The Porsche works team has set itself high goals for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the two Porsche 911 RSR, the foundation for winning the title again is to be laid in France. In the current season of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), she has already scored two class wins in three races. The fourth round of the season will take place on 21/22 August at the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures. Porsche is once again relying on the services of three drivers per vehicle at the Sarthe. A total of twelve 911 RSR will compete in the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes at the 89th edition of the world's most famous endurance race. The event starts next Sunday (15 August) with the so-called pre-test on the 13.626-kilometre-long combination of circuit and public roads. With 19 overall triumphs and 108 class victories, Porsche is by far the most successful manufacturer at the 24-hour classic in France.

"Last year we were at Le Mans for the first time with the Porsche 911 RSR-19. At that time, we struggled in the tough competition of the GTE Pro class," says Pascal Zurlinden, Overall Project Manager Factory Motorsport. "I am sure that we will be much more competitive this year. We have collected a lot of data and a lot of experience with our factory team and also with the customer teams, who will be allowed to use the current version of the nine-eleven in the WEC from this year. These findings help us to optimize the setup. In addition, we were very strong on the high-speed track of Monza. The success there has given us an additional boost for Le Mans."

The event on the 13.626-kilometre Circuit des 24 Heures at Le Mans, which is extremely popular with motorsport fans, is the annual highlight of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The traditional course in the south of the city of 150,000 inhabitants consists mainly of public roads. In normal operation, hundreds of trucks and cars drive over the legendary Hunaudières straight every day on their way from Le Mans to Tours. Treacherous ruts create special challenges, especially in the rain. Contrary to the original plan, which provided for the classic race date in mid-June, the 89th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will not take place until August this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. In contrast to the previous year, up to 50,000 fans will once again be allowed to attend the track on 21/22 August. The current generation of the approximately 515 hp Porsche 911 RSR is in action for the second time at the world's largest endurance race. In September 2020, the factory team finished fifth and sixth in the GTE Pro class.

"I am quite sure that we will be considerably more competitive this year," says Alexander Stehlig, Head of Operations FIA WEC. We now have a lot more experience with the car, and the successes at Spa and Monza give us enormous drive. There can't be a better motivation than a victory on the high-speed circuit in Italy for us. The important thing is that we stay in the leading group at all times in the 24-hour race in order to definitely be able to fight for victory in the end. This means that we will attack from the beginning. I think this recipe is promising."

At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, twice as many points are awarded due to the length of the race as in a normal WEC race over six hours. The race therefore often has a pre-decisive character with regard to the manufacturers' and drivers' standings in the World Endurance Championship. In addition, there is a special qualifying mode for the highlight of the year: Only the six fastest cars in the one-hour qualification on Wednesday (18 August) per class are allowed to compete in the so-called hyperpole the following day. In it, the best starting positions for the race are awarded.

The Drivers of the Porsche GT Team

At the wheel of car number 91, WEC regular drivers Gianmaria Bruni from Italy and Richard Lietz from Austria will take turns with works driver Frédéric Makowiecki. The Frenchman, who was already in action at the 8-hour race in Portugal, has a lot of experience. Makowiecki has already competed ten times at Le Mans – in the past four years alongside Bruni and Lietz in a nine-eleven of the factory team. In the sister car with the number 92, Kévin Estre from France and Neel Jani from Switzerland act together with the Dane Michael Christensen. The trio was able to adapt optimally to each other at the WEC race in Portimão in June. Estre and Jani are currently leading the drivers' championship after two class wins from three races of the season. In the brands' standings, Porsche is in second place, just seven points behind.

The Customer Teams

At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021, two customer teams will compete with the Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE Pro class, in which usually only works teams compete.

WeatherTech Racing relies on the services of Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium as well as Earl Bamber from New Zealand and the American amateur driver Cooper MacNeil. At the wheel of the identical vehicle from HubAuto Racing from Taiwan, the Belgian Maxime Martin alternates with the Portuguese Alvaro Parente and Dries Vanthoor. The Belgian is the younger brother of Porsche works driver Laurens Vanthoor.

In the GTE-Am category, in which amateur drivers with THE FIA status "Bronze" or "Silver" are allowed to share a car with professionals, a total of eight Porsche 911 RSR of the current generation will be racing.

The Dempsey-Proton Racing team uses two of the approximately 515 hp eleven from Weissach. In addition, the German customer team is bringing another vehicle with the name of Proton Competition. Project 1 has also named two nine-elevens. The customer teams Absolute Racing, Herberth Motorsport and GR Racing each drive one car at Le Mans.

Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 RSR #91): "The fact that we were so competitive at Monza surprised us positively. The track there demands a similar amount of top speed as the one at Le Mans. So this is a good omen. However, we still know very well from last year how difficult the competition in the 24-hour race is. I expect an extremely tough battle in the GTE-Pro class. Of course, Le Mans is a big highlight for every driver. We will give it our all. I'm really looking forward to the test and the race week in France."

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 911 RSR #91): "Le Mans is unpredictable every year. At this event, teams and drivers must always be prepared for everything. This makes a sporting prognosis almost impossible. In the past three years, I have put our Porsche on pole position twice. I would like to expand on this balance sheet. I hope that we will have a clean race and reap the deserved fruits in the end. Our starting number 91 was now three times in a row at the finish in second place in class. Now we should finally be able to make the leap to the top of the winner's podium."

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #91): "The big highlight of the year is finally just around the corner. I always look forward to this race. This season, the anticipation is even greater, because finally there will be spectators at the track again – just great! Last year, no one was there. The whole event felt like a test, not the biggest endurance race in the world. The passionate fans make up much of the special charm at Le Mans. We start with our Porsche 911 RSR in a class with eight cars, all of which are on the same level. It will be an exciting and beautiful competition in which we expect ourselves to have a good chance of success."

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92): "For me as a Frenchman, Le Mans is of course the big highlight of the year. After our class victory in Monza, we arrive as the frontrunner in the drivers' standings – more motivation is not possible! Last year we struggled at Le Mans. In the meantime, we know our car much better and are certainly well positioned. Added to this is the fact that a total of four Porsche 911 RSR are competing in the GTE Pro class. If we bring together the findings of all crews from the training sessions, we will have a perfect basis for developing an optimal setup for the race."

Neel Jani (Porsche 911 RSR #92): "After our victory at Monza recently, we have a great deal of self-confidence and are heading to Le Mans in good spirits. However, everyone is also aware of the fact that anything can happen at any time in the big 24-hour race. I have already experienced this first-hand in both a positive and a negative sense. I've competed at Le Mans every year since 2009 – the only exception was last season. Now I'm all the more looking forward to my return to the very special track. We are well prepared and can hardly wait for the start of the event with the pre-test a week before the race."

Michael Christensen (Porsche 911 RSR #92): "I'm really looking forward to finally being able to drive at Le Mans again. I am even more pleased with the fact that fans are finally allowed to come to the track again. There won't be a full house, but the atmosphere at Le Mans simply thrives on the passion of the spectators. I hope that we will be competitive. I would love to be at the top of the podium again – like in 2018, when we won with our 911 RSR in the 'Pink Pig' design."