Porsche 911 RSR - 2019

The first racing models of the 911 “991 generation” appeared in 2013 with the GT3 Cup for the Single-make Championship and the RSR for the LMGTE category, divided into two subcategories, Pro and Am, differentiated based on the drivers participating in the teams. The car benefited from refined aerodynamics, lighter components, such as the gearbox, and a lower body height.

It began its career by winning the ‘Pro’ class at Le Mans in 2013 (while the ‘997’ GT3 RSRs competed in the ‘Am’ class). The new car struggled against rival Ferrari and Aston Martin throughout the rest of the season, and this situation continued into the following year. Success finally arrived in 2015, in both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships (with Richard Lietz) in the GTE Pro class.

At the end of 2016, Porsche presented an evolution, or rather a revolution: for the first time in the model's history, the mechanical layout was completely changed with the repositioning of the engine from the classic rear cantilever installation to the centre of the car. Although the RSR designation remained unchanged and the styling did not alter the model's familiar lines, the new architecture gave the 911 improved dynamic balance, enhancing its performance.

Despite this radical change, results were slow to materialise. In 2017, In the GT class, Porsche only managed third place in the Pro class in the WEC and another third place in the team rankings, along with fifth place in the IMSA Sportscars Championship. The brand finally made its mark during the following season, which ran from April 2018 to June 2019 and therefore included two 6 Hours of Spa and two 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a successful 911 RSR in the LMGTE Championship in both the Pro and Am classes.

While Porsche was represented in the Pro class by its official Porsche GT team, which finished first in its class at the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours and second in 2019, there were  three private teams competing in the Am class with the new RSR: Project 1 and Dempsey-Proton Racing from Germany and Gulf Racing UK from the United Kingdom. Awards for best results went to the first team, entering a single car with drivers Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Lindsey and Egidio Perfetti. This trio finished third in its class at the 6 Hours of Silverstone before finishing first at Fuji, second at Shanghai and third at Sebring. At the two 2019 races concluding the championship, they finished fifth at Spa and ended strongly at Le Mans, coming 31st overall and first in LMGTE Am, less than a lap ahead of the Ferrari 488 GTE of the JMW Sport team. For the 2019–2020 season, Porsche introduced a new evolution called the ‘911 RSR 19’ with a 4.2-litre engine, among other improvements.