Photo : CHRISTOPHE JOUNIAUX / VSA

 

Even the racing numbers of the two models entered this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) said it. With the 20 for Timo Bernhard-Brendon Hartley-Mark Webber and the 14 for Romain Dumas-Marc Lieb-Neel Jani, 2014 will long remain a milestone year for Porsche, as was 1969 with the 917 and 1982 with the 956. The 919 Hybrid's first season in the FIA WEC was a calm, steady, irresistible ascension.

At Silverstone, everything began with a podium finish as of the first race for the No. 20, before the first pole position clinched by the No. 14 three weeks later. The 24 Hours of Le Mans was certainly a key race: on Sunday late morning, Bernhard-Hartley-Webber's 919 Hybrid was in the lead. Thereafter it served as a third wheel to the Audi-Toyota duel up until Dumas-Lieb-Jani's victory in Sao Paulo, a finale climax of relentless momentum, punctuated with three poles and four podiums over the last five races of the World Championship.

So Porsche is poised to reclaim its throne in La Sarthe in 2015, with as its goal a 17th victory at the 24 Hours. It is worth mentioning that with 13 wins since 2000, Audi is dangerously close to catching up…Like Audi, the German manufacturer has already announced its intention to enter a third car, with in mind a titanesque confrontation with the two winningest marques of the 24 Hours. We shall see what happens June 13-14, 2015!

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, WEDNESDAY JUNE 11 2014, FREE PRACTICE & QUALIFYING. The rendez-vous is set for the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Porsche 919 Hybrid will indeed be a candidate for victory!