New Porsche Penske LMDh entry completes race track testing
The new LMDh prototype from Porsche Penske Motorsport has passed its first test on an international stage with flying colours. On Circuit de Catalunya, close to the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona, the new racing machine covered more than two thousand kilometres of hard driving. The focus of the test runs was to set up the on-board systems, evaluate tyre characteristics and optimise interaction between the car’s turbocharged V8 combustion engine and its hybrid powertrain, as prescribed by LMDh regulations. Over several days of testing, new Porsche works drivers, Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron, were among those who put the near 500kW (670bhp) monster through its paces.
“The successful tests in Barcelona were an enormously important step in vehicle development,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, a role he assumed in October, succeeding long-time Porsche motorsport man, Fritz Enzinger. “During our first laps at the Porsche test track in Weissach, it was critical to ensure the basic functions of the LMDh prototype worked. In Spain, however, we saw the entire scope of race car development, including endurance runs, setup work and, very importantly, the optimisation of interaction between all partners involved in this project,” he adds, referring to Porsche’s LMDh collaborators, chiefly Penske, Michelin and chassis manufacturer, Multimatic.
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“We made great progress from day to day during these tests. The feedback from the drivers, the engineers and the team was consistently positive,” sums up Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director at Porsche Penske Motorsport. “We’re the first team to put an LMDh vehicle through its paces in test mode. This gives us the chance to systematically sort out every aspect of our car over the coming weeks and months in preparation for taking the fight to our rivals during the 2023 season.”
Porsche is continuing its LMDh prototype development programme on various racetracks in Europe and North America. In autumn, the car will be homologated, followed by its first race outing: the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. “I climbed into the LMDh car for the first time a fortnight before we landed in Spain,” Cameron told us. “That was in Weissach, primarily for the car’s functional tests. The progress I witnessed there was impressive, but during testing in Spain, we made further gains. Each day we managed to cover more mileage and the performance improved noticeably. Of course, at this early development stage, it’s not about pushing the car to its limit, but based on my experience behind the wheel, it’s clear there is an incredible amount of potential to further develop and improve this amazing racing machine.”
LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) is a new type of sports-prototype race car which will be used in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship alongside Le Mans Hypercars from the 2022 season. LMDh cars will also be used in the Grand Touring Prototype class of the IMSA Sportscar Championship from 2023. To promote a level playing field, manufacturers are able to enter cars built around chassis supplied by either Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic or Oreca. Xtrac will supply transmissions, with Bosch and Williams Advanced Engineering providing hybrid systems and batteries, channelling 50kW to the rear axle. Cars must run to a minimum weight of 1,030kg, but can use a manufacturer-specified internal combustion engine (delivering a minimum of 630bhp). Porsche, Audi, Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Alpine have confirmed entries for LMDh, with more manufacturers expected to sign up in due course.