The Long Game
The Porsche 963s were plenty fast in 2023, but winning IMSA's GTP hybrid prototype title will require more consistency in the most demanding events.
Welcome, new subscribers and thanks to all of you who have hung on since Petit Le Mans! My off-season break was longer than planned, but I’m back and writing (and roaming around Daytona International Speedway this week). Thanks to all for reading and sharing! —Sean
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Porsche's return to IMSA's top class produced plenty of highlights.
The two Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963s that ran the full 2023 IMSA Hybrid GTP schedule were competitive from the season's opening laps at Daytona. The teams combined for three wins. The No. 6 team, with Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy sharing full-season driving duties, was in the title fight when it got swept up in a multi-car crash early in the Petit Le Mans season finale.
But one glaring weakness kept the new car's debut campaign from being even more successful.
“The endurance races were our Achilles' heel last year,” says Urs Kuratle, Porsche's director of factory motorsport for prototypes. “We took a very close look at the issue of reliability and implemented appropriate measures. I’m confident that we have everything ironed out for the upcoming season."
IMSA's 2023 GTP class title fight spanned nine races. Four of them--each at least 6 hours long--made up the Michelin Endurance Cup, a competition within the full-season battle.
A brief glance at the endurance race results reveals where Porsche fell short. Porsche didn't win a single one, though a first-place finish at Watkins Glen by the No. 6 was nullified by a post-race penalty.
Porsche ended up third out of four in the Endurance Cup manufacturers' standings, behind Cadillac and Acura and ahead of BMW.
The 963s didn't lack pace. Both the No. 6 and No. 7 led laps in three of the four Endurance Cup races, starting with the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. But technical gremlins or unfortunate on-track developments meant reliability and consistency suffered.
Both Penske 963s had technical problems at Daytona, and both crashed out at the 12 Hours of Sebring during a three-car battle for the lead with just 20 min. to go.
At Watkins Glen, the No. 6 team's win was taken away when the car failed post-race inspection, giving the new BMW prototype its first win. The No. 7 spent two of the event's six hours fixing malfunctioning hybrid components.
Bad luck took the No. 6 out at Petit Le Mans before it could lead a lap. The No. 7 ran up front for a stretch, but ultimately finished fourth in the 10-hour event.
The Porsche 963's technical gremlins weren't confined to North American races. Four 963s--three of them Penske efforts--made their 24 Hours of Le Mans debuts as part of the 16-car LMDh prototype class at the iconic event. One of the Penskes led early before a fuel pressure problem knocked it out. While long-time rival Ferrari watched its newest car secure a memorable victory, Porsche's top finisher was a disappointing ninth.
The pattern was clear. The 963 had plenty of pace, but the teams lacked consistency.
No surprise, then, that off-season testing featured an endurance theme.
"Our most recent test drives were almost entirely focused on endurance runs," Kuratle says.
"With a year’s experience, I think we’re in a much better position, especially in terms of reliability," adds Felipe Nasr, who returns as a full-season driver in Penske Porsche No. 6.
Heading into the Rolex 24 Jan. 28-29, the 963s are the only GTP models to incorporate performance improvements since the 2023 season finale, SportsCar365 reports.
The distinction is important.
Under IMSA (and WEC) rules, car designs are homologated for a set time period. For the new prototypes, including the Porsche 963s, the window closes in 2027.
During the homologation period, only a certain number of performance improvements--or "evo jokers" (as in evolutionary wild cards)--are permitted. For the IMSA GTP and sister WEC LMHh classes that debuted in 2023, the evo joker limit is five.
Neither Porsche nor Penske have detailed the 963 improvements nor their ramifications on the 963's evo joker allotment. What is clear: Despite a solid overall GTP debut, Porsche expects more in 2024.
The German carmaker has four teams running 963s in IMSA's GTP class this season.
Penske's two-team effort returns along with full Porsche factory support.
Porsche is the only GTP manufacturer that has made cars available to customer teams. That means the Penske entries will have semi-friendly company on the grid. JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition got their 963s during the 2023 season and plan to run every IMSA event this year.
Bolstered by a year of experience and the offseason improvements, the Porsche teams rolled into Daytona with confidence. But given how close the 2023 title fight was, they know nothing will come easy, even for the make with a record 18 overall Daytona wins.
"We have to do everything perfectly," says Jaminet, who is back in the Penske No. 6. "If we can do that, we have a chance of winning.”
Photos: S. Broderick
References
Achilles' heel—https://newsroom.porsche.com/en_US/2024/motorsport/nine_porsche_racing_cars_tackle_the_24_hours_of_daytona-.html
Le Mans 2023:—https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/2023/motorsports/porsche-24-hour-race-le-mans-2023-review-32737.html333
Porsche performance improvements—https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/penske-running-fully-updated-porsche-963s-at-daytona-test
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