Press Release October 28, 2012 No
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Press Release October 28, 2012 No. M 128/12 World Endurance Championship, race 8 in Shanghai/China Two podiums for Porsche at season final Stuttgart. The maiden season of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) con- cluded with a double podium for the Porsche pilots. At the six hour race on the Shanghai International Circuit, Porsche factory drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) scored second place in the GTE Pro class at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Felbermayr-Proton team. Christian Ried (Ger- many) and his Italian teammates Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda also clinched second in the GTE Am class with the 911 GT3 RSR from last year. With this, Fel- bermayr-Proton secured vice-championship honours in the FIA Endurance Trophy. “That was no easy race for us. We can be happy with second place. That was the most we could do today,” said Richard Lietz. Marc Lieb commented, “Right from the start we knew that this track doesn’t particularly suit our car with its long corners. But the closing stage of the race was very good for us. We were able to show how fast the car is when the tarmac temperatures are not too high. It was a very interesting season. To drive on so many challenging circuits in different lands and continents was a fabulous experience for us all. Had we not come home empty-handed from Le Mans we would surely have been in contention for the title.” On the morning before the start of the season’s final race of the new long distance championship a haze hung over Shanghai. The warm-up on the Grand Prix track lo- cated on the outskirts of the Chinese mega-city had to be cancelled due to poor visi- bility. But in the race the Porsche pilots kept a clear view. Richard Lietz got away ex- cellently at the start and in the first corner moved into the lead of the GT field and Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 1 of 4 Public Relations and Press Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport 70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09 e-mail [email protected] Press Release October 28, 2012 No. M 128/12 held on to it in the opening phase of the race. Over the distance, however, it was not enough for the Porsche works drivers to score a third win of the season with the 911 GT3 RSR after their previous WEC victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Fuji. With consistently strong performances at the eight rounds of the season, they secured two pole positions and climbed the podium at six races. Christian Ried, Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda achieved a top three result even more often during the season, only missing out on a podium finish at one race. The trio celebrated three wins – at the twelve hour classic in Sebring, in Sao Paulo and in the desert of Bahrain. At the race in Shanghai, Paolo Ruberti took off from pole posi- tion and defended the lead over long distances with his teammates at the wheel of last year’s 911 run by Felbermayr-Proton. However, at the end of the race, in which there was not one caution phase, they had to settle for second place. Team owner Christian Ried is satisfied with how the season has panned out. “We’ve put on some great races as a team,” he said. “If we’d had a little more luck in Le Mans things might have looked a little different in the championship.” Eurosport broadcasts highlights of the race at midnight on 30 October. Result GTE Pro class 1. Mücke/Turner (D/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 169 laps 2. Lieb/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 169 3. Bertolini/Beretta (I/MC), Ferrari F458 Italia, 168 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 2 of 4 Public Relations and Press Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport 70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09 e-mail [email protected] Press Release October 28, 2012 No. M 128/12 GTE Am class 1. Bornhauser/Canal/Lamy (F/F/P), Chevrolet Corvette, 166 laps 2. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 166 3. Krohn/Jönsson/Rugolo (USA/S/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 164 4. Kauffmann/Aguas/Cioci (USA/P/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 164 5. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette, 163 6. Camathias/Daniels/Bell (CH/GB/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 152 Points’ standings World Cup Manufacturers GTE 1. Ferrari 325 points 2. Porsche 214 3. Chevrolet 147 Endurance Trophy GTE Pro 1. AF Corse, Ferrari 201 points 2. Aston Martin Racing, Aston Martin 141 3. Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 133 4. Luxury Racing, Ferrari 53 Endurance Trophy GTE Am 1. Labre Competition, Corvette 179 points 2. Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 152 3. Krohn Racing, Ferrari 119 4. AF Corse Waltrip, Ferrari 108 5. JWA Avila, Porsche 88 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 3 of 4 Public Relations and Press Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport 70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09 e-mail [email protected] Press Release October 28, 2012 No. M 128/12 The World Endurance Championship Sports prototypes and GT vehicles race in the new World Endurance Championship. They are divided into four classes that start together but are classified separately: LMGTE Pro class: This class is reserved for slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR). LMGTE Am class: Like the LMGTE Pro, but the regulations stipulate that only last year’s cars are eligible and there must be no more than one professional driver per vehicle. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilo- grams. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. GO Please note: Photos of the World Endurance Championship are available for accredited journalists from the Porsche Press Database under the internet address https://presse.porsche.de. On this website you can also activate the Porsche Motorsport SMS Info Service to receive the latest news and information from race tracks around the world via text messages. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft 4 of 4 Public Relations and Press Porscheplatz 1 Motorsport 70435 Stuttgart Oliver Hilger Tel +49 (0) 7 11 9 11 – 2 65 09 e-mail [email protected] .