Porsche was deemed because the favorite to take victory within the 92nd version of the French endurance traditional, having gained two out of three World Endurance Championship rounds in 2024, the #6 manufacturing facility Porsche squad in Qatar and the #12 Jota Porsche effort at Spa, and likewise seemed fast in testing and qualifying at La Sarthe.
Toyota’s technical director David Floury was even quoted as saying that Porsche would have executed a “fairly job” if it did not find yourself successful the race, so impressed was he with the tempo of the 963 in testing.
And though the expanded three-car manufacturing facility Penske-run squad loved numerous stints on the entrance within the race, together with within the afternoon on Sunday, there appeared a transparent disparity in efficiency to Ferrari and Toyota.
In the long run, fourth was the best result Porsche could manage on its second look at Le Mans within the Hypercar class, as Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer narrowly missed out on a podium end within the #6 963 LMDh machine.
Talking after the end, Estre hit again on the feedback made earlier within the week by Toyota, claiming that it was the Japanese producer who had underachieved by shedding the victory struggle to Ferrari.
“It makes me snort, the Toyotas saying after the Check Day that if we do not win this race, it is as a result of we have tousled. At the moment, they’re those who tousled,” Estre stated.
“In the long run, we had been flat out from the primary day, and I do not suppose they had been. We did not have false hopes, we had been hoping for a great race and we had it. We gave all the things we had, however it wasn’t sufficient.”
#4 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Mathieu Jaminet, Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy
Photograph by: Rainier Ehrhardt
Christensen additionally recommended that Toyota and Ferrari turned up the wick in the course of the enterprise a part of the race week, permitting them to overtake Porsche and interact in a straight duel for the win.
“I feel the others turned up the tempo,” Christensen, who got here dwelling in sixth within the #5 Porsche he shared with Frederic Makowiecki and Matt Campbell, informed Autosport.
“The others turned up the tempo when it mattered and we gave all the things from the beginning.”
Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach wouldn’t be drawn on different producers hiding their true tempo previous to the race. Nonetheless, he did concur that the pecking order was very totally different to what was seen in follow.
“I can solely say we went by way of our programme in follow,” he informed Autosport. “We did all the things. We thought it was the appropriate factor to do and we confirmed we will do. If different opponents did not wish to present all the things within the follow that is of no that means to me.
“We do what we contemplate to be proper and that is our programme. Sure, within the race it did look a bit totally different to the follow however that is not an issue to me.”
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Straightline velocity deficit holds again Porsche
The Porsche Penske squad, like different groups, did make some pricey strategic errors because the climate remained unpredictable for a lot of the enduro. Nonetheless, it additionally lacked the tempo to persistently problem Ferrari and Toyota, notably within the remaining two hours as rain returned at La Sarthe.
Porsche’s LMDh director Urs Kuratle revealed that the 963 LMDh suffered from a mysterious lack of high velocity, an issue that’s compounded at Le Mans by its lengthy straights and acceleration zones.
“We had been missing velocity on the straight,” Kuratle defined to Autosport. “That is one thing we have to perceive the place it is coming from, from acceleration, from aero effectivity, I do not know.
“We’re not speaking a lot, we’re 2 or 3km/h [down], in order that’s probably not quite a bit. However these gaps or these variations at Le Mans are even worse. The straights are greater than on regular race tracks. It is one thing that we are going to analyse.”
Kuratle stated he was happy with the hassle put in by Porsche Penske Motorsport however conceded the squad was “merely not adequate” to take the win.
“Not the consequence we wished,” he stated. “I’m happy with the group and that features all of the drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone concerned.
“It is the spotlight of the 12 months for us within the WEC and if you happen to come fourth that is not what you need. Perhaps you ask why [we finished only fourth], we had been merely not adequate that is what it was.
“One or the opposite [strategic] resolution we’d have made otherwise however that’s the similar for all of the groups. And on the finish of the day 40s or nevertheless many seconds had been lacking to the victory, which is superb after 24 hours.
“On the finish of the day it wasn’t sufficient.”
Extra reporting by Ben Vinel