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Podium result for Porsche team from France

Stuttgart. At the spectacular night race of the Le Mans Series in Portugal, the French Porsche customer team IMSA Performance Matmut celebrated a podium result. Works driver Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac (both French) secured second position in the GT2 class after a spirited but perfect run with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The two works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria), who travelled to the 1,000 kilometre race on the Algarve as points’ leaders of the championship after securing two victories from two races, managed to yield some points despite their 911 being the victim of an accident at the start. The pair, however, slid down one position in the rankings to now occupy second place.

Patrick Pilet had mixed feelings: “Second place is our best result to date this season and so we’re very pleased. But we definitely had a winning car today. The 911 ran like a dream and the handling was perfect. That takes a little shine off our enthusiasm.” Pilet had led the race for two hours only to lose one and a half minutes in the pits. The car had also been damaged in the accident at the start and a rear mudguard had to undergo repairs. His teammate Raymond Narac rejoined the race in third: “The race was difficult in the dark. You have to stay totally focussed. Our goal was to stay out of any fights amongst the prototypes, and we did this. Congratulations to Patrick, today he delivered a masterpiece.”

The Felbermayr squad experienced a race of pure drama. In the chaos heading into the first corner after the start, the young Portuguese driver Francisco Cruz Martins dramatically missed the braking point and hit the rear right wheel of Lietz and Lieb. For Cruz Martins, Christian Ried (Germany) and Horst Felbermayr Jr. (Austria) a broken suspension signalled an early retirement. Richard Lietz was able to continue after receiving a new wheel, but one hour later a rear wheel mount broke as a consequence of the accident. Moreover, one of the three bolts that hold the rear axle was broken, which resulted in a one-hour repair. Lieb rejoined the race with a 30-lap gap to the GT2 class leader.

Lieb and Lietz fought to the finish like legendary lions, clocked spectacular lap times and finished eighth in the GT2 class. “Two points for pole and eighth place is a bitter outcome for a race that we could have won,” said a disappointed Marc Lieb. “Before the race we were seven points ahead of our rivals, now we sit two points behind the leaders. That hurts, particularly because our car was simply a dream today. Over the winter we had developed the 911 GT3 RSR and now, by the third race, we had everything sorted out perfectly - until the crash. It is a miracle that our team got the heavily damaged car back on the track and running at all. This just goes to show how highly professional and engaged the boys are. That was fabulous.”

Richard Lietz said: “Francisco came and apologised to me, he is completely devastated about his driving error. Today Marc and I are disappointed, but at the same time we are confident because we know we have a winning car and we can still clinch the championship. Our goal is to reclaim the championship lead in three weeks at the Nürburgring.”


Statistics: 3rd of 5 races in the Le Mans Series in Portimao, Portugal

Result GT2 class

1. Bell/Bruni (GBR/ITA), Ferrari F430 GT, 190 laps
2. Pilet/Narac (FRA/FRA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 190
3. Garcia/Mansell/Melo (ESP/GBR/BRA), Ferrari F430 GT, 189
4. Ehret/Farnbacher/Beltoise (DEU/DEU/FRA), Ferrari F430 GT, 188
5. Simonsen/Kaffer (DNK/DEU), Ferrari 430 GT, 187

GT2 Drivers’ classification
1. Robert Bell, Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari, 25 points
2. Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Porsche, 23
3. Antonio Garcia, Leo Mansell, Ferrari, 18
4. Pierre Ehret, Ferrari, 15
5. Jaime Melo, Ferrari, 14

GT2 Manufacturers‘ classification
1. Ferrari, 45 points
2. Porsche, 34
3. Spyker, 4
4. Aston Martin, 3

Round four of the 2009 Le Mans Series takes place on 23 August on the Nürburgring.


Facts and Figures

This is the Le Mans Series

Contested for the first time in 2004, the Le Mans Series (LMS) is open for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations are based on the rules of the Le Mans 24 hour race. Five championship rounds are contested this season on traditional circuits throughout Europe. The races run over a distance of 1,000 kilometres.

The starting field consists of two different sports vehicle categories: Sports prototypes and standard sports cars. They are divided into four classes:

LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 700 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms. Power to weight ratio: approx. 1.3 kg/hp.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp (with normally-aspirated engine) and an 825 kilogram minimum weight. Power to weight ratio: approx 1.8 kg/hp. The Porsche RS Spyder competes in this class.
GT1 class: Heavily modified standard sports cars with up to 650 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms.
GT2 class: Slightly modified standard sports cars with between 450-460 hp and a minimum weight of 1,145 – 1,345 kilograms. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competes in this class.

All race cars start together but are classified separately according to the class. This system ensures gripping racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only allocated for placings in each class. Championship titles are awarded for drivers, manufacturers and teams in all four classes. Porsche works driver Marc Lieb won the driver’s title in the GT2 class in 2005 and 2006. In 2008, Porsche won the LMP2 titles for driver, manufacturer and team.