Porsche tackles round two of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC in Portugal from the front row of the GTE-Pro-class grid. At the debut of the WEC on the 4.684-kilometre Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, works driver Kévin Estre turned the fastest lap with the ca. 515 PS Porsche 911 RSR in 1:37.986 minutes. With this, the Frenchman repeated his qualifying success from Spa-Francorchamps. His Italian teammate Gianmaria Bruni set the third quickest time on the undulating circuit in the backcountry of the Algarve in 1:38.389 minutes and takes up the race from the second grid row. Like at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the highlight of the WEC season, each of the two factory-run 911 fielded by Manthey will be manned by three drivers for the eight-hour race. The championship leaders Estre and Neel Jani (Switzerland) receive support from Denmark’s Michael Christensen. Bruni and the Austrian Richard Lietz join forces in the cockpit with French factory driver Frédéric Makowiecki.

The Porsche works team travels to the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) leading the points. Since the upcoming eight-hour race in Portimão on 13 June is new on the series’ calendar, teams and drivers face special challenges. The Porsche GT Team has prepared intensively for the upcoming task in Portugal’s Algarve with test drives and simulator sessions. The Manthey factory squad fields two 515 PS Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class. The drivers in each of the cars are the same crews that will tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans in August. In the GTE-Am category, the customer squads Dempsey-Proton Racing, Project 1 and GR Racing campaign a total of four nine-elevens at the endurance race.

United Autosports are delighted to confirm that Jonathan Aberdein will join their Le Mans 24 Hours team this year.