Porsche is heading into the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, leading both the drivers and manufacturers standings after two rounds. Despite this, the German manufacturer is heading to China with something to prove.
Since 2012, only three manufacturers have won in GTE Pro. Porsche is one of them, winning back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. It's tied for wins with Ford, who also took back-to-back wins in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, Aston Martin became the manufacturer with the most wins in Shanghai when Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen took the top step, adding a third win after Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner won in 2012 and 2013.
“We still have a score to settle with this racetrack," said Kevin Estre, who leads the drivers standings together with Michael Christensen. "In the past two years we were in the lead but ultimately we missed out on climbing to the top of the podium.
In China, the weather often plays a crucial role. When it rains, it pours. In 2018, the race even had to be halted because of a thunderstorm. I hope we have dry conditions this year. Then we’ll witness a great race in our fiercely contested GTE Pro class.”
Christensen (together with Richard Lietz) was the last Porsche driver to taste Chinese victory in GTE Pro when he won in 2015. The Dane has high hopes for adding another win to his tally and further extending his lead at the top of the standings.
“It feels good to travel to the next race leading the drivers’ classification," Christensen said. "We’re at the top because we made the most of the opportunities at the first two rounds of the season. We want to continue like this in Shanghai.
The new Porsche 911 RSR has great potential. I’m sure that the track in China suits our car better than the Fuji circuit. The signs for another top result look promising.”
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