Change At The Top?
As the World Endurance Championship gears up for Round 6 in Austin, Porsche looks to move one step closer to replacing Toyota atop the top class.
Heading into last September's FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Round 6 in Fuji, Porsche's two Hypercar entries had just one podium--the No. 6. Porsche Penske's third place at Portimao--between them.
Porsche would get its second and last podium of the year at Fuji--another third-place result--and end up third in the Hypercar manufacturers’ title race.
Toyota, meanwhile, was rolling through another dominant season. The two Toyota Gazoo entries ended the year with a combined six wins, four 1-2 finishes and 11 podiums in seven races. It was more than enough to clinch a fifth straight manufacturers' championship and a Hypercar drivers' title for the No. 8 team.
What a difference a year can make.
As the WEC gears up for 2024's Round 6 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas on Sept. 1, Porsche is both atop the standings and top of mind among a competitive, 18-car Hypercar class. Penske Porsche 963s have finished on the podium in four of the first five races, including a win at the season-opener in Qatar. (Another Porsche 963, the No. 12 Hertz Team Jota customer entry, won at Spa.)
The success places Porsche four points ahead of Toyota in the manufacturers' title hunt, handed out based on the highest factory-backed finisher in each round.
In the drivers' title battle, the Porsche Penske No. 6 driven by Kévin Estre, André Lotterer, and Laurens Vanthoor has dominated, winning in Qatar, finishing second three times, and fourth once, at Le Mans. The Ferrari 499P No. 50 sits second, 19 points back, on the strength of its Le Mans win and bountiful points haul handed out for the 24-hour race compared to the rest of the schedule's shorter competitions.
Ferrari can't be counted out of the manufacturer battle; the Italian legends are third, 19 points behind Porsche. But the last three races are setting up to be a showdown between the two most recent WEC manufacturer dynasties.
While the points systems have changed some, Toyota and Porsche have combined to take home the last nine top-class manufacturer titles. Porsche's run saw three straight titles in 2015-2017.
During that stretch, the Stuttgart-based juggernaut also managed to pull off something Toyota has yet to do: win at COTA. In fact, the same Porsche team won three in a row in Austin.
Two drivers participated in all three Porsche wins. One is current Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard.
The other? Brendon Hartley, who returns to Austin as a co-driver of the Toyota Gazoo GR010 No. 8 Hypercar.
“I love racing in Austin. It’s a cool city and a great track; very challenging with a nice mix of fast flowing corners and tighter technical sections,” Hartley said. “I won the Lone Star Le Mans three times before so I’m obviously hoping to make it number four.”
Austin's return to the WEC calendar comes following a three-season hiatus. Porsche is the only Hypercar manufacturer running 2024 that has won at the 3.4-mile (5.5 km), 20-turn circuit. Toyota's best finish is second, in 2013 and 2020.
With a title within reach, Porsche doesn’t necessarily need wins. It simply needs to stay ahead of its closest competitors.
“From now on, we’ll be more strategic, focusing on consistent points finishes,” Vanthoor said. “Of course, we want to win every race if we get the chance.”
Porsche's performance has its Hypercars well-positioned to capture both the manufacturers' and drivers' crowns. But the Toyota No. 8's win last time out, in São Paulo, gives the defending champions a jolt of confidence heading to Texas.
“Our car No. 8 has been more competitive than the results suggested so I feel like we deserved that,” No. 8 co-driver Sébastien Buemi said about the win in Brazil. “It gives us confidence going into the last three races of the season.
“Austin will be hot again, as it was for our test last month, and this will be challenging in terms of tyre management,” he added. “But we showed in São Paulo that this is one of our team’s strong points, so I am hopeful again for this race.”
References
WEC points system: https://www.fiawec.com/en/points/70
Hartley, Buemi quotes--https://toyotagazooracing.com/wec/release/2024/rd06-preview/
Vanthoor quote—https://press.porsche.com/prod/presse_pag/PressResources.nsf/Content?ReadForm&languageversionid=1610735&hl=pcna-images-motorsport&Level1ID=4
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