straight championship title under his belt, this didn’t prevent the 31-year-old from keeping up the pressure. Balzan pocketed victory number seven and eight at the final meeting in Monza (15/16 October). Marco Mapelli was crowned vice-champion. Carrera Cup Japan: Hideto Yasuoka wins all races to become champion Eleven wins from eleven races: With this immaculate balance, 28-year-old Hideto Yasuoka concluded the season on the Twin Ring Motegi (23 October) as the undisputed champion. Runner-up behind the Garmin-Porsche pilot, who took up the final round as poleman, was Akira Fujita. Fujita snatched the vice-championship trophy from Kazuyoshi Takamizawa in a last ditch battle at the final race. GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East: Abdulaziz Al Faisal leads after first race An Austrian kicked off the new season of the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East with a win on the Dubai Autodrome on the first weekend in November: Clemens Schmid won race one from pole position. The two-time champion, Prince Abdulaziz al Faisal, came second, but nailed the points’ lead of the drivers’ classification after winning race two of the weekend. Next meeting: at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi (11/13 November). Race notes: Driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the Turin-based Victor Racing team, Victor and Giovanni Coggiola win the GT2 title of the Italian GT Championship after seven race weekends. +++ Victory for Lucas Luhr and Arno Klasen in Manthey Racing’s 911 GT3 R at round nine of the Nuerburgring Long Distance Championship (15 October). With three wins from a total of ten races, Porsche draws level with Audi on the list of the very best. No other race car has turned the fastest race lap more than the 911 with four lap records. +++ The fight for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup title is decided at the double-header finale on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi as part of the Formula 1 weekend (12/13 November). Aside from points’ leader René Rast, title contenders are Kuba Giermaziak, Norbert Siedler and three other drivers. +++ Things go down to the wire as well in the Carrera Cup Australia, where New Zealander Craig Baird travels to the final in Sydney (2/4 December) holding a healthy points’ lead after three wins in Surfers Paradise (22/23 October) ahead of his second-placed compatriot Daniel Gaunt.

Porsche Motorsport/Presse.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR New customer sport top model for 2012 race season

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is ready to race. The top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles will head into the 2012 season with extensive modifications. Particularly striking at first glance are the changes to the body: the width of the new GT3 RSR has grown by 48 millimetres. Built to conform to the A.C.O. “LM” GTE regulations, the 911 represents the crowning pinnacle of a range of successful customer sport race cars that are based on the 997 type 911 GT3 RS street sports car. Powering the new 911 GT3 RSR is a particularly efficient six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-litre capacity. With a mandatory air-restrictor, it generates 460 hp (338 kW) and drives the 310 millimetre wide rear wheels. The diameter of the front wheels has increased by 30 mm to now measure 680 millimetres. The Porsche sequential six-speed gearbox is operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The nose and rear panels are adapted to the flared front and rear wheel arches, as are the door sill and the wheel arch coverings. The aerodynamic concept is complemented by a new ducting of the intake air. Openings in the rear side sections, as known from the turbo variants of the Porsche 911, replace the air scoop on the engine hood, which is very similar to the 911 GT2 RS street sports car. The new 911 GT3 RSR can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series as well as the International GT Open and in other series and races. “Our customer teams can expect a technically mature, high performance race car with which they will be highly competitive at international long distance races,” assures Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “Our test programme on various international race tracks is currently running at full speed. We are very pleased with the car’s performance and driveability.” The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be delivered to customer squads around the world from January 2012. The selling price is 498,000 Euro plus value added tax of the respective countries.

Porsche Motorsport.

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA First podium result of the season for the title defenders

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA

First podium result of the season for the title defenders

Stuttgart. In the American Le Mans Series, the title defenders clinched their first podium result of the season at their third attempt. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) finished second in the GT class at the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock to improve their championship position.

The race on the short 2.478 kilometre circuit in the US state of Connecticut was thrilling from start to finish. And it began well for Porsche: Patrick Long snatched second place right at the start and defended his position to the first pit stop and driver change. His teammate Joerg Bergmeister, who tops the winners’ list with five victories from the last five years on this circuit, fell back just once to third place after another pit stop behind his works driver colleague Wolf Henzler, but was quickly able to regain his position.

Bergmeister went on to deliver a spirited fight for the lead, at times only two seconds adrift of the front-runner. But with three laps to go, his result looked in jeopardy when tyre damage forced him into the pits. As always, the Flying Lizard crew worked swiftly on his number 45 Porsche so that he was able to defend his second place. At the flag only 20.387 seconds separated Bergmeister and Long from their first win of the season.

