Porsche grapples with “heavyweight” 963 as weight penalty takes toll

“Fortuitously, I’ve had my truck driver’s license for over ten years, from after I used to drive world wide with my father’s staff,” Porsche Penske driver Kevin Estre stated with fun.

After all, his reply adopted our critical query.

The Porsche 963 had a file weight of 1,100 kilograms on the IMSA race in Lengthy Seashore; at Laguna Seca Raceway this weekend, it has been decreased to 1,084 kilograms, however nonetheless is by far the heaviest GTP automobile. What can the staff do?

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After ending third and fourth at Lengthy Seashore, albeit aided by a well-timed warning, Porsche Penske Motorsport managed glorious harm limitation. Nonetheless, at Laguna Seca Raceway, issues are anticipated to be harder.

“It’s positively tougher, particularly when braking and delivering. Each time you apply lateral forces to the automobile, it will get tougher,” Felipe Nasr instructed Motorsport.com.

Estre added: “It’s not simple to know the way it handles in comparison with Sebring [at 1,055 kilograms], for instance, as a result of the tracks are utterly totally different. Now we have no back-to-back knowledge.”

#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport: Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre

Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Lumen through Getty Pictures

The Porsche 963 is already new with the Evo bundle, and on prime of that, the staff lacks expertise with such a excessive base weight. However the one choice is to make the very best of the scenario.

This was achieved in Lengthy Seashore. But Estre is aware of the circumstances have been an enormous assist: “Given the efficiency we had, we achieved a superb end result. We had a little bit of luck, a superb begin, the suitable technique. Every thing got here collectively.”

#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, Ricky Taylor

Photograph by: Artwork Fleischmann

Nasr factors out that the character of the road circuit in Lengthy Seashore additionally helped: “In Lengthy Seashore, you’re simply utterly caught to the automobile in entrance. Whether or not you’re slower or sooner, you’ll be able to hardly make a cross.”

“On a observe like Laguna Seca, You may in all probability develop a little bit bit extra circulate. I feel, it’s going to give us extra of a room to play with the broader technique. You will get extra observe place out of the pits with automobiles pitting earlier or later. The site visitors right here additionally performs a job.”

That may even have a detrimental impact, as Estre factors out: “On road circuits, weight is much less noticeable than on an everyday race observe as a result of there are hardly any quick corners—truly, none in any respect. There’s loads of stop-and-go, and grip can also be decrease, which ends up in much less tire put on.

“However right here, you positively discover it extra. It’s extra of a conventional race the place tempo is vital, and you’ll overtake. If we’re too sluggish, then even when we ultimately get observe place via technique, it’ll be powerful.

“Now we have to verify we decrease tire put on as a lot as doable—each by way of setup and driving type. However you at all times attempt to try this, irrespective of how a lot weight you’re carrying. That’s why it’s simply regular driving.”