Porsche has been out testing its LMDh prototype at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, marking the car’s first foray on an international circuit. According to the Porsche Penske Motorsport team running the car, the vehicle racked up over 2,000km of running, focused on systems setup, operation of the IC engine and hybrid system, and tire analysis.
“The successful tests in Barcelona were an enormously important step,” said Thomas Laudenbach, VP of Porsche Motorsport. “During our first laps on our test track in Weissach, it was critical to ensure that the basic functions of the LMDh prototype worked. In Spain, we saw the entire scope of development: endurance runs, setup work and, very importantly, the optimization of the interaction between all partners involved in this project. I found it very impressive how quickly the employees from Porsche, Penske, Michelin, Multimatic and others came together as a unit. I’d like to thank everyone for the part they played.”
Urs Kuratle, the director of factory motorsport, LMDh at Porsche, continued, “We completed the first tests on a ‘real’ racetrack and managed to more than double the previous mileage of the new Porsche LMDh to over 2,000km. This shows that we used the time after the planned but canceled tests very well for this intensive preparation. Including our partners, more than 70 people were at the track. From an organizational viewpoint, that was another challenge. We’ve made major progress not only with the car but with the operational cooperation and processes within Porsche Penske Motorsport. But we still have a long way to go before we’re where we want to be.”
