I'm sitting in Hockenheim having breakfast with Walter Brun, and we're talking about yesterday. «Walti» spent several hours in Fredy Lienhard's Group C Porsche 962, and today it's my turn to drive the 962. In addition, Fredy Lienhard is also letting me drive his Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 for the Curbs track day. So, two generations of Porsche motorsport history in one day – that's not something you get every day either. What's also interesting is that in the years 2007 and 2008, I competed against these Porsche LMP2 I've driven. So today I'll sound out my competition from back then.
As in the 2008 season, Ho-rag Racing from Switzerland still prepares the LMP2 for Fredy Lienhard today. Benny Hotz helps me buckle up in the LMP2 with chassis number 707. I almost feel at home in the Porsche. The cockpit and seating position resemble the Audi I drove back then. The whole cockpit atmosphere, consisting of many switches and rotary knobs located in the cockpit or directly on the steering wheel to ensure quick operation, often with just a small finger movement on the steering wheel, such as the shift paddles located behind the steering wheel for up or downshifting. Quick gear changes are standard for this generation of race cars. Here, one could gain several seconds, as you simply stay at full throttle and hardly have any interruption in power, thus losing almost no time during gear changes. Taking your foot off the gas and clutching is obsolete.
Déjà vu in the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2
Here we go: Start the engine, pull the shift paddle to the right behind the steering wheel, first gear is engaged, and release the clutch. I drive out of the pit lane; the «pit speed limiter» is engaged. At 60 km/h, the limiter kicks in and the engine starts to make its agonized sound. At the end of the pit lane, I press the «pit speed limiter» button, and the beast is ready to go. I accelerate and shift up through the gears while keeping my left foot on the brake to bring the carbon-fiber brakes up to temperature. Even in the «Parabolica,» I drive the car «against the brakes,» because otherwise, cold carbon-fiber brakes will just give you the cold shoulder instead of delivering their full performance. Somehow, it all feels familiar. The whole process is just as I remember it from my Audi years with the LMP1 cars, the R8, R10, and R15. The grip from the Michelin tires comes on relatively quickly, and after half a lap I feel like I’m already in race mode, and everything is at operating temperature. I’m practically flying down the start/finish straight, fifth gear almost redlined at the end, when the braking point for Turn 1 comes up. I brake at a barely believable 60 meters, shift down to fourth gear, and am back on the gas immediately; I lightly hit the curbs on the far left, all while already back at full throttle. Just past the curb, I’m already shifting back into fifth gear. So I head toward Turn 2 at full throttle. 170 meters before Turn 2, I shift into sixth gear. Others have long since started braking here, but I don’t brake until about 100 meters out. There, I hit the brakes hard; the carbon-fiber brakes bite down powerfully, and I’m pulled tightly into my seatbelts—my head wants to snap forward. The tire grip enables aggressive braking, and despite the bumps, everything works very well here. During the braking phase, I quickly shift down from sixth to second gear and brake into the turn, almost up to the inner curb. Then there’s no pause—I can immediately «open the throttle» again and start accelerating out of the tight right-hander. Traction control helps the V8 engine here by preventing it from showing too much of its potential, and grip remains during acceleration, allowing the car to literally shoot out of the tight corner.
Full speed through the «Parabolica»
Even before I enter the left turn, I've already revved out second gear and shifted into third. Full throttle through the left, my neck tries to hold my head, and even before I'm on the outside curb, I shift into fourth. At the end of the curb, it's fifth gear already, and full throttle into the «Parabolica.» Now it feels a bit sluggish from the engine. I was used to something different, coming from the V12 Audi diesel. The engine keeps revving, and then it's through the «Parabolica» in sixth gear. I find the steering extremely direct. You have to hold the steering wheel very delicately at this high speed; the car reacts to the slightest movement of the steering wheel, and I find that a bit uncomfortable when the car reacts unnecessarily, especially at high speeds. And these movements on the steering wheel can result from bumps in the road. After the long full-throttle section, then again at about 150 meters, I brake hard to slow down to just under 60 km/h for the hairpin, Hockenheim's slowest section of track. While doing so, my head snaps forward, my neck muscles are strained, it would have been too short a time. My neck muscles finally get something to do after a long time. You feel the pressure in the seatbelts as the car decelerates. During braking, I shift back down to first gear. On this short braking distance, conventional shifting, without this modern technology here, wouldn't even be possible; the time would be too short.
The neck says hello
I brake hard right into the turn, but I’m already easing off the gas slightly on the inside before the curb. The car handles the apex superbly. On the way to the outer curb, I open the throttle more and more as the steering lightens. In the hairpin, the car shows surprisingly good «bite» on the front axle. Normally, you always have very strong understeer here. So far, the Porsche RS Spyder has demonstrated a high level of grip in both medium-speed and slow corners. Then it’s full throttle toward the Mercedes grandstand. Now we’re heading toward the «kink» of a fast right-hand turn; I approach it in fifth gear, drive through it at full throttle, and shift to sixth gear at the exit. Then late and hard braking for the tight left-hand turn, downshifting all the way to second gear. Turn in and brake a little more into the turn. Just before the apex, I can ease off the throttle a bit with the Power button. At the exit, open the throttle more, shift to third gear, accelerate fully, and bring the car left toward the curb. Immediately turn into the next right-hand turn at the curb while shifting into fourth gear. I don’t take the right-hander at full throttle, but definitely with a lot of speed—my neck is really feeling it… Then, at the exit, fifth gear and full throttle toward the Motodrom entrance. Brake, fourth gear, turn in, and back on the gas early, right after turning in. That’s pretty fast, fourth gear, almost full throttle. The downforce is breathtaking. Shortly after, fifth gear, then brake into the Sachs curve, downshift: fourth, third, second gear. Turn in and hit the gas again. It’s unbelievable how quickly you can hit the gas again and build up speed right from the early corner entry. Accelerate out of the Sachs curve and into third gear, turn into the left-right passage, which I accelerate through fully and shift into fourth. Then brake for the double right-handers, back to third gear and light throttle at first. The short straight section at full throttle, then turn into the final corner and accelerate early. Even before I’ve finished the corner, I shift out of third and into fourth gear, then fifth on the start/finish line. It’s crazy how fast this all goes by. Everything just flies past you. I’m transported back to my old sports prototype days. It’s amazing that we used to drive at the limit for hours on end. At first, your mind can barely keep up with what’s happening. You just react on reflex. A lot of it feels familiar from my Audi days. The Porsche has incredible braking. An LMP2 is just a lot lighter than an LMP1, and you can really feel it. And the aerodynamics are top-notch too, allowing for incredibly high cornering speeds. Porsche has put together a great package here. The Porsche RS Spyder used to spin out on us quite often back then. Now I know why.
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Photos: Peter Heil