Porsche had an extremely up and down day in England on Sunday during the six hours of Silverstone. This race saw a second win in a row for the GTE-Am category Dempsey Proton Racing squad of Matt Campbell, Christian Ried, and Julien Andlauer, as well as an additional 911 RSR in third place on the podium. In the GTE-Pro category, however, the day looked fine and dandy when Richard Lietz and Gianmaria Bruni brought their car to the finish in second place behind the winning Ferrari, but they were disqualified in the post-race tech shed when their ride height was found to be a bit below the allowance. Making up for that car’s exclusion from the race was the consolation prize of Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre being promoted up from their fourth position finish to the final podium spot.
The weather was warm and partly cloudy when the race got underway, and despite the country’s propensity for wet weather, the race managed to stay dry for the full six hours. Estre managed to make a great start from the grid as a crash at the front sidelined many competitors and he took full advantage. The car later fell back a handful of positions with a tire puncture while Christensen was at the wheel. With some good pit strategy the team was able to recover to the front and occasionally grab the lead again. By the end of the race, however, a big battle with the #67 Ford GT ensued. There was a lot of beating and banging between the two cars, and certainly no love lost. The Ford shoved its nose up the back of the Porsche ahead, and while it was attempting to make a pass stick, Estre kept the pressure on and some side-to-side contact was also made. Ultimately, the Ford came out the better of the deal and with just a few laps remaining moved into third (which would later turn into second).
The GTE-Am category was similarly enthralling. The Dempsey Proton crew started the race from second position behind the Project 1 squad of Joerg Bergmeister, Patrick Lindsey, and Egidio Perfetti. The Project 1 team led the race for over four hours of perfectly timed racing, but an error during a pit stop called for a stop and go penalty that dropped them back to fifth. The team spent the final two hours of the race working their way back up to third for a well-deserved podium. When the Project 1 car fell back, the Dempsey car moved up into the lead and stayed there until the checkered flag fell. It was pretty resoundingly a Porsche-dominated race in the Am class.
Comments on the race
Pascal Zurlinden (Director GT Factory Motorsport):
“Unfortunately we were informed after the race that an irregularity was detected in the ride height. That threw our number 91 car out of the classification and advanced the number 92 car to third place. We’re still leading the manufacturers’ and drivers’ classifications. Now we need to focus on the next tasks.”
Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 RSR #92):
“Our race started well and I moved into first place after the start and built up a comfortable lead. Unfortunately, Michael was hampered by tyre problems during his stint. We had to call him in earlier than planned and change our strategy. This enabled the Ferrari to overtake us in the pits. At the end, our tyres weren’t fresh enough to attack again. Still, I’m satisfied with our result.”
Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 RSR #77):
“In my first stint I didn’t do such a great job – I stressed the tyres a little too much while pursuing the leader. After talking with the engineers my second stint went much better. We definitely had luck on our side when the penalty was handed to our rivals. Still, we were in the right place when it mattered. In the end we performed strongly as a team and can be proud.”
Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #56):
“That was a race with a lot of highs and lows. We held the lead over long stretches, but then came into the pits under safety car conditions. Unfortunately we received a 75-second stop-and-go penalty, which threw us down to fifth place. Luckily I managed to work my way up to third place in the last lap – a conciliatory result for us.”
GTE-Pro class Race result
1. Pier Guidi/Calado (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 172 laps
2. Priaulx/Tincknell (GB/GB), Ford GT, 172 laps
3.. Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 172 laps
4. Lynn/Martin (GB/B), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 171 laps
5. Tomczyk/Catsburg (D/NL), BMW M8 GTE, 171 laps
6. Mücke/Pla (D/F), Ford GT, 170 laps
7. Rigon/Bird (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 157 laps
8. Sorensen/Thiim (DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 155 laps
GTE-Am class Race result
1. Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 168 laps
2. Yoluc/Adam/Eastwood (TR/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 168 laps
3. Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 168 laps
4. Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda (CDN/P/A), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 168 laps
5. Mok/Sawa/Griffin (MAL/J/IRL), Ferrari 488 GTE, 167 laps
6. Wainwright/Barker/Davison (GB/GB/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 167 laps
7. Ishikawa/Beretta/Cheever (J/MC/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 167 laps
8. Roda/Roda/Cairoli (I/I/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 167 laps
9. Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (CH/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 158 laps