“That was a lively race,” said Joerg Bergmeister. “Today we were able to fight for victory and I’ve tried everything to continue my winning streak after five straight Lime Rock victories. Unfortunately, a puncture prevented this. Still, it was our best result so far this season. Our entire team has worked extremely hard for this.” Patrick Long said: “I’m very satisfied. Today we have earned plenty of championship points. Because all of our direct competitors had problems, these points are especially valuable. Our car was perfectly set-up over the entire weekend. It’s a shame that we were just a few seconds off clinching victory.

Bryan Sellers drove the first stint for the Falken Tire squad. Cleverly, he kept out of any trouble on the tight circuit, and his teammate Wolf Henzler did the rest. With an early refuelling pit stop 1:15 hours before the flag, they took their opponents by surprise and turned up in second place when the rest of the field pitted for fuel. Wolf Henzler too had his big moments: 30 minutes before the finish he brought the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR into the pits with suspected tyre damage. Luckily, he had only picked up rubber from the track. And in the final laps, problems with the fuel pressure cost him a safe third place. He took the flag in fifth.

In the second Flying Lizard Motorsports-run Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, works driver Marc Holzer (Germany) clinched seventh at his Lime Rock premiere together with American Seth Neiman. He was clearly pleased with this result. “When I took over the car we were running last,” he said. “The chase was huge fun. I was able to put in very competitive times on this unfamiliar track.” Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA) brought the Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR home in sixth place. Victory in the GTC class went to Americans Dion von Moltke and Mike Pierce with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series is held on 24th July in Mosport/Canada.


Statistics: 3rd race Lime Rock, CT

Result GT class
1. Müller/Hand (D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 176 laps
2. Bergmeister/Long (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 176
3. Murry/Lazzaro (USA/USA), Doran Ford GT, 174
4. Sharp/van Overbeek (USA/USA), Ferrari F458 Italia, 174
5. Henzler/Sellers (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 174
6. Maassen/Miller (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 172
7. Holzer/Neiman (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165

Result GTC class
1. von Moltke/Pierce (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164 laps
2. Pumpelly/Ende (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164
3. Leitzinger/Sweedler (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164

Points’ standings GT class
Drivers
1. Dirk Müller, Joey Hand, BMW, 70 points
2. Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Chevrolet, 37
3. Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Porsche, 34
4. Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner, Chevrolet, 33
Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen, BMW, 33
6. Augusto Farfus, BMW, 26
7. Jaime Melo, Toni Vilander, Ferrari, 25
8. Seth Neiman, Porsche, 23

Manufacturers
1. BMW, 70 points
2. Porsche, 44
3. Chevrolet, 41
4. Ferrari, 34

Teams
1. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 70 points
2. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 41
3. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 37


Facts and figures

This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:

GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

All race cars start together but are classified separately. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA Third grid spot for Porsche works driver

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA

Third grid spot for Porsche works driver

Stuttgart. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) posted the third quickest time in the GT qualifying for the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock. He contests round three of the American Le Mans Series on Saturday with his works driver colleague Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), who with five wins in the last five years is the most successful driver at the race in the US state of Connecticut .

“I was lying in fifth when my pit crew requested me to come in. But my gut feeling told me that I could do better. So I stayed out for another lap and that lap was then perfect,” said Patrick Long. “It felt just a good as my fastest lap last year where I secured pole position. It’s just that the gap to the cars at the front is simply too big. We just can’t match their pace due to the balance of performance regulations.”

At his first start on the short and very narrow 2.487 kilometre circuit, which had only just dried up after a rain shower, Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched sixth place. The Porsche factory pilot shares driving duties in the second Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with American Seth Neiman. “My quickest lap was just my seventh on the dry track in Lime Rock,” he said. “We’re very pleased with this and think we’ve found a very good set-up for the race, regardless of whether it rains or not.”

In the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire squad, Bryan Sellers (USA), the teammate of Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), claimed the ninth quickest time.

The race starts on Saturday at 14.05 hours local time (20.05 hours CEST) and runs over 2:45 hours.


