Spectacular support programme: 53 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup start at Le Mans

Porsche’s one-make cups are well represented by a packed grid at Le Mans. As part of the support programme of the legendary 24-hour race, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Carrera Cup France deploy 53 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the racetrack. Hollywood star Michael Fassbender contests the race as a prominent guest driver and gains valuable experience for his personal “Road to Le Mans” project. The German-Irish actor is eager to contest next year’s classic in a Porsche 911 RSR. Porsche AG also fields a second VIP vehicle helmed by Max van Splunteren (Netherlands) – as a reward for the rookie title winner’s strong performance in the 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The unwavering appeal of Porsche’s one-make cups lies in the principle of equal opportunities: Identical vehicles, control tyres and restricted set-up options put the drivers’ performance in the foreground. In the past, many drivers from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) had taken this path on their way to professional motor racing. In 2011, Kévin Estre won the French Carrera Cup before going on to claim the title in the German equivalent two years later. The Frenchman has been a member of Porsche’s factory driver squad since 2016. Estre won the GTE-Pro class at the 2018 Le Mans endurance classic. A year later, the 31-year-old was crowned world champion of the WEC there.

Estre and other top drivers serve as role models for the young pilots contesting the Carrera Cup Le Mans. Using the Sarthe circuit as a stage on which to showcase the 485-hp vehicles is another weekend highlight. However, it will not only be the “young guns”, including Porsche Juniors Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) and Ayhancan Güven (Turkey), who head into the battle for points, prize money and prestige at 9.15 am local time on Saturday. Seasoned Porsche racing drivers are also keen to savour the Le Mans flair and are determined to bring home victory in the Pro-Am or amateur classification. Also joining the international field of competitors from 14 countries are Loek Hartog (Netherlands) from the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and Alessio Picariello (Belgium) representing Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

“With its large international grid line-up, the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans clearly underscores how the Porsche one-make cups serve as a springboard into professional motorsport worldwide. The event held as support to the Le Mans 24 Hours is an absolute highlight for everyone involved. The field promises some gripping race action,” says Oliver Köppen, Manager Sales Europe South at Porsche Motorsport.

The two Dutchmen Larry ten Voorde and Max van Splunteren have a busy schedule this weekend. Both have already underlined their talent in this year’s Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, with van Splunteren securing the rookie title and ten Voorde as the newly crowned champion of the international racing series. At Le Mans, the pair contests not only the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans but also tackles the 24-hour race in the cockpit of a Porsche 911 RSR fielded by Porsche customer teams. Ten Voorde competes for the 2019 GTE-Am class winners, Project 1. Van Splunteren tackles the 24-hour race for Proton Competition.

Whoever wins the 45-minute race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Le Mans receives the trophies on the same podium as the winners of the 24-hour race. The French TV channel Eurosport and the German channel Sport1 broadcast the race. Fans can follow the action live on the YouTube and Facebook accounts of the two Porsche one-make cup series. The event can also be viewed in the Porsche Motorsport Hub.