Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC, round 4, Nürburgring/Germany

Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC, round 4, Nürburgring/Germany 
Porsche Manthey squad aims to use home advantage at WEC debut in the Eifel
Stuttgart. The very first six-hour race of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Nürburgring on August 30th also marks the cameo appearance of the Porsche 911 RSR here. The 470 hp winning racer from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, tackles the demanding circuit in Germany’s hilly Eifel region for the first time. With the Porsche Manthey team’s headquarters just a stone’s throw from the Nürburgring in the village of Meuspath, this race is truly a home event for the squad under team boss Olaf Manthey. The outfit campaigns a pair of 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class at round four of the WEC season – the last stop on European soil before the series heads overseas to contest the next four races in Austin/USA, Fuji/Japan, Shanghai/China and Sakhir/Bahrain. 

The Porsche drivers
Four works drivers compete for the Porsche Manthey team in the Porsche 911 RSR on the 5.148-kilometre Nürburgring circuit: Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Richard Lietz (Austria) contest the GTE-Pro class at the wheel of the number 91 Porsche 911 RSR. The two French pilots Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet share driving duties in the number 92 nine-eleven. Two customer teams take on the GTE-Am class with the 911 RSR: Competing for Dempsey Proton Racing is the American actor and race driver Patrick Dempsey as well as Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) and Marco Seefried (Austria). Abu Dhabi Proton Racing enjoys prominent support at the Nürburgring with Earl Bamber (New Zealand) joining Christian Ried (Germany) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) in the cockpit. For this race, the Porsche works driver and 2015 overall winner at Le Mans steps in for the former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler (Austria).

The Porsche 911 RSR
The Porsche 911 RSR is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and crowned its maiden 2013 season with a double GTE-Pro class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The winning racer from Weissach, mounted with a 3,996 cc flat-six engine in the rear developing 345 kW (470 hp), is characterised by a consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics. The insights gained during the vehicle’s development and at race outings are directly incorporated into the design of future 911 generations. Last year the 911 RSR won three of America’s most prestigious long distance classics, the Daytona 24 Hours, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. 

The schedule
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring takes off on Sunday, August 30, at 13.00 hrs CEST. TV station Eurosport broadcasts the last hour of racing as well as the award ceremony live from 18.00 to 19.15 hrs.  

Quotes before the race
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “We’re all very much looking forward to the Nürburgring premiere. As a German manufacturer, of course, we welcome the fact that a WEC round is contested in Germany for the first time. With its great long distance tradition, we feel that the Nürburgring is ideal. Motorsport fans from all over the world connect the Eifel circuit with the legendary 1,000 kilometre races, and it is also the home track of the Porsche Manthey team, which will certainly not be a disadvantage. The tests we conducted here in recent weeks were definitely promising. The main thing for us is that, with a strong performance, we should achieve the best possible foundation for the second half of the season.” 
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “We face two major challenges at the Nürburgring race. With the long break after Le Mans, the team has to adapt to the new tasks and optimise all processes. The second challenge is to be prepared for everything – that is, to have the right tyres available for all eventualities. We will be focussing on this with our partner Michelin, and then in the race we’ll try and get the best out of the entire package.”
Michael Christensen (911 RSR #91): “I won my first Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race at the Nürburgring in 2013 as a Porsche junior. Now I’m looking forward to returning to the demanding circuit with the 911 RSR as a works driver. As far as the Eifel weather is concerned, even in August you have to be ready for anything. But we’re well prepared and we don’t expect any surprises in this regard. The Nürburgring is the home track for the Porsche Manthey squad. The boys deserve a home win.” 
Richard Lietz (911 RSR #91): “The break after the 24 Hours of Le Mans was really long. Now it’s high time that the season gets going again. We can hardly wait for our home race. The fact that the 911 RSR will race for the first time at the Nürburgring is a special motivation for us all. We’ve worked very hard since Le Mans to guarantee the sports car fans a great show at this legendary race track. I’m very confident that we will succeed in doing this.”
Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “Le Mans didn’t really work out as we’d hoped for, and that makes it all the more important to achieve a good result at the Nürburgring and fight in the championship to make up lost ground. The tests make us feel confident. I can well imagine that many Porsche employees will come to the Nürburgring to witness us live in action. We’ll do everything in our power not to disappointment them on this demanding circuit.”  
Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “I’m very pleased that we’re back racing after the long break. We’ve done some testing at the Nürburgring and we’re well prepared. Although you can’t compare tests with races, I’m sure our engineers will manage to implement the experiences gained and further improve the performance of our 911 RSR. I like the Nürburgring. We’ve always done well in the GT Open with Porsche there.” 

The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest the WEC (World Endurance Championship) in four classes: LMP1 (eg. Porsche 919 Hybrid), LMP2, LMGTE-Pro (eg. 911 RSR) and LMGTE-Am (eg. 911 RSR, 2014 homologation). They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.