News

Porsche Penske Motorsport continues its winning streak

• Stellar performance by Porsche factory team in Laguna Seca
• Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell achieve first win of the season
• Second place for Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy after an action-packed race
• "Roxy" Porsche 911 GT3 R clinches commanding GTD Pro class victory
• Detroit hosts round five of the season on 31 May

Porsche Penske Motorsport's two Porsche 963 racers have achieved yet another one-two result, this time at the Laguna Seca Raceway. Factory drivers Matt Campbell from Australia and Mathieu Jaminet from France celebrated their first win of the season at round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Championship leaders Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Nick Tandy from Great Britain crossed the finish line in second place, less than two seconds behind the winners. The pair have won the first three races at Daytona, Sebring, and Long Beach. In the GTD-Pro class, former Porsche Juniors Klaus Bachler and Laurin Heinrich notched up their second victory of the year with the 911 GT3 R.

Stuttgart. After a nail-biting qualifying session on Saturday, Sunday brought another thriller under blue Californian skies. The two Porsche 963 racers clinched victory in a fierce three-way battle - but only on the final lap of the 2:40-hour race. An unusual detail at the Laguna Seca event: there was not a single caution period during the race, something the IMSA series has not experienced in nearly three years.

When the lights turned green at the storied Californian racetrack, the two 485 kW (659 PS) Porsche 963 slotted into positions two and three - but in reverse order from their qualifying positions. Reigning champion Felipe Nasr promptly overtook teammate Matt Campbell and set his sights on the leading BMW. Further back, the No. 6 car came into contact with a GT entry, forcing an early pit stop for repairs. Meanwhile, Nasr hunted down the leading BMW. Behind them, the No. 6 car collided with a GT car and was forced to pit for an early service. Meanwhile, Nasr put in a daring overtaking manoeuvre and swept into P1.

Around 45 minutes into the race, Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr steered the leading No. 7 Porsche into the pits, handing the wheel to Nick Tandy. Tandy rejoined the race and found himself behind the sister car, now driven by Mathieu Jaminet, who had swapped with Matt Campbell. The two Porsche 963 held firm at the front, running comfortably in first and second positions until the closing minutes - when the No. 24 BMW launched a last-ditch charge. Separated by mere metres, the top three cars treated fans to a gripping showdown in the final lap with multiple overtaking attempts, slight clashes, and ultimately, a trip into the gravel for the third-placed BMW, also caused by an involved GT racing car.

"That was tough work," stated Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. "Looking at the results, it was a perfect day - but it wasn't as straightforward as it seems. There were challenging moments, and both Porsche 963 cars made contact with other cars. Still, our team and drivers delivered an outstanding performance. This marks our third consecutive one-two finish, and we now lead all championship categories. We couldn't ask for more."

In the overall standings, Porsche has extended its lead over the competition in the manufacturers' championship. Porsche Penske Motorsport holds a comfortable lead in the team standings. In the drivers' championship, Campbell and Jaminet have slightly closed the gap to their teammates Nasr and Tandy. The two driver pairings continue to rank first and second in the standings.

The Porsche 963 fielded by the JDC-Miller MotorSports customer team concluded the race on California's Pacific coast in ninth place. Italian Gianmaria Bruni and Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands shared the wheel of the No. 85 car.

"Roxy" repeats "Rexy's" 2024 feat: Class win for the Porsche 911 GT3 R
In the GTD Pro class, former Porsche Juniors Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler clinched their second win of the season after a flawless drive in the Porsche 911 GT3 R - matching the strong performance of their AO Racing team. Their pink, dinosaur-liveried car dubbed "Roxy" crossed the finish line at Laguna Seca with an 8.660-second lead. At the same track last year, the team celebrated its first win with the fan-favourite "Rexy". Meanwhile, Wright Motorsports' ca. 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R finished sixth in the GTD class.

After two races in Florida followed by two events in California, the IMSA teams are now travelling inland. Round five of the season will be contested on the streets of Detroit on 31 May. The Detroit Grand Prix, held in the U.S. state of Michigan, runs for just 100 minutes.

Drivers' comments after the race
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): "Our first win of the season at last! We were involved in an incident early on, so I didn't expect such a fantastic result. But a perfect team strategy got us to the front. It was a close battle to the end, even with our sister car. We managed to bring it home. Now I'm really looking forward to the race in Detroit."

Nick Tandy (Porsche 963 #7): "That was another fantastic day of racing for our team. That's the fourth consecutive podium finish for us in the number 7 car; we've finished second or higher in every race so far this year, which is an incredible way to start the season. We just want to keep the momentum going. We've only contested four of our nine races. Next up is the street race in Detroit and there'll be plenty of points up for grabs there again. That's what we're fully focussing on now."

Race results
GTP class:
1. Campbell/Jaminet (AUS/FRA), Porsche 963 #6, 124 laps
2. Nasr/Tandy (BRA/GBR), Porsche 963 #7, + 1.692 seconds
3. Eng/D. Vanthoor (AUT/BEL), BMW #24, + 33.408 seconds
9. Bruni/Van der Helm (ITA/NLD), Porsche 963 #85, - 2 laps

GTD-Pro class:
1. Bachler/Heinrich (AUT/DEU), Porsche 911 GT3 R #77, 115 laps
2. Costa/Altoe (ESP/ITA), Ferrari #81, + 8.660 seconds
3. Garcia/Sims (ESP/GBR), Corvette #3, - 1 lap

GTD class:
1. Ward/Ellis (USA/GBR), Mercedes-AMG #57, 114 laps
2. Hawksworth/Thompson (GBR/CDN), Lexus #12, + 5.459 seconds
3. Franco/Serra (USA/BRA), Ferrari #34, + 36.516 seconds
6. Adelson/Skeer (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 R #120, + 53.307 seconds

Full results and championship standings https://results.imsa.com.

Further information, film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com

The "X" channel @PorscheRaces, the WhatsApp Channel Porsche Motorsport and Instagram @porsche.motorsport as well as @porschepenskemotorsport provide live updates from Porsche Motorsport with the latest information from racetracks around the world.