Lionspeed GP sixth at Nürburgring

Porsche customer team Lionspeed GP finished sixth overall at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on May 17, giving Porsche its best-finishing 911 GT3 R in this year’s edition of the Eifel endurance race. Official provisional results listed the No. 24 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26, driven by Laurin Heinrich, Laurens Vanthoor and Ricardo Feller, in sixth place after 156 laps. (newsroom.porsche.com) Porsche said three 911 GT3 R cars ended the race inside the top 10 overall. The company also said the event drew 352,000 spectators, which it described as the largest crowd yet for the race. ### Which Porsche finished highest, and who drove it? The No. 24 Lionspeed GP entry was Porsche’s top finisher at Nürburgring, according to Porsche and the official provisional classification. (newsroom.porsche.com) The car completed 156 laps in 24:13:18.170 and finished 3:06.692 behind the winner. Drivers Laurin Heinrich of Germany, Laurens Vanthoor of Belgium and Ricardo Feller of Switzerland shared the cockpit. Porsche said the Lionspeed crew started 24th on the grid after what it called a problematic build-up that included collisions in Qualifying 1 and the warm-up. During the race, the team avoided major trouble and moved forward steadily, Porsche said. (newsroom.porsche.com) ### How many Porsche 911 GT3 R cars made the top 10? Porsche said three 911 GT3 R cars finished in the top 10 overall. In addition to Lionspeed GP in sixth, the No. 54 Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R finished eighth after 155 laps, Porsche said. Porsche also said a Black Falcon-run 911 GT3 R won the Pro-Am class and finished 10th overall. (newsroom.porsche.com) The manufacturer said that car was driven by Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Müller, Dylan Pereira and Daan Arrow. ### What made this year’s race difficult? Porsche said rainy and cool conditions shaped much of the race, especially the opening half. (newsroom.porsche.com) The company said the first 12 hours featured highly unpredictable weather, single-digit temperatures and constantly changing track conditions, which complicated tire choices and contributed to spins and retirements. Maximilian Müller, GT Race Support at Porsche Motorsport, said the opening phase felt like “a full sprint race.” He said Porsche lacked some pace at the very front but added that the company was working on that before its next 24-hour target. (newsroom.porsche.com) ### How big was the event around the Nordschleife? Porsche said 352,000 spectators attended the race weekend at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, more than ever before for the event. The company also said it marked 75 years of Porsche motorsport history with 60 customer cars in a field of around 160 race cars. (newsroom.porsche.com) The race was run over the 25.378-kilometer combination of the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the original Grand Prix circuit, Porsche said. That layout and the changing weather are part of what makes the event one of the most demanding GT endurance races on the calendar. (newsroom.porsche.com) ### What comes next for Porsche’s GT program? Maximilian Müller said Porsche’s focus now turns to the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of June. That gives the Nürburgring result added weight for customer teams and factory-supported drivers preparing for the next major GT endurance race in Europe. (newsroom.porsche.com)