2013 – 2016: Le Mans class win in the first year, many international successes
On the occasion of the Porsche 911’s 50th birthday, Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and
Romain Dumas (France) triumphed in the new GTE-Pro category. The sister car finished in second place.
“This result left me speechless,” grinned Olaf Manthey, who managed the team at that time. For the victorious
driver Marc Lieb, a dream also came true: “Our team was new, and so was the car. In the first two races of
the year, we still lacked a bit of pace,” recalls the 2016 WEC champion. “Then came our Le Mans package. It
immediately felt great. In the race, we battled our way through the pack in tricky changeable conditions. The
key to our success was that, unlike our rivals, we were able to drive three stints on one set of tyres.” After 24
hours, the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR crossed the finish line first more than two minutes ahead of the sister
car.
“We didn’t expect to win and that’s what made it so wonderful for Porsche, the team and us drivers,” Lieb
says. “Still, it was the saddest victory of my career.” The reason: A tragic accident overshadowed the 24
Hours of Le Mans in 2013. Aston Martin driver Allan Simonsen lost his life early in the race after colliding with
the guardrail at the Tertre Rouge corner. In 2007, the amiable and very popular Dane had contested Le Mans
in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Based on the 991 generation, the 911 RSR from 2013 was the last of its kind to feature the classic flat-six
engine in the rear. In 2014, the nine-eleven clinched class wins at Silverstone and Shanghai. A year later,
another major step was taken: four victories in the GTE-Pro class at the Nürburgring, in Austin, Shanghai and
Bahrain as well as the manufacturer, driver and team championship titles. In 2016, the two works cars only
contested Le Mans. The following season saw the arrival of the new GTE-Pro racer from Weissach – this time
based on the 991 generation with the power unit mounted in front of the rear axle for the first time. Attracting
admiration from fans around the world for its incomparably brawny sound, the new concept proved extremely
successful on many racetracks on both sides of the Atlantic.
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