Porsche advances as an outsider in the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but its experience and record of victories make it a strong contender. The new 963, set back at the start of the season, is already showing good progress. Enough to shake big favorite Toyota?
Does the air of Le Mans give wings to Porsche? Given the rich history of the firm from Weissach in Sarthe, one would be tempted to say yes and the tests contested on the circuit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans before the big start on Saturday June 10 were a good surprise for the four new Hypercars Porsche 963 entered. For its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the premier category, six years after its 19th and last success with the 919 Hybrid, Porsche is coming in with a certain delay on the big favorite Toyota, winner of the last 5 editions. The start of the season has not been very encouraging, either in the United States at Sebring or in Europe at the last 6 Hours of Spa.
If the Japanese brand was able to hide its game and focus on the race, it is however clear that the gap has narrowed as Porsche again took its mark on this unparalleled circuit. The verdict of the qualifications illustrated it a little more. If the 963s didn’t have the pace to chase pole like Ferrari, they will be in ambush at the start with 4th, 7th, 9th and 16th places on the starting grid. What to aim for a historic 20th victory on the occasion of the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans? It may seem a bit ambitious but with Porsche at Le Mans, you can never be sure of anything!
The 963 is part of the prestigious and victorious line of Porsche models crowned at Le Mans since 1970, the date of the first success of the Porsche 917 K. Its lines and design are reminiscent of the iconic models of the 80s, the decade of the Porsche triumphs in the Sarthe with the legendary 956 and 962 winners of six of the 10 contested editions in the 1980s, the German manufacturer having previously won the 1981 edition with the 936 “barquette”.
Honoring the philosophy of the new Hypercar category, which aims to be a stylistic link with the cars of Mr. Everybody, there is also a nod at the rear to the brand’s flagship model, the Porsche 911. light strip thus runs over the entire rear face like the light signature of the latest generation of 911, the type 992.
For this 2023 edition, four Porsche 963s are entered, including one entrusted to a private team, the Hertz Jota team. The other three Hypercars are managed directly by the factory, in collaboration with the American team Penske, with whom Porsche has strong ties and a good history across the Atlantic, as evidenced by past commitments and victories with the 917 but also the LMP2 RS. Spyder in the ALMS between 2005 and 2008. These three 963s, with numbers n°5, n°6 and n°75, inherited a special colorful livery for this edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans when the “private” version n°38 is adorned with golden borders.
In terms of technical specifications, here is what to remember about this Porsche 963:
Four crews are therefore at the start for Porsche, which represents 12 drivers. Three of them are French, the experienced GT enthusiast Fred Makowiecki (winner of the GTE Pro category in 2022) but also Kevin Estre and Mathieu Jaminet. The “Blues” will not be associated and are scattered in three different crews. Kevin Estre will notably be associated with the German André Lotterer, who has already won three times with Audi. Here are the compositions of the Porsche trios at the start:
