Stuttgart. Porsche Team Manthey has reorganized the training of factory riders in the two inscriptions Porsche 911 RSR in the World Endurance Championship WEC for sports cars and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From the opening round of the season at Silverstone on April 12, Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Richard Lietz (Austria) joined forces in the 911 RSR with starting number 91. Driving the 911 RSR # 92 are the French Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet, who already participated together last year and competed in the second half of the season. Wolf Henzler (# 92) of Germany and Jörg Bergmeister (# 91) support duos as the third driver to compete in classic Le Mans 24 Hour.
Thanks to the admirable performance in the campaign works drivers GT and during testing Porsche 919 Hybrid, both drivers have earned a place in the formation of LMP1. This season, Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Earl Bamber (New Zealand) will face Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of innovative sports prototype. With the participation of Formula 1 driver Nico Hülkenberg (Germany), the couple will face both races in a third 919 Hybrid.
Earl Bamber, who received support as part of the youth development program of Porsche managed to advance your career, reaching the top tier of distance running in record time. After winning the competition Motorsport Porsche Cup International Scholarship, in 2014 he went on to raze the title in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia for the second time since 2013. In addition, the New Zealand won a round of the Race Deutschland Cup and second place in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, one of the classic long distance in the US is assured. UU. Thanks to the success achieved was awarded a contract as works driver just before the 2015 season and quickly rose to the second rung of the ladder of LMP1 program.
In addition to his commitments at the wheel of the 919 Hybrid at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans, Bamber face the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in the USA. UU. and Canada with 911 RSR.
«Support from Porsche was the chance of life as a racing driver,» he said. «I have reached new levels in every aspect and will do everything in my power to justify this confidence again this season.»
Nick Tandy also celebrated his first success in motorsport trophy of the Porsche brand. In 2010, he competed in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and Carrera Cup Deutschland where he quickly snatched vicechampionship honors in both series. In 2011, he secured the overall victory in the Carrera Cup Deutschland and the following year picked Porsche Cup as the world’s most successful private Porsche driver. In 2013 he was promoted to the new factory pilot training and went on to win at Petit Le Mans, also opened the 2014 season in the 24 Hours of Daytona and WEC race at Silverstone. It will continue to compete in GT racing with the 911 RSR parallel with its commitment to the LMP1.
«I am excited about Earl and Nick. This opportunity was won thanks to its admirable performance, «says Porsche Motorsport Director Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser. «His rise to the first class of distance running not only confirms the effectiveness of the concept of youth development of Porsche. It also highlights the importance of the number of trophies of the Porsche brand as a stepping stone career for young racers who have the necessary talent, a willingness to learn and criticism will to succeed . Porsche opens its doors to those who are really fast. »
Four drivers competing in the WEC season this year as part of the pilot training LMP1 began their careers in the series of one-make racing Porsche. Besides Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy, Timo Bernhard and Marc Lieb rose in the rankings through the development program for youth Porsche to enter the circle of the best drivers of sports cars in the world. All four have one thing in common: during the course of their careers, have all won the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup Deutschland: Timo Bernhard swept under the title of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2001 as a junior pilot Porsche, Marc Lieb got what next year also as Porsche junior driver. Nick Tandy achieved this feat in 2011 and along with Earl Bamber won the trophy Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2014.
