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Porsche’s Strategy for World Endurance Championship Finale in Bahrain
Porsche has reaffirmed its commitment to an aggressive racing posture as it heads into the final round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain, aiming to clinch both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships.
Despite the fact that the trio of Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, and Andre Lotterer in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) entry only needs to finish ninth to capture the drivers’ title, managing director Jonathan Diuguid emphasized that the team will adopt a proactive strategy. “Our goal is to maximize our finishing position,” he stated as the Bahrain 8 Hours approaches.
Diuguid expressed confidence in sticking to the team’s established competitive approach, saying, “We haven’t gone into points racing at any point this year, and we don’t plan to start now.” He further emphasized that the focus remains on performance over point optimization: “Let’s go out there and try to beat the opposition.”
Porsche’s head of the LMDh program, Urs Kuratle, echoed this sentiment, stating that the overall strategy will remain consistent with their normal racing practices. However, he indicated that the team would remain adaptable throughout the race: “We need to be flexible and respond to the events that unfold during the eight hours.”
Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport’s boss, cautioned against over-analyzing race strategies. “Trying to predict every possible scenario would complicate the situation,” he noted, suggesting that a more adaptable, situational approach would be beneficial. “If you find yourself leading and your closest rival is out of contention, it would make sense to avoid unnecessary risks.”
Yet, he highlighted that tactics might differ based on competitor dynamics. “If you’re racing against a direct championship rival, both teams will likely strategize to avoid accidents that could jeopardize their standings,” Laudenbach explained.
Championship Landscape
Porsche faces a challenging scenario in the manufacturers’ standings, leading Toyota by a mere 10 points. In stark contrast, Vanthoor, Estre, and Lotterer carry a substantial 35-point advantage in the drivers’ championship, leaving only 38 points available for grabs in the finale.
A win for Toyota, currently in second place, would secure them the manufacturers’ title, even if Porsche claims a second-place finish. Toyota’s Brendon Hartley earned the pole position, but this does not guarantee the championship should they win the race. However, if Toyota secures a second-place finish while Porsche’s best entry finishes fourth, both manufacturers would end up tied at 179 points, giving the title to Toyota due to a countback from previous placement standings.
As they prepare for the Bahrain 8 Hours, the drivers of the #6 Porsche, with 150 points, are well positioned compared to Ferrari’s crew with 115 points. Meanwhile, Toyota’s Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries remain in mathematical contention with 113 points.
The battle for the manufacturers’ championship tightens further, with Porsche starting the race at 161 points, ahead of Toyota’s 151 and Ferrari’s 134 points, which keeps them nominally in contention for the title.
The Bahrain 8 Hours race is scheduled to commence at 2 PM local time, or 11 AM GMT, promising an exciting climax to the WEC season.
Source
www.motorsport.com