Porsche Penske Motorsport’s highly anticipated debut of their new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Porsche 963s is set to take place at The Prologue in Sebring, Florida. The 44-member team, representing 10 different nationalities, has been preparing for months for this momentous occasion.
The WEC project was announced by Porsche in December 2020, following the release of the LMDh technical specifications, which allow convergence with the world’s two largest sportscar series: WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (IWSC). While Porsche Penske Motorsport’s IWSC team based in Mooresville, North Carolina has already contested its first race – the 24 Hours of Daytona – the WEC squad only rolled out its pair of Porsche 963s three weeks ago at Porsche’s test track in Weissach, Germany.
The Prologue is a pre-season test event that allows teams to prepare for the upcoming season. The event will take place at Sebring International Raceway from March 19-21, and Porsche Penske Motorsport is eager to put their months of planning into practice. The two-day event will give the team valuable track time to refine their new cars and establish new processes and procedures.
Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, expressed his excitement for the team’s debut, stating, “We arrive at The Prologue in Sebring with two brand new Porsche 963s – they have completed a small rollout in Weissach, followed by a three-day test in Portimão – where we remained for two further days of car preparation. The wet weather conditions on day one gave us some good data for the upcoming WEC season – we are sure to see rain at Spa, Le Mans, and Fuji – but it hampered our Sebring preparation somewhat. These two days at The Prologue will, therefore, be extremely valuable.”
The team faces the challenge of not only developing and testing two new cars but also of establishing a new team. Diuguid emphasized the importance of track time for the team to gel together and practice their new processes and procedures. The Prologue will give the team the opportunity to put their hard work into practice ahead of the 1000 Miles of Sebring race the following week.
Porsche Penske Motorsport’s participation in the WEC marks a new chapter for the team, as they expand their racing portfolio to include endurance sports cars. The team is excited about the possibilities that the WEC presents, with the LMDh technical specifications allowing for convergence between WEC and IWSC. This convergence means that teams can participate in both championships with the same car, creating an exciting new era in endurance sports car racing.
The Prologue will see teams from across the world come together to test their cars ahead of the upcoming season. The event is crucial for teams to iron out any issues with their cars and establish their team dynamics. With Porsche Penske Motorsport’s new cars and team, this event is particularly significant, as they prepare to take on the challenges of the WEC.
Porsche Penske Motorsport’s debut of their new WEC cars at The Prologue in Sebring is a significant moment for the team. They have spent months preparing for this event, and the two-day test will give them valuable track time to refine their new cars and establish new processes.
