Copyright RACER
It's going to be a challenging week emotionally for everyone inside the Porsche Penske Motorsport garages at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, whatever happens. Not only is the No. 6 crew in with a shot to defend its FIA Hypercar drivers' world championship title and fight for manufacturers' honors with the sister No. 5 car, it's also the final race for the WEC arm of PPM's 963 program. There's plenty going on in the background, including critical discussions between Proton, Penske, Porsche and the championship organizers, as all parties look to salvage some form of presence in Hypercar for the German OEM in 2026. Confidence levels that we'll see two 963s on the grid in Qatar have been fluctuating on a daily basis; the key takeaway, though, is that all is not lost as the series navigates the fallout of Porsche's bombshell withdrawal announcement. But the status of Porsche in the WEC next year is not the headline item on this week's agenda; instead, it's Saturday's race in Bahrain. It's the final race of the season, which brings with it a chance for Porsche's factory team to write a fairytale ending for its Hypercar program. “The manufacturers' (title) is not the priority, the priority is to come away with as many championships as we can," Team Penske President Jonathan Diuguid said. "The feedback I’ve given the team is that if the race results in Bahrain are the same as Fuji we can walk away with both; it’s achievable. Both cars score points. We’re going to take what we can and try not to sacrifice one or the other.” The situation is this: Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre, the full-season drivers in the No. 6, are 21 off the leading Ferrari crew, and 39 points are up for grabs. In the manufacturers' standings, a maximum score of 66 points is on the table, and 39 points separates the leader, Ferrari, and its challenger from Stuttgart. The stretch of the campaign when Ferrari looked untouchable is beginning to feel like a distant memory. Ferrari hasn't won since Le Mans, as the BoP has ebbed and flowed and the 499P has been put to the test on circuits that don't play to its strengths; Porsche, meanwhile, has found consistency over the past four races and made up key ground. Asked about the turnaround that Porsche has orchestrated since the trucks unloaded at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June, Vanthoor admitted that he thought all was lost after a dismal run through the opening stanza of the season. In fact, he didn't believe that back-to-back titles would be possible until the race at Circuit of The Americas. “Before Le Mans, we thought it wasn’t going to happen this year," he said. "Ferrari was strong, winning all the races. After Le Mans, it was the same thought, but in Austin, I thought that if we had a good Fuji and Ferrari made mistakes, then we still had a shot. "In Austin, that’s when I started believing in it and trying to convince others around us that it’s still possible. Now we're in a position where it is still possible. It’s not the same as last year when we were the favorites, but I know, having been in that position, that it’s easy to make mistakes. "You always want to be in a position with a point advantage over the others and with more room for your result. But it’s the most stressful situation when you have everything to lose. We’ll need luck on our side and perform better, but the approach is more relaxed. We have to go for it without thinking too much or holding back. It’s easier to attack than defend. It's a different approach. We will see which one is nicer in the end." The motivation for all concerned is clear. With the team, in its current guise at least, disbanding after the finale and the Mannheim base that the program is run from being shut down, this is a group fueled by a range of emotions. "We want to show the IMSA side that the WEC side is as good and clinch this title. To finish strong and show the world we are the benchmark," Estre said. “It’s the end of a crew, of a team of people we’ve been working with for three or four years. It’s not going to be easy, but the fact that we can work for the championship can put a smile on our faces and add motivation to finish this championship. It’ll be emotional, but, we have to be focused on our goals.” Porsche Penske Motorsport's WEC project with the 963 has not been the longest-standing Porsche sports car program, or the most successful, but it's delivered key wins and a title in the most competitive and deep era for the WEC's top class. There are so many memories for the team's key players to reflect on, and they'll be playing over and over in their minds as they navigate the event. "There are too many. Just being a part of the group since day one and overcoming hurdles and building the team together is something I'm proud of," admitted Vanthoor when asked to pick out a special moment. For Diuguid, who has led the program on both sides of the Atlantic through his role at Penske, the start to 2024 stood out. "2023 was such a struggle, there's no other way to describe it," he remembered. "There were difficult conversations, doubts and questions of the group at all levels. Then we started off 2024 with a win in Daytona and pole and a win in Qatar. They were really strong performances and it was a turning point." Playing the role of disruptor and beating Ferrari to the world championships will require flawless execution and more than just a dash of luck as night falls on the Sakhir Circuit on Saturday. The BoP table for the event will play a part in setting the performance hierarchy, and it includes several tweaks to the title-contending cars. Ferrari's 499Ps will race five kilos lighter, and with an uptick in max power below 250 kph, while the 963s will compete four kilos heavier, down nine KW on max power below 250 kph but plus 2.3 percent in power gain above 250. Cadillac, which has a horse in the race with the No. 12 V-Series.R, has received a reduction of 24 KW in max power, an additional four kilos of weight, and a power gain increase of six percent. Tire strategy will be key due to the aggressive surface too. Over the years, we've seen a number of cars come alive and climb the timing screens as the temperature has dropped towards the end of the race. Will it be the Porsche strategy desk that turns heads this time? Estre points towards Porsche's consistency since Le Mans as evidence that snatching the titles at the end can be done. For the No. 6 crew, a run that has included second place at Le Mans, second in São Paulo, a win at COTA and a podium in Fuji has seen them claw their way into contention and firmly in the four-way fight along with the No. 51 factory Ferrari, No. 83 Le Mans-winning Ferrari from AF Corse and No. 12 Cadillac. "We performed well at the right time," he said. "The others are a little scared, and they should be because we’ve proven over multiple years that we are strong. We’ll try our best to put them under pressure.”