Qualifying result
GT class
1. Joey Hand (USA), BMW M3 GT, 50.925 seconds
2. Dirk Werner (D), BMW M3 GT, + 0.245
3. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.947
4. Oliver Gavin (GB), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.972
5. Tommy Milner (USA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 1.029
6. Marco Holzer (D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.080
9. Bryan Sellers (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.463
12. Bryce Miller (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2,286

GTC class
1. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 54.982 seconds



Facts and figures

This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:

GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 750 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

All race cars start together but are classified separately. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.


Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

24 Hour Le Mans: Jörg Bergmeister - 'The history is tangible'

Defending American Le Mans Series champion, Jörg Bergmeister is on the entry list for the 9^th time in a row. After two consecutive retirements, the German driver hopes to take the chequered flag next weekend.

“I am very happy to be here. Le Mans is different. First I really like the track, the atmosphere is great and the history is tangible. It is always a lot of fun. This year, it is hard to know what to expect because we were not at the test days. Ferrari has a new car, Corvette should be fast and BMW as well. I think that the drivers’ line-up is great; we know each other very well and we all know the track very well. At this point I really don’t know!”

Interview by Cecile Bonardel

lemans.org

Photo : Frederic GAUDIN - ACO/Nikon

Porsche Mobil1 Super Cup: Green light for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the world’s fastest city traffic

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 3 at the Formula 1 race in Monte Carlo/Monaco

Green light for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the world’s fastest city traffic

Stuttgart. They are the craziest days of the year. When the Grand Prix circus descends on Monaco, the Principality on the Cote d’Azur is turned upside down. First flower tubs, parking meters and traffic signs are removed to make room for barriers, concrete blocks and high fences and create the world’s most famous city circuit. With this perfect backdrop, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup holds its third race of the season on 29 May.

“Driving in Monaco is fantastic, and to win here is the ultimate,” says two-time Supercup champion Jeroen Bleekemolen, who has had the pleasure of this sensation twice. For the race in his adopted home where he knows every kerb and corner well, the Abu Dhabi by tolimit pilot from the Netherlands has particularly big plans: “No one has achieved three Supercup victories in Monaco yet. I want to be the first to manage this feat.”

But it will not be easy. “You can’t afford to make one mistake in Monaco. You only have a chance when everything runs absolutely smoothly,” Jeroen Bleekemolen says about the challenging circuit with its world renowned corners like “Casino” and “Rascasse”. Run-off zones are virtually non-existent, walls and crash barriers are uncomfortably close to the ideal line. The ex-Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet once compared driving in the street maze of Monte Carlo to “flying a helicopter in your living room”. Last year’s Monaco winner, René Rast (Germany) from the VELTINS Lechner Racing squad, doesn’t see it quite so dramatically. “The circuit of Monaco is actually not what drivers dream about. There are many narrow corners and masses of bumps that really shake you up. If you’re going to make a mistake then you’d better make it where there is some space beside the track, otherwise it’ll be the last mistake you make in this race. A good qualifying result is more important here than at any other race on the calendar.” Despite all the professional judgements, he simply can’t ignore the fascination of the race. “Driving with such a backdrop is something very special for us all. My victory here last year was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career.”

Travelling to the most prestigious race of the year as points’ leader is Sean Edwards. After the Abu Dhabi by tolimit pilot claimed his first win of the season in Barcelona, the British-born, Monaco-resident is confident he can bring home more points. Also looking forward to the demanding city circuit are Konrad Motorsport teammates, Christian Engelhart and Nick Tandy. After his surprise win at the season-opener in Istanbul, the German is keen not to lose touch with the overall leaders. The Briton hopes to clinch his first victory of the season after yielding second from both Istanbul and Barcelona. Tandy too thinks a good grid position is the key to success because overtaking is very difficult in Monaco. “There are two places where overtaking might work,” he says. “But only if the guy in front makes a mistake.”

TV stations Eurosport (9.45 hrs) and Sky (9.40 hrs) broadcast the race in Monaco live. Eurosport also televises highlights of the race at 23.30 hrs in its programme “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Points’ standings after 2 of 9 races*

Drivers’ classification
1. Sean Edwards (GB), 36 points
2. Nick Tandy (GB), 36
3. Christian Engelhart (D), 29
4. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), 25
5. Norbert Siedler (A), 24
6. Kévin Estre (F), 22
Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 22

BBS rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 22 points

Team classification
1. Konrad Motorsport, 63 points
2. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 56
3. VELTINS Lechner Racing Team, 45

* It has not yet been decided if and when the cancelled Formula 1 race and Porsche Mobil1 Supercup double-header in Bahrain will be followed up with a replacement.

Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Carrera Cup: Home victory for Bleekemolen, Tandy gives chase

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 2 in Zandvoort/Netherlands

Home victory for Bleekemolen, Tandy gives chase

Stuttgart. Round two of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in Zandvoort delivered everything that makes racing gripping: a clear winner, non-stop two-way fights – and a spirited charge through the field like no other. Jeroen Bleekemolen (Deutsche Post by tolimit) from the Netherlands clinched a clear pole to flag home victory. Second by 3.3 seconds was former Porsche-Junior Martin Ragginger (Austria, Schnabl Engineering). But the ultimate hero after 19 laps on the 4.307 kilometre dune circuit was Nick Tandy. Taking off into the race from the very last spot on the grid, the Briton from Konrad Motorsport ploughed his way through to snatch third. With this, the winner of the season-opening race retains his points’ lead after the Zandvoort race.

For pole-sitter Bleekemolen, double Porsche Mobil1 Supercup champion, everything worked to his favour at his home race. After a rocket start, he won the sprint to the first corner and was away, with the rest of the field following along behind champion Nicolas Armindo (France) like beads on a necklace. The Hermes Attempto Racing pilot was not able to repeat his good qualifying result in the race, held on to second for a several laps, but was promptly overtaken, by one after the other, to be finally pushed into spin by a competitor. With this, last year’s champion has yet to earn points this season and is deeply disappointed. Martin Ragginger, however, was thrilled with his second place at his first race of the season, not least because the 23-year-old’s 911 had only been delivered to his team on the Wednesday prior to the race and was prepared just in time.

Celebrations as well in the Konrad camp – and all the more so because they hadn’t really expected to achieve third. Last year’s winner Nick Tandy secured the twelfth grid spot but was relegated to start from the back of the pack after ignoring a yellow flag during Friday’s practice. After a brilliant start and an equally brilliant first lap, the Briton had already passed six opponents to slot into position ten. On a track not known for its overtaking manoeuvres, the inspired Englishman worked his way through to third. He was only foiled in an attempt to nab Ragginger when he made a mistake in braking on his badly worn tyres.

Stefan Wendt (Attempto Racing) also had no answer to the Briton’s foray to the front. Yielding fourth, the young German narrowly missed out on clinching his first podium place in Germany’s fastest one-make race series. Sean Edwards (Britain, Deutsche Post by tolimit) was also not able to defend himself against his compatriot and finished fifth. Sixth went to Dutchman Jaap van Lagen (Land Motorsport), who last year secured second here in Zandvoort. Also the battle-tested and well-versed Uwe Alzen couldn’t hold off Tandy’s charge and only managed to claim seventh on one of his favourite race tracks. Finishing in eighth, ninth and tenth respectively were Denmark’s Nicki Thiim (Hermes Attempto Racing), Jan Seyffarth (Germany, SMS Seyffarth Motorsport) and Robert Lukas (Poland, Förch Racing).

Jeroen Bleekemolen (winner): “To win at home is perfect. The race was almost boring for me. I took off at the start and could extend my lead because the boys behind me were squabbling amongst themselves. I slowed the pace a little towards the end because I didn’t want to risk my win.”

Martin Ragginger (second): “A huge thank you to my team. They had only received the car on Wednesday evening and in that short time had managed to get it ready to race. Early on in the race I was held up a little by Armindo, and because of that I lost the chance to catch Jeroen later. But second is fantastic. Now I’m looking forward to my home race on the Red Bull Ring in three weeks.”

Nick Tandy (third): “What a great Sunday. My bad luck yesterday made today’s race great fun. We knew from free practice on Friday that my car was perfectly set-up and that made me very quick in Zandvoort. You might think I’m crazy, but this morning I thought to myself that second might be possible. I can’t count it as the best race of my life – I didn’t win.”


