Matt Campbell (AUS) / Michael Christensen (DEN) / Frederic Makowiecki (FRA) #05 Porsche Penske Motorsport, Porsche 963.
26-27.02.2024. FIA World Endurance Championship, Official Prologue, Doha, Qatar.
– www.xpbimages.com, E-mail: [email protected] © Matt Campbell from Australia, Michael Christensen from Denmark, and Frederic Makowiecki from France were the drivers of the Porsche Penske Motorsport #05, also known as Porsche 963. This took place during the Official Prologue of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Doha, Qatar, on February 26 and 27, 2024.
The first free practice session of the season saw Matt Campbell as the fastest driver in the Porsche Penske 963 #5. This session was part of the opening of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season in Qatar. The session took place at the Losail International Circuit, which was a new venue for the WEC.
Teams were preparing for the 10-hour race scheduled to take place on March 2. The Hypercar field, consisting of 19 cars, was highly competitive, with Porsche factory and customer cars showing their strength throughout the session.
Phil Hanson, former LMP2 champion and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, made his debut in the Hypercar category driving the #38 JOTA. He had previously competed in the IMSA Endurance Cup with JDC Miller MotorSports, also driving a Porsche 963.
The free practice session focused on collecting data on tire wear and race pace, rather than setting the fastest lap times. This data would be crucial for success in the season opener.
The session had several interruptions, including yellow and red flags. These interruptions were possibly caused by gravel on the track and increased wind speed compared to pre-season testing. Despite the interruptions, Matt Campbell set the fastest time in the Porsche Penske 963 #5 with a time of 1:42.486.
Other notable performances included James Calado in the AF Corse Ferrari 499P #51, who took second place with a time of 1:42.532, and Kevin Estre in the Porsche Penske #6, who finished third with a time of 1:42.593.
In the LMGT3 category, 18 cars were driven by eager drivers testing the limits of their racing lines. Warnings were issued about track limits, and drivers had to be cautious not to exceed them and avoid penalties during the race. Josh Caygill in the United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo #95 received a penalty for track limits abuse, resulting in a five-minute stop-and-go penalty.
Nico Pino set the fastest time in the LMGT3 category with a time of 1:55.824 in the United Autosports McLaren #95. The AF Corse Ferrari 296s, driven by Alessio Rovera (#55) and Davide Rigon (#54), took second and third place, respectively.
The second free practice session, Free Practice 2, was scheduled to take place later in the day at 2:30 GMT or 5:30 local time.
© 2024
