NEWS
Mark Webber is thrilled with Porsche's podium in the Silverstone World Endurance Championship opener at Silverston. Labelling the result as "massive step" for the German manufacturer on its return to top-flight sport scar racing.
Alongside co-drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, Webber finished third behind the Toyota TS040 Hybrids. Despite the relative gap to the Toyota, Webber
hailed the effort as an "astronomical" effort from the Porsche team.
"It is a great day for sportscar racing to have Porsche back on the podium and it is a massive step for us," Webber said. "I'm happy to have played a small role in the effort that's gone in from the team and everyone back at the factory to get to this point.
"It is a nice surprise for us to be as
competitive as we were. It's been a brilliant day — and we are going to work hard for the next race”.
Running a low-down-force configuration (in preparation for Le Mans) hampered the Porsches at Silverstone, but Webber was able to keep pace with Stephane Sarrazin in the second-placed Toyota during the fifth hour of the race, even passing Sarrazin just before pitting – as if to prove a point. The second Porsche 919, driven by Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, retired early in the second hour with a reported driveline issue after suspension was initially repaired due to losing a wheel on track.
Images Sean Smith Adrenal Media.WEC
Webber:
"Massive step for Porsche"