Race result
1. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 33:04.431 min. (148,455 km/h)
2. Martin Ragginger (A), Schnabl Engineering, + 3.350 seconds
3. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 4.902
4. Stefan Wendt (D), Attempto Racing, + 6.176
5. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 10.486
6. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Land Motorsport, + 14.761
7. Uwe Alzen (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 16.479

Drivers’ classification after 2 of 9 races
1. Nick Tandy (GB), 36 points
2. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 34 points
3. Sean Edwards (GB), 28 points
4. Uwe Alzen (D), 21 points
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL), 19 points

Team classification after 2 of 9 races
1. Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 62 points
2. Konrad Motorsport, 47 points
3. Förch Racing, 32 points

Round three of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland takes place on 5 June on the new Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 2 at the Formula 1 race in Barcelona/Spain

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 2 at the Formula 1 race in Barcelona/Spain

Winner of season-opener Christian Engelhart keen for a repeat

Stuttgart. After the riveting season-opener in Istanbul with Christian Engelhart pulling a surprise victory out of the hat, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup travels on to the Circuit de Catalunya on 22 May. Twenty-three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup take off into the second race of the world’s fastest international one-make series on the 4.655 kilometre Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona.

“It was an awesome experience to kick off the season with the first Supercup win of my career,” says the German Konrad Motorsport pilot, Christian Engelhart. The fact that he has now raised expectations with his performance hasn’t unsettled him. On the contrary: “I clinched the pole and won the race, so I’ve shown that I have what it takes and I can hold my own against the best.”

One of the title favourites who had to queue up behind the round one winner in Istanbul is his British teammate Nick Tandy. The vice-champion, whose driver colleagues voted him this year’s title favourite in a survey at the start of the season, is looking forward to the Circuit de Catalunya. “It’s a very demanding and interesting track,” said Tandy, who clinched second in Istanbul. “Tyres definitely play a key role here, especially in the very quick corners. The slightest error in the technically difficult passage prior to the finish straight costs a lot of time and it’s almost impossible to make it up.”

Third place-getter in Istanbul, Austria’s Norbert Siedler from VELTINS Lechner Racing, notched up his first Porsche Mobil1 Supercup victory in Barcelona last year. However, his teammate René Rast (Germany) did not take the best memories home from the Catalonian city: Suffering a technical fault, the eventual champion was relegated to the other side of the pit wall last year right after formation lap. Sean Edwards is another who doesn’t look back fondly on Barcelona 2010: Driving for the Abu Dhabi by tolimit team, the Briton crossed the finish line in first only to be handed a time penalty due to a collision which shuffled him down the field to twelfth. The goal for his return to Spain is short and sweet: “Come first – and above all stay first.”

One driver who could foil these plans comes from Tandy’s own squad: Jeroen Bleekemolen, double Supercup champion from the Netherlands, finished sixth in Istanbul behind Sean Edwards and René Rast. In Barcelona, Bleekemolen should be good for at least a podium result. A dream for Kuba Giermaziak, as well. Like Christian Engelhart last year, the VERVA Racing team pilot from Poland is a rookie in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, and regards his seventh from the season-opener as just a stepping stone on his way to the top. His driver colleagues confirmed that he has the necessary skills: In the survey which put Nick Tandy at the top of the title favourites, Giermaziak was voted the driver with the best outside chances.

TV stations Eurosport 2 (11.45 hrs) and Sky (11.40 hrs) broadcast the race in Barcelona live on 22 May. Eurosport also televises highlights of the race at 21.00 hrs on its programme “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Points’ standings after 1 of 9 races*

Drivers’ classification
1. Christian Engelhart (D), 22 points
2. Nicholas Tandy (GB), 18
3. Norbert Siedler (A), 16
4. Sean Edwards (GB), 14
5. René Rast (D), 12
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 10

BBS rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 8 points

Team classification
1. Konrad Motorsport, 38 points
2. VELTINS Lechner Racing Team, 28
3. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 24

* It has not yet been decided if and when the cancelled Formula 1 race and Porsche Mobil1 Supercup double-header in Bahrain will be followed up with a replacement.


Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 1 at the Formula 1 race in Istanbul/Turkey

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 1 at the Formula 1 race in Istanbul/Turkey

Heading into the new season with 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Stuttgart. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup kicks off the new season on 8 May on the Formula 1 circuit in Istanbul Park. After the cancellation of the two season-opening rounds in Bahrain, drivers and teams are now looking forward to the belated start. “The break was long enough,” says title defender René Rast (Germany). “It’s high time that it finally gets underway.”

All systems are go for the popular one-make race series which has run as support to the Formula 1 races since 1993. In Istanbul Park, 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars line up to start, fielded by nine teams. With this, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup again enjoys a strong turn out this year. “We have top class entries from teams and drivers,” says Jonas Krauss, who joined Porsche Motorsport in March as the new manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Krauss is extremely pleased with the great potpourri of seasoned campaigners and talented youngsters. “The best drivers and teams from last year are back again this season. That just shows how popular this series is.”

