News
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring on 16 July is the last event on European soil for the 2017 Sports Car World Endurance Championship. After the Nürburgring round, five overseas races will be contested in Mexico, USA, Japan, China and Bahrain. On the storied racetrack in Germany’s Eifel region, the
The race
The Nürburgring is one of the most tradition-steeped racetracks in the world. Motorsport fans associate the Eifel circuit with the unforgotten 1,000-kilometre races on the legendary Nordschleife. The Sports Car World Endurance Championship
WEC is contested on the 5.148-kilometre Grand Prix circuit with its 16 corners. When the Nürburgring first hosted the race series in 2015,
The
Four works drivers compete for the
The
The 911 RSR, which celebrated its race debut at the Daytona 24-hour classic in January, is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure, aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed in Weissach from scratch. Depending on the size of the restrictor, the motor, which is now positioned in front of the rear axle, puts out around 375 kW (510 hp). Thanks to the large rear diffuser combined with a top-mounted rear wing, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved.
The schedule
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring starts on Sunday, 16 July, at 13.00 hrs CEST.
Live on TV
Sport 1 broadcasts the race as well as start preparations and the podium ceremony live from 12.30 to 19.45 hrs. To set the mood,
Comments before the race
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars: “It’s not only the fans who enjoy the race on the Nürburgring with its great tradition in long-distance events. The entire
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “We face two main challenges at the Nürburgring. Firstly, we have to see how quickly the team can adjust to the race after the long break following Le Mans, and how can we best optimise our procedures. Secondly, will we manage to find the best possible setup for our new 911 RSR for this demanding racetrack? On top of this, we have to be prepared for absolutely everything in the Eifel and make sure that we have the right tyres for all eventualities.”
Richard Lietz (911 RSR #91): “The Nürburgring is one of the most exciting racetracks on the calendar. The break after Le Mans was very long, and so we can hardly wait for the season to continue on our home turf. I won the WEC race here in 2015 with Michael. I’m sure a lot of
Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR #91): “The Nürburgring is
Michael Christensen (911 RSR #92): “I have only wonderful memories of the Nürburgring. In 2013 I won my very first race in the
Kévin Estre (911 RSR #92): “Le Mans was my home race, the Nürburgring is
Balance of Performance (BoP)
The “Balance of Performance” applies to the GTE-Pro class of the WEC Sports Car World Endurance Championship as well as the GTLM class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. “BoP” was introduced by the FIA with the aim of achieving a level playing field for the different vehicle concepts, and thus ensuring balanced and fair races. The intention is that it should not make a fundamental difference if a vehicle is powered by a turbocharged or normally aspirated engine, or if the engine is mounted on the front axle or in front of the rear axle. The basic aerodynamic shape of the vehicles should also not play a decisive role. After an initial grading by the FIA, the balance of performance is adjusted at the races by means of telemetry - not only using lap times, but also acceleration profiles and engine mappings. This data input is automatically analysed and incorporated into the “Balance of Performance”. The most frequently used means of adjusting the performance level is through adding or subtracting weight. In keeping with the rule-makers’ intention, the key to success on the racetrack is not about the individual potential of a vehicle, instead it’s about the performance of the drivers, the race strategy, a perfect setup or the skill of the team with their pit stops.
The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) in four classes: LMP1 (eg.
All reports on the previous season can be found in our archive.