Le Mans: Porsche to Avenge Ferrari at São Paulo?

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Le Mans: Porsche to Avenge Ferrari at São Paulo?

Porsche Leads World Endurance Championships to Brazil on Sunday

Ferrari may have stolen the glory at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour, but it’s Porsche that leads the way to Brazil for the first FIA World Endurance Race to visit Interlagos’ Autódromo José Carlos Pace in a decade at Sunday’s Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo. Like the rest, Porsche must have been smarting at Ferrari’s Le Mans double, but its back to full focus on WEC glory in South America this weekend.

Endurance

It’s Been a Spectacular WEC So Far

It’s been a spectacular World Endurance Championship so far in 2024. Porsche leads the Hypercar chase on 108 points, just nine clear of Ferrari on 99, with Gazoo Toyota Racing just three points further adrift. Four different teams have won the four races so far too, so it’s super competitive, whichever way you look at it.

Porsche Penske’s 963 won the Bahrain opener, champions Toyota Gazoo Racing’s GR010 Hybrid took the Imola win, and the privateer JOTA Porsche 963 grabbed the Spa victory. Ferrari of course completed its 499 double at Le Mans. The WEC reverts to a 19-Hypercar field, with LMGT3 back to 18 cars for Brazil.

Le

Porsche Also Leads LMGT3 World Endurance Chase

It’s just as close in LMGT3, where the two Manthey Porsche 911s are tied at the top, just two points clear of the WRT BMW M3. Brazilian interest centers around LMGT3 drivers, BMW man Augusto Farfus and Nicolas Costa in a Lamborghini. The all-girl Iron Dames Lamborghini is always popular with race fans too.

The 15-turn Interlagos is the shortest WEC track for 2024. The Hypercars will still be full throttle for half the lap and should top 305 km/h on the straight. All of which makes the Balance of Performance changes since Le Mans something of a moot point. The different demands of the circuits should rather see Interlagos’ BoP compared to Spa.

Mans

World Endurance 2024 Still Very Much in the Balance

Porsche will run with an extra kilowatt, four more MJ and 9 kg heavier in São Paulo, but it may come as a surprise that Ferrari has a 16 MJ energy bonus for Brazil. Albeit offset by 5 kW less power and a 17 kg weight gain. Ferrari shares its 1060 kg mass with the now 7kg heavier Toyotas, which gain 6 MJ but lose 2 kW. Isotta Fraschini gains 5 kW and loses 18 kg at the same energy, while the rest all gain weight, power and energy.

So, with more than 104 championship points on the WEC table in Brazil, the USA, Japan and Bahrain, the 2024 World Endurance Title Fight is well and truly on. The São Paulo weekend commences with Friday practice, qualifying and Hyperpole Saturday. The race starts 11:30 local time Sunday 14 July. Follow the race via the official FIA WEC app, with live streaming available on wec.tv.

Images: FIA WEC

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