The Porsche 963 was not convincing in its debut season: The team did not achieve a victory in the WEC – Did Porsche simply have too many construction sites in its first year?
The Porsche 963 failed to impress in its debut season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Although Penske finished on the podium in Portimao and Fuji, the first WEC victory is still a long way off: “As far as the negatives are concerned, I would like to say quite clearly: we cannot be satisfied with our modest year,” says Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach honestly.
Porsche had a tight program for the first year with the 963: The collaboration with Penske, which had already worked successfully from 2005 to 2008 with the Porsche RS Spyder, was reactivated. The team set up a second site in Germany and competed not only in the WEC but also in the IMSA. Added to this were the customer cars for Jota, Proton and JDC-Miller. Was that perhaps too many construction sites?
“I think we set ourselves a very difficult task by entering two championships, working with the new old partner, setting up a team in Mannheim and building customer cars,” admits Laudenbach. “All in all, every single decision was good and right. Doing everything at once just made it very difficult for us.”
“And I think the result was that it took us longer to really take the steps we wanted,” the Porsche Motorsport boss notes. “But there is a clear upward curve here too. “
Porsche with a “very positive trend “
“We simply made too many mistakes in various areas,” admits Laudenbach. However, the team was able to make important progress this season: “Without going into the details, I think it is a very positive trend that we have managed to get performance into the car when you look at all the work over the season.”
In the first half of the season, Porsche was able to gather important insights that “have led to a very clear trend,” says Laudenbach. “So I would say that we are on the positive side, at least when we look at where we are. “
Third place in the WEC manufacturers’ standings is “not too bad”, but “obviously not where we want to be or where Porsche belongs,” admits the Head of Motorsport. Porsche improved significantly in the second half of the year, particularly in the American IMSA series, where the team even celebrated three victories over the course of the season.
“You have to remember that we have a different competitive situation in both championships,” Laudenbach reminds us. However, the IMSA is a good yardstick because there are only LMDh cars there and no hypercars, as in the WEC. “I think if you look at the IMSA, it’s very clear what steps we’ve taken. “
Porsche and Penske “love each other “
The decision to work with Penske again was the right one. “It probably wasn’t the easiest way to go, because we could have chosen an existing team. But we are thinking in the long term,” says Laudenbach, explaining the decision in favor of the successful American team.
“Thinking long-term means: can we use the advantages over the years? And that is a clear yes, because we have the great advantage that it is much easier to exchange data and work very closely together if you only have one partner and not two,” explains the Head of Motorsport. “Porsche thinks long-term, we are not just in it for the long haul.”
This year has shown that the collaboration works well. “The relationship between Porsche and Penske? We love each other!” enthuses the Chilean-born driver. “It’s a very good relationship. Yes, sure, sometimes we have different opinions, then we sit down together, make a decision and go from there. “
It’s a “professional relationship”, says Laudenbach. “And I say that because these are two companies that are – how shall I put it – known for their own standards. We both want to be at the top. We both have the same goal, and that is the basis for our collaboration.”
“I enjoy working with Penske, whether it’s in the US or Europe; or whatever you call it [in the WEC],” the experienced engineer enthuses. “It’s a very professional and, for me, fruitful relationship, which is also a bit of fun because these guys know what they’re doing and we know what we’re doing too. “
Debut year of the 963 was “a huge task “
The 963 is intended to add to the list of successful Porsche racing cars, from the 917 to the 956 to the 919, with which the Zuffenhausen-based company won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in a row from 2015 to 2017. Even after an unfortunate debut year, this is still possible: “Can you tell me the results of the 919 in its first year?” asks Laudenbach scrutinizingly.
“No, don’t get me wrong. I know that expectations are high and that our own expectations are very high,” says the Porsche Head of Motorsport. “But as I’ve been involved in motorsport for decades, I’m also realistic. “
Nonetheless, the goal for Porsche is very clear: “We want to be at the front. First place. That’s where Porsche needs to be,” he says combatively, but scales back premature expectations: “Let’s be realistic for the first year. I mean, even in the first year we do everything we can to be first. But it was a huge task.”
“Apart from the fact that I would like to be in first place in any championship in the first year, I think it’s very positive to see our trend,” says Laudenbach, drawing a positive conclusion to the season. “We don’t enter a championship only to leave it again after a year, that’s not our goal.”
“We clearly expect to take further steps forward,” he says, looking to the future. “This applies to the performance of the car. That applies to the strategic decisions, that applies to the operational things. You know that you win races if you do everything right. That’s nothing new. “
