The ups and downs of Spa in the words of the Porsche team

After finishing second and third at the season’s opening round at Silverstone three weeks ago, Porsche heads to the Ardennes regions of Belgium leading the FIA World Endurance Championship manufacturer standings. 

The team’s two 919 Hybrids will be running with a low downforce aerodynamic specification, as explained by Team Principal Andreas Seidl.

“The Spa rollercoaster provides such a variety of demands that you always need to find compromises. It’s a split to create a car set-up that is suited for the long flat-out sections, but one that also enables the drivers to handle the car through the winding middle sector.

“Regarding aerodynamics, due to regulations, we are less flexible than in 2016 but I regard the 919 Hybrid as well-armed in this respect. In terms of reliability and team effort, Silverstone was first-class. We now want to deliver another flawless performance in Spa.”

Here is what the Porsche LMP drivers have to say about Spa, their favourite parts of the track and the challenges this track poses:

Neel Jani (33, Switzerland) – No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “I think we can really look forward to Spa. Our performance in Silverstone was very encouraging given the fact we were racing our Le Mans aero kit. In Spa, it will be well-suited for the long high-speed sections of sectors one and three. For the twisting middle sector, higher downforce would be better but it remains to be seen how much we will lose there compared to the competition. Another aspect is the weather: In the case of heavy rain, I see the advantage going to Toyota.”

André Lotterer (35, Germany) – No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “Spa is like a home race for me. From when I was a three-year old, I grew up pretty close and later we had a kart tuner next to the circuit. The track is one of the most beautiful ones in the world, embedded into a great scenery. I like every inch of the track. The dip of Eau Rouge requires some bravery if you take it flat. There you also have to handle lapping manoeuvres tactically and eventually have to lift early in order to avoid losing momentum for the uphill Kemmel straight. Belgium is quite a small country but remarkably it has many motorsport enthusiasts. I’m very much looking forward to racing with Porsche there for the first time.”

Nick Tandy (32, Great Britain) – No.1 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “I remember very well driving the 919 for the first time at Spa in 2015. It is a circuit very well suited to our high-performance race cars. The fun parts for me are in the winding middle sector but I also like the last sector a lot when you come from high speed and have to deal with bumps before the very tight Bus Stop chicane. This is something where a driver and good set-up work with the engineers can make a real difference. Regarding the competition, I think we can be very confident after Silverstone and it will be interesting to watch the Toyota cars if they compete in different configurations.”

Earl Bamber (26, New Zealand) – No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “Spa is one of the very few circuits I at least have some experience of driving the 919 at. When I was in the Porsche Simulator in Weissach before the 2015 race, I was surprised how fast I could go through Eau Rouge, and then doing this in reality was very impressive. This circuit is definitely a special place and I’m sure our low downforce aero kit suits Spa much better than it did Silverstone.”

Timo Bernhard (36, Germany) – No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “Next to the Nürburgring, Spa is like a second home race for me. It is only 200 kilometres from home and it is a brilliant circuit with a very natural and unique character. To manage a really good lap there in a Le Mans prototype is extremely rewarding because the track isn’t an easy one at all. It has fast and slow corners that flow into each other. I fell in love with Spa back in 1998 when I finished sixth straightaway in a huge Formula Ford European Championship field. I have also done the Spa 24-Hours three times. However, so far it is a one-sided love affair between me and the circuit – I have often led races there but have never won. I want to change that in 2017.”

Brendon Hartley (27, New Zealand) – No.2 Porsche 919 Hybrid: “We had a strong team performance in Silverstone that we can be proud of but came up six seconds short of the win. We will all work extremely hard to climb one step higher on the podium in Spa. We expect another close battle but will arrive there with confidence.”