Porsche reveal 2015 factory 911 RSR drivers
Porsche has announced the line-ups for its 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship and Tudor United SportsCar Championship campaigns, with Weissach once again fielding two Porsche 991 RSRs in both international endurance series.
The big announcement is 2014 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion, Earl Bamber’s promotion to factory roster, with the Kiwi ace set to line-up in a Porsche 911 RSR alongside Jörg Bergmeister for the 2015 Tudor USCC season.
Bamber put in a starring role at this year’s Petit Le Mans, substituting for the injured Richard Lietz at the Road Atlanta season closer. The 24-year-old’s season will get underway at Daytona where Frédéric Makowiecki will join Bamber and Bergmeister for the Rolex 24 Hours.
Total 911 columnist, Nick Tandy will once again line-up in a Porsche North America Racing 991 RSR as the Briton returns for a second season in the United SportsCar Championship. For 2015, Tandy will be partnered with Patrick Pilet, the Frenchman who helped the no. 911 crew to victory at Daytona in 2014.
For the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona, Tandy and Pilet will be joined by Porsche 919 LMP1 driver (and ex-GT ace) Marc Lieb, who will return to the cockpit of an RSR for the first time since his 2013 FIA WEC campaign.
Like the TUSCC, Porsche’s 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship pairings have seen a large shuffle, with Michael Christensen – who impressed during his debut season as a factory driver in 2014 – moving across to the world championship to drive for Porsche Team Manthey.
He will be joined by Lietz (who moves back to the WEC after a year partnering Tandy in the US), Makowiecki and Pilet. However, “the definitive driver combinations depend on who will rise from the ranks of the current GT pilots to take a seat in our third LMP1 racer,” explains Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for R&D.
Saturday’s annual Night of Champions event came just after Thursday’s conclusion of a three-day test at Motorland Aragon where GT regulars, Tandy, Christensen and Makowiecki all extensively drove the 919 Hybrid LMP1 car.
It was the trio’s second time behind the wheel of Porsche’s top class racer as Weissach continues to decide who will partner Nico Hülkenberg in the third 919 at Spa and Le Mans in 2015.
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