The Prologue to the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Paul Ricard started off with a bang this past Thursday when Porsche unveiled their three-color livery for Le Mans. Not content to leave well enough alone, Porsche went on to announce that their 919 Hybrid would switch to the highest energy recovery category of 8 megajoule. No other manufacturer has done this before leaving Porsche alone in its class. As if all that weren’t enough, Porsche made a final statement by laying down the fastest lap-times with the two 919 Hybrids ending in 1-2, nearly a full half second fast then their next closest competitor, Audi.
Fresh boost from Porsche AG on Vimeo.
In bright sunshine, and mild ambient temperatures, it was only some very strong winds that hampered testing on Friday which might have allowed for even fast times. Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1, summed up after the first meeting of the entire WEC field: “For sure we have got a very fast car. But we are also leaving Paul Ricard impressed by the performance of the competition on longer runs.“
The first race of the season, the 6 Hours of Silverstone, will be held on April 12, 2015. We’ll have viewing details for you as the race gets closer.