The team completed a hard-fought race in the southern US. The fifth round of the current FIA WEC season took place under overcast skies at the six-hour race in Austin.
In unseasonably cold weather, the first race of the year following the winter break was dominated by ingenious tire management: this time, it was less about protecting the tires from the heat, and more about bringing them up to operating temperature. The success of this approach was already evident during qualifying. Following a strong performance, the Porsche 911 RSR with start number 91 secured second place, thereby starting the race from a promising position.
The motorsport fans who made their way to Circuit of the Americas enjoyed six thrilling hours: various battles and pit stop strategies characterized an intense race that ended without a single safety-car phase, despite so much contact. At the front of the field, there was an ongoing contest for the best positions. By the time the race ended after six hours and a total of 173 laps, the two Porsche drivers, Kévin Estre and Michael Christensen, had managed to defend second place, thereby clinching a fourth podium finish in the fifth race of the new season.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, the duel between Ferrari and the second 911 RSR came to an abrupt end: after one of the many bends on this demanding circuit, a technical defect forced the Porsche #91 lying in fourth place to slow down: for a short time, Gianmarie Bruni was unable to change gear. After rebooting the electrics, he steered the car into the pits – a laborious battery change cost valuable time and thus the chance of one of the top positions. Nevertheless, the two drivers finished the race in seventh place.