At the wheel of the #1 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, René Rast leads the field into the new season on the 5.338 kilometre Grand Prix circuit at the Bosphorus. This season, the title defender drives for the newly-formed VELTINS Lechner Racing Team with Austria’s Norbert Siedler. His arch rival Nick Tandy (Great Britain), reigning vice-champion after three victories and winner of the BBS rookie classification, is back and again competes for Konrad Motorsport. One of the most serious aspirants for the title is Jeroen Bleekemolen. The double Supercup champion from the Netherlands has switched to the Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, where he joins forces with another very strong contender, Britain’s Sean Edwards. Supercup record winner Patrick Huisman (Netherlands) races for Team Bleekemolen for the first time and is keen to secure his 25th Supercup win this season. His compatriot and teammate Sebastiaan Bleekemolen made a promising start to the motorsport season at the Sebring 12 Hours: At the endurance classic in Florida, he won the GTC class with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The most prominent newcomer to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is Mathias Lauda (Austria). The son of racing legend Niki Lauda drove the VIP car as a guest of Porsche AG last year in Hockenheim – and now the former DTM pilot competes in the season-opener in Istanbul with Konrad Motorsport Austria. Also new to the series this season is the Attempto Racing team, who won the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title last year with Frenchman Nicolas Armindo. This season the squad enters two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup manned by Robert Lukas (Poland) and Supercup-rookie Kévin Estre (France).

The race in Istanbul on 8 May is broadcast live by TV stations Eurosport 2 (11.45 hrs) and Sky (11.40 hrs). Additionally, Eurosport televises race highlights on Sunday at 18.15 hrs in its programme “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – Calendar 2011*

08 May: Istanbul, Turkey
22 May: Barcelona, Spain
29 May: Monte Carlo, Monaco
25 June: Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Germany
10 July: Silverstone, Great Britain
24 July: Nürburgring, Germany
31 July: Budapest, Hungary
28 August: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
11 September: Monza, Italy

* It has not yet been decided if and when the cancelled Formula 1 race and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup double-header in Bahrain will be followed up with a replacement.



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Successful race debut for the “Version 2.0”

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid

Successful race debut for the “Version 2.0”


Stuttgart. A strong race premiere for the further-developed Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid. With “Version 2.0” of the innovative hybrid race car from Weissach, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) finished round two of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship in eleventh position. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Manthey Racing with Porsche factory pilots Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France) as well as Manthey pilot Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) secured second place.

The race meeting for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid was part of intensive preparations for the Nürburgring 24 hour race in June. “We’re well within our time plan and are making good progress with the 2011 version,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Motorsport at Porsche. “At an endurance test and one other outing as part of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship we will gain additional data so that we are well prepared for the Eifel marathon.”

Priority in the further development over winter was placed on increasing efficiency. For this, the weight of the vehicle, including the hybrid components, was reduced from 1,350 to 1,300 kilograms. The weight of the hybrid components was reduced by 20 percent through targeted optimisation. The general hybrid layout was adopted from the 2010 model.

The output of both electric motors in the portal axle increased from 60 to 75 kilowatts each. For seconds at a time, pilots now have about 200 hp more at their disposal with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, which equals ca. 23 kW (32 hp) of additional conventional power per Nordschleife lap. Depending on the programming, this electrical power is automatically activated through use of the throttle pedal. Moreover, hybrid pilots can manually call up this extra power, for instance when overtaking.

With the portal axle driving the front wheels, the four-litre, now 465 hp six-cylinder boxer engine, which drives the rear axle, was reduced in power and optimised with respect to fuel consumption.

“In many aspects, version 2.0 of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid is a completely new car,” says Joerg Bergmeister. “It’s always a good sign when a new car reaches the finish line at its first race outing.”

The yellow and green Porsche 911 GT3 R of Manthey Racing also drove a trouble-free race. Separated by 33.6 seconds from the winning Mercedes, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Lucas Luhr brought home second place. The trio were unanimous: “Our car ran like clockwork. Over the entire race we were involved in many spirited two-way fights and that was huge fun.”

At the wheel of their Porsche 911 GT3, the All-German driver line-up, Georg Weiss, Oliver Kainz and Michael Jacobs saw the flag in seventh position. Ninth place was occupied by the 911 GT3 R of Jochen Krumbach (Germany), Marc Gindorf (Monaco) and Philipp Wlazik (Germany).


