Capacity grid in the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
Three months before the season kicks off, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has a full house with all 28 permanent grid spots allocated. Drivers from eleven teams are expected to compete at the racing debut of the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup as part of the Monaco Grand Prix programme (20 to 23 May 2021): among them the defending champion Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands and Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven from Turkey. Up to four additional competitors are permitted to contest the remaining seven Cup rounds. The newcomers in the field receive even more support during the 29th season of the international one-make cup series. Competitors in the rookie classification are mentored by the regular coach Marco Seefried as well as other experienced professionals, including outright and class winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2020 champions of the national Porsche racing series – Carrera Cups and various Challenges – again get the chance to receive sponsorship to the value of 50,000 Euros towards their Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign.
“Despite the ongoing difficulties for international motor racing due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve managed to put together an extremely attractive package for the 2021 season,” explains Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. “The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has attracted even more interest from teams. The permanent grid positions that are available are overbooked. I expect up to 32 competitors at all races except Monaco. On top of that, we want to further expand the traditionally strong backing of rookies with our new ‘Meet the Legends’ programme.”
The new entries among the permanently registered teams are Parker Racing from Great Britain and Huber Racing from Germany. Both teams ran the overall winners in their respective national Porsche Carrera Cups last season. Lechner Racing from Austria returns to defend its title in the team classification of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Lechner Racing has also entered a second, officially independent squad. GP Elite from the Netherlands and Alméras from France also compete with two separate teams. The other permanent participants are Fach Auto Tech from Switzerland, CLRT from France and Dinamic Motorsport from Italy. “We have the best teams from their respective countries. The benchmark in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has been raised once again,” states Oliver Schwab.
Newcomers to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the so-called rookies, will again receive special backing from the Supercup Organisation in 2021. Marco Seefried from Germany, himself a successful racing driver, will be available as a coach and analyst during the races. Another new feature: The rookies can also call on other racing professionals for insider tips and advice. As part of the “Meet the Legends” programme, Le Mans winners are on hand to share their experiences in online meetings: These include Porsche brand ambassadors Timo Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister as well as Marc Lieb and Porsche works driver Richard Lietz. “As an incentive, the top rookie at the end of the season also gets intensive driver training on the world’s most demanding racetrack – the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring,” adds Marco Seefried.
As in the past, outright winners of the national Porsche racing series receive financial support towards their Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign. Half of the 50,000 Euro comes from the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup organisation, with the other half contributed by the Porsche importers of the respective markets. “With this funding, we want to assist the best driver from individual countries to take the next step up the career ladder in international racing,” outlines the Supercup’s project manager Oliver Schwab.
According to schedule, the 2021 season of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup gets underway in Monaco. Seven other races in France, Austria, Hungary, the United King-dom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy round off the calendar. The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, based on the 992 model series, will be fielded. Its 375 kW (510 hp) flat-six engine is designed to run on synthetic fuel as well.