Porsche 963
Car No. 6 takes the championship after a tough race
Although the No. 6 Porsche 963 was unable to race as well as expected in the final race, it managed to accumulate points in every race of the season and go on to win the Drivers’ Championship.
The grueling eight-hour final race at the Bahrain International Circuit became increasingly thrilling as the race progressed. The #6 Porsche 963, which entered the race as the points leader, fell far behind immediately after the start, but Estre, Lotterer and Vanthoor made an impressive comeback.
At one point, car number 6 was in sight of a podium finish, but was penalized and ultimately finished in 11th place. After the race, the Ferrari 499P #51, which was provisionally in second place, was penalized for violating the tire usage regulations, and moved up to 10th place. And with rival Ferrari 499P #50 also dropping to the bottom, car number 6 won the Drivers’ Championship by a huge margin of 37 points.
The teammate, the #5 963, had briefly held the lead, but lost its advantage during two safety car periods towards the end of the race, finishing in third place. However, the #51 Ferrari 499P, which had finished second like the #5, was demoted, allowing the team to move up one place to second place.
Following the fantastic results of winning the Drivers’ Championship and coming second in the Manufacturers’ Championship, Thomas Rodenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, issued the following delighted comment:
“In our second year back in the WEC with the Porsche 963, we had a fantastic season and won the World Championship title. Compared to the 2023 season, we have seen significant improvements in all aspects, including the car and the team. That in itself is truly amazing. Once again, I would like to offer my highest praise to everyone involved.”
“It’s disappointing to miss out on the Manufacturers’ Championship by such a narrow margin. When you’re this close to the front, you want to win it at the end of the day, but unfortunately, these things happen in motorsport.”
Hearts Team Jota wins the privateer championship
Hertz Team Jota, a privateer team competing with a Porsche 963, secured the FIA World Cup title with their #12 car in the previous race. Their #38 car finished in 7th place in the final race. The team will compete in the WEC next season with a Cadillac.
In the FIA World Cup, contested by customer teams, Hertz Team Jota’s Porsche 963 No. 12 (Will Stevens, Callum Ilott, Norman Nato) secured the championship in the previous race, the Fuji 6 Hours. In the final race, Proton Competition’s 963 No. 99 (Harry Tincknell, Neel Jani, Julian Androel) was in contention for the podium, but was penalized and dropped down the order. They ultimately finished the race in 12th place.
The two Hertz Team Jota cars, the #38 963 (Jenson Button, Philip Hanson, Oliver Rasmussen) finishing in 7th place, and the #12 963 finishing in 13th place. The UK-based team has decided to join forces with Cadillac Racing to compete in the WEC with the “V-Series.R” from the 2025 season, and this was their final race with Porsche. Sam Hynett, co-owner of Hertz Team Jota, commented after the race:
“My last race with Porsche didn’t go as I had hoped, but at least our No. 38 car finished second in the FIA World Cup. And the No. 12 car has already clinched the title in the last race. I’m proud to have brought home such great results.”