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 1 in Hockenheim

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 1 in Hockenheim

Nick Tandy’s gamble pays off to yield season-opening win

Stuttgart. A rain shower shortly before the start turned the season-opening race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland into a lottery. Britain’s Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) played the right cards in the tyre poker, stayed on slicks – and like last year celebrated his first win of the season. Separated by 1.072 seconds, the reigning champion of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, René Rast (Germany, Förch Racing), saw the chequered flag on the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg in second. Third over the line after 18 laps was Sean Edwards (Great Britain, Team Deutsche Post by tolimit).

Lady Luck was not smiling on several prominent pilots. Pole-sitter Robert Renauer (Germany, Herberth Motorsport), title defender Nicolas Armindo (France) as well as his Danish teammate Nicki Thiim driving for the championship winning team from 2010, Hermes Attempto Racing, switched to wet tyres prior to the start only to fall back once the track started to dry.

Second qualifier, Nick Tandy, played all his cards right. The Briton virtually inherited the pole position because Renauer started the race from the pits after changing to rain tyres. Putting in a perfect start, Tandy then quickly pulled away while the rest of the field were busy fighting amongst themselves. The strategically clever runner-up from last year could increase his lead so much that his rivals René Rast and Sean Edwards were able to close the gap in the second half but had no chance of snatching the lead from the Briton.

Fourth at the flag after a turbulent race was Jeroen Bleekemolen from the Netherlands, who drives for the Team Deutsche Post by tolimit as Edwards’ teammate – and not only promptly lived up to his new team’s high expectations. Thanks to Edwards and Bleekemolen’s results this weekend, the squad occupies first place in the team classification. In the very final moment, double Supercup champion Bleekemolen had snatched position four off two-time Carrera Cup title winner Uwe Alzen. The German, who runs his own team ‘PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive’ this season, had to settle for fifth, just 0.2 seconds behind the Dutchman.

Sixth and seventh place went to Jan Seyffarth and Jaap van Lagen. The German (SMS Seyffarth Motorsport) and the Dutchman (Land Motorsport) delivered a spirited duel which saw Jaap van Lagen take a spectacular journey off the track but thanks to his ultra fast reflexes he brought his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup off the wet grass and back on to the track to finish the race.

Huge delight in the Förch Racing camp, not least due to the podium result of seasoned campaigner Rast, but also due to Robert Lukas. The 23-year-old Pole achieved a commendable eighth place under difficult track conditions. Even more astounding, however, is the performance of the pilots who finished ninth and tenth: Both the 21-year-old Swiss racer Philipp Frommenwiler (Attempto Racing) and the 19-year-old Austrian Johann Ledermair (Konrad Motorsport) are newcomers to Germany’s fastest brand trophy series. For these two, the top ten placing with the 450 hp Cup-Porsche on the slippery track signalises a truly impressive start to the season.

Nick Tandy (winner): “Under such conditions, the race was really difficult, but it was great fun for exactly this reason. I gave more than 100 percent, particularly in the first few laps in order to build up a decent gap. Around the mid-way point I slackened off the pace a little. And in the last laps René put the pressure on and came closer and closer. So I had to put my foot down again to bring home victory.”

René Rast (second): “It was a difficult race for me. Unfortunately, my start wasn’t the best and Uwe Alzen got past me. By the time I overtook him, Nick had already put a decent gap between us. Okay, I managed to reduce the gap but it wasn’t enough to win. Still, I’m happy with our start to the season with my Förch team.”

Sean Edwards (third): “What a race! Because I only started from 14th on the grid I lost a lot of time in the first half. I got caught up in duels between drivers who’d started on wet tyres and came from behind. I couldn’t regain that time again. But I’m happy with third place.”


Race result
1. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, 33:26.830 minutes (147,693 km/h)
2. René Rast (D), Förch Racing, + 1.072 seconds
3. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 5.752
4. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 8.492
5. Uwe Alzen (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 8.688
6. Jan Seyffarth (D), SMS Seyffarth Motorsport, + 13.890
7. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Land Motorsport, + 19.319
8. Robert Lukas (PL), Förch Racing, + 37.530
9. Philipp Frommenwiler (CH), Attempto Racing, + 58.844
10. Johann Ledermair (A), Konrad Motorsport, + 59.145

Drivers’ standings after 1 of 9 rounds
1. Nick Tandy (GB), 20 points
2. René Rast (D), 18 points
3. Sean Edwards (GB), 16 points
4. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 14 points
5. Uwe Alzen (D), 12 points
6. Jan Seyffarth (D), 10 points
7. Jaap van Lagen (NL), 9 points

Team classification after 1 of 9 rounds
1. Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 30 points
2. Konrad Motorsport, 26 points
3. Förch Racing, 26 points

Round 2 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland takes place on 15 May on the Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands.



