24h Le Mans
Porsche Penske Motorsport is going above and beyond in its preparations for the 92nd 24 Hours of Le Mans (12-16 June) by recreating an authentic pit in its workshops.
Porsche Penske Motorsport knows very well the 24 Hours of Le Mans can be won or lost in pit lane. With that in mind, the German carmaker has opted to construct a true pit replica in its Mannheim workshops. The goal is to give the team a competitive edge over Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot, Cadillac, Alpine, Lamborghini, BMW and Isotta Fraschini in the Hypercar category.
The team's mechanics take part every day in training sessions with a test car, diligently reproducing actual race conditions. Jan Lange, new Porsche Penske Motorsport General Manager: Having the permanent indoor pit stop rig and car is invaluable for keeping us sharp over the year.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans requires meticulous preparation and the perfect execution of pit stops. While the drivers work tirelessly to gain precious seconds on the track, the mechanics must not give that time up during refuellings. Now, technical staff can train in a targeted way within the replica, creating automatic maneuvers and refining their skills so the procedure becomes instinctive.
This project shows just how dedicated Porsche is to secure a 20th victory at Le Mans in June as it currently holds the win record of 19.
Porsche and Team Penske have also gone to great lengths to transform a former Porsche Center into a state-of-the-art, high-tech facility. The team has access to 4,500 square meters of usable space with four work zones for construction, maintenance and adjusting the suspension and weight of the Porsche 963s. Areas for pre-assembly, racing equipment, carbon composite processing, high voltage systems, spare parts, and warehousing and logistics have also been established. Lange: The facilities give us all the technical equipment we need to successfully work on race and test cars. The assemblies and spares are prepared in specifically-designed areas which are close to our engineers and technicians.
Currently nearly completion is the construction of a "battle room" from which engineers will provide strategic and operational support to the team on the track during a race or testing session.
Check out Porsche Penske Motorsport's homebase in the gallery below.
