A perfect tactic from the world champion team, strong driving performances, swift pit stops and a reliable and fast car in both dry and the wet conditions were the key factors for this one-two win.

SECURING one-two victories on the podium.

It was truly an incredible feat as it already captured its first win in its first-ever race. The new 911 RSR secured a one-two victory in its race debut at the season-opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone in Great Britain. Drivers Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz crossed the finish line first using the No. 91 car, while reigning world champions Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre claimed second in the No. 92 sister car.

“We experienced a lot in the short qualifying: spin, tire defect, damage to the front. That was really intense. I was able to turn my laps normally after the repairs. Ultimately, fourth place was possible — a position that is absolutely fine for the first outing of the new Porsche 911 RSR,” Lietz said.

A perfect tactic from the world champion team, strong driving performances, swift pit stops and a reliable and fast car in both dry and the wet conditions were the key factors for this one-two win according to him.

After a mediocre qualifying performance, the two Porsche 911 RSR run by the factory squad embarked on the four-hour race from positions fourth and sixth on the starting grid. In fact, during the dry sunny part in the early phase, the two new GTE racers from Weissach initially made up very little ground.

Heavy shower after around 90 minutes of racing proved to change their fate as the situation transformed significantly. In contrast to their rivals, the Porsche GT Team opted instead for rain tires — an ideal choice.

The drivers made perfect use of the improved tire grip on the wet track and managed to pull ahead, well clear of the field in the new 911 RSR, which is based on the high-performance 911 GT3 RS.

This impressive margin, however, disappeared when the safety car was deployed after two hours of racing. In the remaining 120 minutes, the drivers managed to stave off attacks from the competition on a slowly drying track and crossed the finish line in first and second places, separated by only 3.802 seconds.

After the one-two victory at the opening round of the 2019-2020 season, Porsche leads all categories of the GTE-Pro class.

“At its race premiere, the new Porsche 911 RSR clearly exceeded our expectations. Congratulations to the drivers and the team for a perfect performance at Silverstone. This great success was only possible because the entire Porsche Motorsport team did such excellent work. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this project and made the new car into a winner,” Fritz Enzinger, Porsche Motorsport vice president said.

Here is the partial race result of the GTE-Pro Class: First- Lietz/Bruni (A/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 115 laps; second- Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, + 3.802 seconds; third- Lynn/Martin (GB/B), Aston Martin Vantage, + 6.286 seconds; fourth- Calado/Pier Guidi (GB/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, + 16.054 seconds and fifth-Thiim/Sörensen (DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage, 114 laps.