In the world of endurance racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans is king and the name Porsche royalty.
The world famous marque have won a record 17 times at Le Mans and are reigning champions, but last year’s triumph was a first at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in 17 years.
Following their last win in 1998, Porsche largely disappeared from competitive motorsport, only returning in 2013. Le Mans glory last year also paved the way to a maiden World Endurance Championship (WEC) title, and the German giants are determined to use that to fuel another reign among the elite of sports car competition.
In the 17 years since Porsche last tasted victory at Le Mans, Audi rose, recording all 13 of their Le Mans victories in Porsche’s absence. The reigning champions’ return to prominence, however, is just the start, according to team principal, Andreas Seidl.
“What we achieved in 2015 was great but it’s history. We start from scratch,” said Seidl ahead of the 2016 WEC season opener at Silverstone this Sunday. “We go into the new season with the same focus and attention to detail like the previous two years. The target is to have a competitive car for the first race. We want to fight for wins and win as many races as possible.”
The Porsche team spoke to Sport360 while in Abu Dhabi in February conducting tyre testing at Yas Marina Circuit in preparation for defending their WEC title.
Mark Webber is the standout name for the champions and 2015’s success proved fulfilling for the Australian, who managed to achieve something he had failed to do during his 11-year Formula One career last season – win a world title.
Going the distance: Webber, Bernhard and Hartley at Le Mans in 2015.
The veteran is hungry for more. “The championship was such a big team result. (Team-mates) Brendon (Hartley), Timo (Bernhard) and myself won the most races, we deserved it, but now we have to do the same thing again,” said Webber .
“We are greedy and want to get the championship in Le Mans too, we have fresh challenges. Motivation is not an issue. This brand, you see how powerful it is when you get inside and how global it is. There’s no driver that would not want to drive for this programme.”
It was in mid-2011, in the small southwestern German town of Weissach, where Porsche’s research centre is based and near to its Stuttgart HQ, that the comeback first started to gather speed.
Executive chairman Fritz Enzinger was joined by technical director Alex Hitzinger, while Seidl was tasked with putting together a driver crew that could bring back the glory days. Wolfgang Hatz, of Porsche’s board of management, struck a deal early with Webber, who he had tried to lure in 2013.
German driver Bernhard and Frenchman Romain Dumas were already at Porsche, Swiss Neel Jani soon following. Marc Lieb, another German, had driven Porsche’s road cars, while Seidl revealed New Zealander Hartley, the youngest of the team and still only 26, emailed him his own CV.
We go into the new season with the same focus and attention to detail like the previous two seasons – Seidl
“It was funny because he applied via email saying he thought he would be the right man for this programme, which was something that caught my interest,” said Seidl.
Porsche made their comeback in 2013 in the LMGTE Pro category before ascending to the elite Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) section a year later. Lieb, Dumas and Jani won one round of the 2014 WEC, but better was to follow in 2015.
Young pretenders Audi, the first two WEC champions in 2012 and 2013, won the opening two rounds last year at Silverstone and Spa, but from then on Porsche moved through the gears to take command. Car No19, featuring guest F1 team Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg, roared to a long-awaited first victory for Porsche at Le Mans in round three.
Webber, Bernhard and Hartley captured the next four rounds at Nurburgring, Austin, Fuji and Shanghai to set themselves on the path to glory, with Lieb, Dumas and Jani’s triumph in the final round at Bahrain meaning Porsche won six of eight races, with Webber and Co crowned champions.
Le Mans is unique in that it garners more attention than the Championship itself. Winning there is considered more important, largely due to the fact it is the only round that encompasses 24 hours (the rest are six).
Porsche were initially victorious in 1970 with Germany’s Hans Herrmann and Briton Richard Attwood. That was the start of an era of dominance, going on to win 15 more titles in a 28-year span before Audi took over.
Seidl happily admitted that their fellow German manufacturer’s rise to prominence and astonishing record of 13 Le Mans titles in 17 years played a part in Porsche’s own re-emergence.
“I won’t say that was the main reason we came back but it was one of them,” added Seidl.
“Le Mans has a big heritage, it’s magic and special. “By winning it last year a big box has been ticked but it doesn’t mean we don’t want to win it again. Our target is to get the 18th or 19th and 20th.”
For Bernhard and Hartley, success was poignant for different reasons. Not only did the German win with a German team, Porsche is also in his blood, having first signed a junior contract in 1999.
He was loaned to rivals Audi for two years, ironically winning at Le Mans in 2010. Bernhard counts the Le Mans triumph with Audi and the WEC title with Porsche as his two career “standout” victories, but says last year’s title will always mean a little more.
“We were always on loan to Audi. I always wanted to go back to Porsche because Porsche is in my heart,” he said. “To be world champion is unbelievable and with Porsche, it will always remain special.”
Despite being the young pup, Hartley deserves huge credit for turning his career around following his failure to make it in F1. He was in Red Bull’s young driver programme aged 18 and was named Red Bull and Toro Rosso reserve driver for the 2009 season.
He shared the role with Daniel Ricciardo before the Austrian manufacturer dropped their support halfway through 2010.
The Kiwi admitted that period was a “dark time” but made him stronger. “Not getting the F1 seat was a kick in the guts,” admitted Hartley. “I missed out on the opportunity I was dreaming of but I recovered and learnt a lot from that. Before that it was always controlled by Red Bull, I didn’t have to think for myself.”
Hartley rebounded, making a name for himself in the European Le Man Series as well as in America before his email to Seidl changed everything.
“It was unexpected for a lot of people, including me. I guess the timing was right.” He also remains grateful to Red Bull as they got him to where he is today. “I’m still with Red Bull,” he added. “I wear a Red Bull helmet and they still support me to this day and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
