Tuesday 10th April 2018

Porsche 919 Evo quicker than F1 at Spa

Porsche may have officially ended its LMP1 campaign, but it's not done just yet...

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This year's Le Mans will be a very different race to previous 24-hour epics, with Toyota the only team to field a factory LMP1 effort. The departure of Porsche - after a record 18 wins don't forget - will create a significantly altered atmosphere in 2018.

That being said, Porsche isn't quite done with its triumphant 919 just yet. As part of the #919tribute tour taking place this year, Porsche has created the 919 Hybrid Evo. And we all know cars with Evo tacked on their name are better. With more power - a lot more power in fact, 720hp from the petrol engine and 440hp from the batteries - and even more aggressive aero, the Evo is 12 seconds a lap quicker around Spa than an ordinary 919. It also makes it quicker than a 2017 F1 car, the 1:41.770 set by Neel Jani more than seven tenths ahead of Lewis Hamilton's 1:42.553 pole lap from last year's Belgian GP. Jani averaged 153mph and hit a 223mph maximum.

The modifications didn't stop with power, either. The Evo is 39kg lighter than a 919 at 849kg, achieved through deletion of the air-con, wipers, lights and pneumatic jack system. Imagine how expensive getting rid of all that might be on a Porsche road car... Along with stronger suspension wishbones, 53 per cent more downforce thanks to new skirts, spoilers and wings, plus a brand new compound of Michelin tyre, the 919 Evo has been described as an "engineer's dream" by Porsches LMP1 Chief Race Engineer Stephen Mitas.

As yet Porsche hasn't issued a video of the lap, instead using the opportunity to celebrate the regular 919's successes with vids like this one. Fortunately a few folk with cameras did see it, and that's the video we have here.

It's genuinely staggering to watch, simply because it's a reasonably familiar silhouette cornering like an F1 car. Of course a 919 was always fast, but this is on another level entirely, Jani saying "The 919 Evo is brutally impressive. It is definitely the fastest car I ever drove. The grip level is at a fully new dimension for me, I couldn't imagine this amount beforehand." While it's a shame that something so incredible will never get to race, Porsche does have big plans for the car, with rumours that a shot at Stefan Bellof's own Porsche record are in its sights. Could the 35 year-old 6:11.13 Nordschleife lap record be about to fall?

 

[DanG355]

Very impressive as there is no need for Porsche to do this but still they do...

I am a Porsche fan boy, but hope the Bellof record remains unbroken as it is a real legacy and was set in the best era of Sportscar racing. I guess records are there to be broken and not many have stood for as long as the Bellof lap. Also his would remain the record for a car within the racing rules!

[DanG355]

They have nothing to prove but still Porsche do it - that's why it's impressive. I'd happily see other manufacturers build quasi-racers take on Porsche and get a faster lap here.

I agree, a lot of modern racing cars could be adapted to be faster and even have a crack at the outright Nurburgring record, but nobody else has and even Porsche might not fancy that one despite the road car record falling countless times.

Shows what a difficult challenge it is and what a truly special lap the Bellof one is.

Edited by DanG355 on Tuesday 10th April 11:36