While the FIA WEC “The Prologue” pre-season test does not get underway until Friday, Porsche arrived at Paul Ricard earlier this week for a three-day private test with its new LMP1 contenders.
All six of the German manufacturer’s drivers: Romain Dumas, Neel Jani, Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber were on hand for the endurance test, the first time both of its Porsche 919 Hybrids ran simultaneously.
Nearly 3,000 miles were logged between the two LMP1-H cars, which was interrupted several times due to mechanical issues.
”This test was a very challenging one for the entire crew,” said team principal Andrea Seidl. “For the first time we were running two cars at the same time, which was demanding in terms of logistics and team coordination.
“The other target was to simulate a race weekend in order to prepare for the two six-hours races that are coming up. This was a very important experience for us.”
The factory squad will remain at the French circuit for the mandatory two-day FIA WEC test, where Porsche will be joined by LMP1 rivals Audi, Toyota.
“The test taught us that we have to improve in terms of reliability,” Seidl added. “With regards to the way the crew and drivers worked together as a team, we are going in the right direction.
“The next two days of testing here in Paul Ricard, during the Prologue, will be used to fine tune both the car’s set up, as well as the race specific processes.“
