Porsche Motorsport has premiered its new Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 car in Geneva.
The car, which features a two litre turbo charged V4 engine, uses Porsche’s “Intelligent Performance” system, which features two energy recovery systems – a Front Axel battery based system and a thermal energy recovery unit for the Exhaust. Both combined reach the maximum 8 mega joules of energy per lap, which will be feed to the wheels alongside the 500bhp engine.
In the No.14 919 Hybrid this season will be former Audi driver Romain Dumas, ex-REBELLION driver Neel Jani and 2013 Le Mans LMGTE Pro class winner Marc Lieb. Meanwhile, in the No.20 will be another ex-Audi driver, Timo Bernhard, former F1 driver Mark Webber and ELMS standout Brendon Hartley.
“Within two and one half years we built the infrastructure, assembled our team and put this highly complex race car on wheels,” said Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1 at Porsche.
“We have the greatest respect for the lead our competitors have in racing experience. Our objective in the first year is simple: to finish races and be competitive.”
Also being launched today is Porsche’s LMGTE Pro car, the 911 RSR, with drivers Joerg Bergmeister, Patrick Pilet, Marco Holzer and new signing Fred Makowiecki pencilled into to drive the No.91 and No.92 Porsche Team Manthey cars, although driver pairings are yet to be announced. At Le Mans, they’ll be joined by Richard Lietz and Nick Tandy, who are Porsche’s main Factory drivers in North America.
Both cars will make their 2014 debut at Paul Ricard for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Prologue on 28 and 29 March.
