The factory Penske squad is heading to this week’s blue riband round of the World Endurance Championship at Circuit de la Sarthe with an eye on the top prize, as it aims to expand on the success it has enjoyed so far in 2024.
The IMSA SportsCar Championship arm of Porsche Penske Motorsport started the season with a memorable victory in the Daytona classic in January, while the WEC side of the operation won the Qatar opener and is leading the championship heading to Daytona.
Michael Christensen, who shares the #5 Porsche 963 with Matt Campbell and Frederic Makowiecki, feels it would be a very significant achievement for the Volkswagen Group marque and its partner Penske to take top honours in the two biggest sportscar races of the year.
«That will be amazing,» the Dane told Motorsport.com. «To be honest there’s many things that would be super cool to be a part of. I really dream of winning this race for Porsche Penske Motorsport.
«It would be the 20th win for Porsche overall, it would be the first win for Roger Penske in Le Mans. And you know how successful Roger has been.
«So it will be a big milestone for Roger and it would be a big milestone for Porsche and it would be a big milestone for us drivers. So it would be a dream for all of us.»
On the prospect of Porsche claiming double success in endurance racing, #6 Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor added: «It will be quite huge if we are able to do that. Also for Penske. So it will be quite an iconic year if we achieve to do that.»
#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, Frederic Makowiecki
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
It’s been more than three decades since a car manufacturer celebrated victories at Daytona and Le Mans in the same year; in 1990, Jaguar won the two big enduros with its Group C-spec XJR-12.
Porsche last enjoyed success in both races in 1987, with Al Holbert and Derek Bell part of the winning line-up in both IMSA and what was then the World SportsCar Championship.
Porsche’s LMDh director Urs Kuratle said it’s only natural for people to expect the German manufacturer to win in endurance racing given its pedigree, but there is a lot of motivation within the camp to deliver a landmark result this weekend.
«This is what we are working since a year to win here in Le Mans,» Kuratle told Motorsport.com.
«To have won Daytona, to win Le Mans, Monday after the race you will ask me how important is it to win the championship?!
«Obviously with Porsche in endurance racing you want to win, you have to win and you should win every race because that’s very important.
«So when you win it the first time, you have to have it the second time and then you need to win it the third time to keep the trophy again.
«Yeah, it’s a good thing but that’s also the pressure if you compete with Porsche, and also in Penske.
«Penske did achieve [a lot] this year with the [Indy] 500 and all these races. It would be really nice to win with Penske and with Porsche and Penske.
«And not to forget also with Roger, to give it to Roger as well. He really wants to win 24-hour races. That’s an extra push for anybody to work extra hard to achieve it with the brands.»