Porsche cars filled the podium places at the Losail International Circuit in a changing of the guard for the first round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship.
It marked a change in fortunes for the entrant which achieved a best finish of third on its return to the series last year. Since then the 963 has been allowed a 5kg reduction in weight under the series’ Balance of Performance, as well as a 6kW increase in maximum power and 9Mj reduction in maximum stint energy.
Porsche’s clean sweep was only completed when the second-placed Peugeot 9X8 of Jean-Eric Vergne hit trouble on the penultimate lap of 335.
The number six works Porsche 963 of Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Vanthoor already looked certain of victory when Vergne hit trouble. His slump to seventh promoted the number 12 customer JOTA Porsche of Will Stevens, Callum Ilott and Norman Nato, and lifted the second works Porsche to the rostrum.
The third Porsche on the podium started the race from pole position, but immediately lost the advantage to a rocketship start from Ferrari driver Miguel Molina from fourth place. The number 50 car swept around the outside of Michael Christensen’s Porsche and Mike Conway in the number seven Toyota. Conway ran wide in the drama, falling to seventh.
However Molina’s lead proved short-lived. Though he rebuffed an attack from Christensen, that handed the initiative to Vergne’s team mate Nico Mueller. The Peugeot driver picked off Christensen, then drove around the outside of Molina at turn one to take the lead on lap 16.
From there things quickly soured for Ferrari. An early pit stop for Molina went awry when he crossed the pit lane entry line, incurring a drive-through penalty. Then James Calado in the sister works car tangled with James Cottingham’s GT3 McLaren at the 1hr 40 mark, losing its rear bodywork and triggering a Full Course Yellow.
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Peugeot lost the lead to the number six Porsche shortly after the two-hour mark when the number 93 car ran deep at the first corner while battling through traffic. From there they steadily took control of the 1,812 kilometre race.
Toyota talked down their chances pre-race. The BoP cut their power by 4KW while adding 9kg in weight, but giving them an extra 2MJ of stint energy. Although they got one of their cars on the front row, they never looked like regaining the positions they lost early on.
It was a tough day for the only team which beat Toyota to victory last…
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