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 1 in Hockenheim

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 1 in Hockenheim

First pole position goes to Robert Renauer

Stuttgart. A surprising start to the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland: After many changes at the top of the time charts, Robert Renauer snatched the first pole position of the new season in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with 1:41.822 minutes. Driving for Herberth Motorsport, the German not only relegated last year’s pole-sitter, Nick Tandy (Great Britain), to the second grid by 0.247 seconds, but also many other former champions of Porsche one-make race series down the grid. Particularly disappointed was title defender Nicolas Armindo (France), who only qualified on ninth position due to a driving error.

This marks the second pole position for 26-year-old Robert Renauer, now in his seventh year of contesting Germany’s fastest brand trophy series. His first pole was in the 2009 season when Renauer was the fastest in qualifying in Barcelona but only saw the flag in second. Victory still eludes him. But when tomorrow’s race takes off at 10.20am for the sprint over 18 laps on the 4.574 kilometre Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg circuit, many race drivers will be determined to prevent his maiden win.

One is reigning vice-champion Tandy from Konrad Motorsport, who is eager to repeat his win from last year. Behind the five-time season winner of 2010, Carrera Cup returnee Nicki Thiim (Hermes Attempto Racing) made an impressive start to the season with third position. The 22-year-old Dane, son of former DTM champion Kurt Thiim, contested the 2009 Carrera Cup and achieved fifth overall at the end of that season. Taking up the season-opening race in fourth alongside Thiim is René Rast (Germany, Förch Racing). The 24-year-old was champion of the Carrera Cup in 2008 and last year celebrated his title win of the international Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.

The fifth spot on the grid went to 21-year-old Stefan Wendt. Driving for Attempto Racing, the German was the best newcomer in the 450 hp Cup-Porsche last year. As a highlight, he celebrated fifth at the race in Great Britain. Wendt shares the grid row with another Carrera Cup returnee, Jan Seyffarth (Germany, SMS Seyffarth Motorsport). The 24-year-old secured runner-up honours in the 2008 Carrera Cup and now heads into his fifth season after a year’s break.

The fourth grid row is occupied by two former Porsche brand trophy series champions. Jeroen Bleekemolen won the Supercup in 2008/2009, Uwe Alzen the Carrera Cup in 1992/2007 and the Supercup in 1994. Both the Dutchman, who joins the Deutsche Post by tolimit squad this season, and the German are tactically clever and very strong race drivers. Alzen has entered his own team for the first time under the name of ‘PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive’. Title defender Nicolas Armindo (Hermes Attempto Racing) and Austria’s Clemens Schmid (Herberth Motorsport) round off the top ten qualifiers.

Carrera Cup fans that cannot witness the race directly from the track can follow the action via live-streaming on the official Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland website (www.porsche.de/carreracup).

Robert Renauer (pole-sitter): “I’m pleased because that was the best lap I’ve even managed to do here in Hockenheim. Not one skid or slide in the slightest. The key to success was probably that I had a very fast guy in front of me – Nick Tandy. In each corner I could get a little closer to him under braking.”

Nick Tandy (2nd in qualifying): “I’m very surprised about Robert’s fantastic lap time, you can only congratulate him. But I’m still very pleased with my second grid spot and hope that I succeed in fighting for victory tomorrow.”
Nicki Thiim (3rd in qualifying): “It’s a very emotional moment for me to come back after a year and immediately achieve third in qualifying – that’s just amazing. I took the last corner too fast and ran a little wide, otherwise I could have perhaps set pole.”


Qualifying result:
1. Robert Renauer (D), Herberth Motorsport, 1:41.882 minutes
2. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.247 seconds
3. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.252
4. René Rast (D), Förch Racing, + 0.374
5. Stefan Wendt (D), Attempto Racing, + 0.403
6. Jan Seyffarth (D), SMS Seyffarth Motorsport, + 0.440
7. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 0.465
8. Uwe Alzen (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 0.551
9. Nicolas Armindo (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.586
10. Clemens Schmid (A), Herberth Motorsport, + 1.659



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger