The race started at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, marking the 85th anniversary of Le Mans 24 Hours. Timo Bernhardt (Germany), Earl Bamber (New Zealand), and Brandon Hartley (New Zealand), who climbed into the second car (Porsche 919 Hybrid) of LMP1, the top class of the race, ran 367 times over the 13.629-kilometer circuit.
Porsche announced on the 11th that it will seek its third consecutive victory in the 85th Le Mans 24:00 Endurance Race on the 17th (local time) with the 919 Hybrid and the new 911 RSR.
The competition will start at 3 p.m. on Thursday (local time in France) and bring together 60 race cars and 180 racers. Porsche will bring together a total of 10 race cars and 14 racers, including two 919 hybrids and the new 911 RSR that will participate in the LMP1 class.
The 919 Hybrid focuses on aerodynamics, power performance and driving performance, improving 60-70 percent of its components. The dynamometer is equipped with a four-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharger engine that exerts up to 500 horsepower and two energy regeneration systems, generating a total of 900 horsepower (662 kW). The first car will be carried by Neil Yanni (Switzerland), Andre Rotterrer (Germany), and Nick Tandy (U.K.), while the second car will be carried by Earl Bamber (New Zealand), Timo Bernhardt (Germany), and Brandon Hartley (New Zealand).
The new 911 RSR debuted at the 24:00 Daytona Classic in January. Porsche Motorsports tuned engines, transmissions, chassis and more based on the 7th generation 911, and delivers up to 510 horsepower. Downforce levels and aerodynamic efficiencies have been improved thanks to the wide rear diffuser coupled with the top-mounted rear wing. Richard Rietz (Austria), Frederick Makowiki (France), and Patrick Pille (France) will be in the 911 RSR No. 1, while Michael Christensen (Denmark), Kevin Ester (France), and Dirk Werner (Germany) will be in the No. 2.
Meanwhile, the 24 hour Le Mans is a race in which the car with the highest number of wheels wins in 24 hours. Three drivers take turns driving one car, and the race car runs about 5,000 km at an average speed of 250 km. Porsche has a record of 18 overall wins and 105 class wins.
The race was dominated by Toyota’s Gaju Racing Team, which lost in a landslide last year. Among the three cars, Cars 7 and 8 that started in pole position maintained the lead. However, the No. 7 gave up the lead due to clutch issues right after the SC situation, and finished the race at 154 laps due to accident following tire punch. The No. 8 car also pitted in more than a motor, but was never able to run again. Toyota’s No. 9 car also closed at 160 laps.
Porsche didn’t have a smooth ride either. The first car, which was competing with Toyota for the lead, stopped four hours before the end, and the second car started the race as a pit-in due to trouble. However, he constantly adjusted to the race and surpassed 38th car of the LMP2 class, which was leading the overall race two hours before the end of the race, to rank No. 1 overall. With the victory, Porsche has won three consecutive Le Mans titles and 19 times.
The LMP2 class was won by Jackie Chan (Car No. 38) who ran 366 laps and ranked second overall. The Aston Martin Racing Team (Car No. 97) won the GTE Pro class with 340 laps, and the JMW Motorsports with 333 laps won the GTE AM class.
Meanwhile, the 24 hour Le Mans is a race in which the car with the highest number of wheels wins in 24 hours. Three drivers take turns driving one car. The race car runs about 5,000 km at an average speed of more than 240 km per hour. The maximum speed of a straight section is more than 340 km per hour