Larry ten Voorde takes up round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monte Carlo from the first grid spot. Driving for the GP Elite squad, the Dutchman turned the fastest qualifying lap on the legendary street circuit. In 2021, the reigning Supercup champion also set the best qualifying time in the Principality and went on to win the race. The British BWT Lechner Racing driver Harry King lapped the 3.337-kilometre circuit just 57-thousandths of a second slower than Ten Voorde.

The second grid row is occupied by Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (Martinet by Alméras) and the German Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (SSR Huber Racing). Championship leader Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing) from Luxembourg and the three-time Supercup champion Michael Ammermüller (SSR Huber Racing) from Germany tackle the race from the third grid row. On Sunday at 12.05 pm CEST, the 17-lap race gets underway for the ca. 375 kW (510 PS) Cup 911 racers.

In high summer temperatures, Harry King was the first driver to top the timesheets. Larry ten Voorde only secured pole position when he switched to a fresh set of tyres. “I took a lot of risks on my flying lap. Once I even scrapped against the barriers slightly – luckily I only got a few scratches on the paintwork,” reported the Dutchman.

Harry King and Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich had less luck with the metal barriers that line almost all of the Monte Carlo circuit: Both had to abandon their final attempt at clocking a top time after accidents. “When I landed after attacking a kerb, one of my tyres pulled off the rim – that sent the rear of my car into a skid but luckily it was in a fairly slow corner. My car only sustained minor damages,” explained Heinrich. Harry King’s race is also not in jeopardy: “Sure, starting from the first grid row in Monte Carlo feels great, but I think I only have a chance to win if I can beat Larry ten Voorde in the sprint to the first corner,” predicts the Englishman.

Le Mans winner Marc Lieb supports the stewards as a driver adviser
Like in football, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has its referees. Three stewards assess contentious situations on the racetrack and impose penalties if necessary. In Porsche’s international one-make cup, the stewards are assisted by a racing driver, a so-called “driver adviser”. This person has the task of representing the driver’s point of view in any discussions with the stewards.

For the Supercup race in Monaco, Marc Lieb has taken on the driver adviser role. In 2016, the 41-year-old German won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Porsche 919 Hybrid; in 2004 he claimed the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title and has also achieved four victories at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. Lieb, who now works as Sports Communications Manager at Porsche, acts as a driver advisor for the first time.

“As a driver, it was always my goal never to be summoned to the stewards’ office. Now that’s where I work, which is an adjustment of course. In any case, after the free practice and qualifying here in Monaco, my appreciation for the work the stewards do has grown considerably,” states Lieb. “These decisions are very complex because the stewards use many cameras along the track and in the Supercup cars to give them objective assistance. My job is to explain any given situation from the subjective point of view of the driver. This is a very good process to make even fairer decisions.”

TV and internet coverage of the Supercup race in Monaco
Round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup takes off on Sunday (29 May 2021) at 12:05 pm CEST and runs over 17 laps. The streaming service f1tv.formula1.com broadcasts the race live.

Qualifying result, round 2 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monte Carlo (MC)
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 1.34.500 minutes
2. Harry King (Great Britain/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.057 seconds
3. Dorian Boccolacci (France/Martinet by Alméras), + 0.103 seconds
4. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/SSR Huber Racing), + 0.192 seconds
5. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.227 seconds
6. Michael Ammermüller (Germany/SSR Huber Racing), + 0.570 seconds