The Porsche GT Team celebrates the third pole position of the year in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. In qualifying for the 6-hour race in Fuji, the Dane Michael Christensen secured first place in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR. Italian Gianmaria Bruni finished third in the #91 sister car.

The fastest qualifying lap by Michael Christensen (Denmark) brought the Porsche GT Team pole position in Fuji, Japan. This is another important point for him and Kévin Estre (France) in the fight for the title in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) was third. At the penultimate race of the season, it was already the third success in the time hunts this season for the works team from Weissach. The 911 RSR had previously won qualifying in the GTE Pro category after strong performances at Sebring (USA) and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).

“That was a first class lap from Michael. Positions one and three are a good starting position for tomorrow's race,” summarizes Thomas Laudenbach. The head of Porsche Motorsport adds: “We want to get the absolute maximum out of it and always have the championship in mind. An individual win in Japan is less important than winning the World Cup – but of course we wouldn't mind a win here in Fuji at all.”

“Because of the good starting position and also because of the extra point in the championship standings, it was important that we were at the top in qualifying,” explains Alexander Stehlig, Head of Factory Motorsport FIA WEC. “It is likely to be very warm on the day of the race – a bit different than in the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. So we all face a new challenge. The goal is clear: optimum points.”

With air temperatures around 27 degrees and sunny conditions, Christensen set the fastest time of 1:36.371 minutes early in the ten-minute session. His brand colleague Bruni then drove at the same level in the first sector of the 4.563-kilometre circuit, but was repeatedly held up in heavy traffic as his laps progressed. The Porsche with starting number 91, which it shares with the Austrian Richard Lietz, was therefore denied a place on the front row of the grid in the GTE-Pro class.

In the GTE-Am category, the two 911 RSRs of the Project 1 customer team achieved grid positions five and seven. The number 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing car lined up directly behind them. The second, around 378 kW (515 hp) vehicle of the experienced German team started the race from ninth place. The nine-eleven from the British team GR Racing qualified tenth.

The 6 Hours of Fuji starts on Sunday, September 11 at 11:00 a.m. local time (4:00 a.m. CEST).

Driver quotes on qualifying
Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92):“Personally, I'm of course very happy that I managed such a good lap. In terms of the championship, the point for pole position can be very important, maybe even decisive. In the race, we'd like to control the field from the front - and that's best if you start from the front. We did our job perfectly today, the next task is on the day of the race. I'm in good spirits.”

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): “It was okay, but I was a bit unlucky in the first three laps – another car kept getting in my way. More would definitely have been possible if I had had free travel. Now we have to live with grid position three. But in the long race over six hours, anything is still possible.”

Nicolas Leutwiler (Porsche 911 RSR #46): “Best Porsche in our class! That was what I was aiming for in qualifying. I'm really satisfied. I concentrated like a devil on the racing line. I only made one small mistake on my fastest lap. Fifth place is fine, everything is possible from this grid position. If we come through clean, we'll be on the music.”

Results qualifying
GTE-Pro class:
1. Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR #92, 1:36.371 minutes
2. Pier Guidi/Calado (I /UK), Ferrari 488 GTE #51, 1:36.566 minutes
3 Bruni/Lietz (I/A), Porsche 911 RSR #91, 1:36.800 minutes
4 Molina/Fuoco (E/I), Ferrari 488 GTE # 52, 1:36.851 minutes
5. Milner/Tandy (USA/UK), Corvette C8.R #64, 1:37.127 minutes

GTE-Am class:
1. Keating/Chaves/Sörensen (USA/P/DK), Aston Martin #33, 1: 39.309 minutes
2nd Bovy/Frey/Gatting (B/CH/DK), Ferrari 488 GTE #85, 1:39.371 minutes
3rd Dezoteux/Ragues/Aubry (F/F/F), Ferrari 488 GTE #71, 1: 39.461 minutes
5 Cairoli/Pedersen/Leutwiler (I/DK/CH), Porsche 911 RSR #46, 1:39.796 minutes
7 Kimura/Millroy/Barnicoat (J/UK/UK), Porsche 911 RSR #56, 1: 39.853 minutes
8 Ried/Priaulx/Tincknell (D/UK/UK), Porsche 911 RSR #77, 1:39.874 minutes
9 Poordad/Lindsey/Heylen (USA/USA/B), Porsche 911 RSR #88, 1: 40.052 minutes
10 Wainwright/Barker/Pera (UK/UK/I), Porsche 911 RSR #86, 1:40.271 minutes