Porsche: Jani hopes for Formula E cockpit
KONSTANZ As part of its Night of Champions, Porsche announced its drivers and race program for 2019. The only Swiss factory driver is still Neel Jani. Whether he will drive the Formula E Porsche will be decided by the end of the week. Neel Jani has been the only Swiss in the Porsche works driver squad since 2014. On the occasion of Porsche Motorsport's end-of-season party in Stuttgart [...]
Neel Jani has been the only Swiss in the Porsche works driver squad since 2014. At the Porsche Motorsport end-of-season party in Stuttgart last Saturday, the man from Lake Constance celebrated his 35th birthday.
Although Jani did not compete in any races with Porsche last season, he attracted attention in the spring when he set the unofficial lap record at the wheel of the 1200-plus hp Porsche 919 Evo at Spa-Francorchamps.
Decision by the weekend
Which program the Bernese will complete with Porsche next year will be decided at the end of this week. Jani has never made a secret of his desire to know how he envisions the future after Porsche's withdrawal from the LMP1 class of the World Endurance Championship.
Neel Jani: "They know that my goal is to enter Formula E with them. There are several options, for both sides. There are signs that it could happen, but it's not certain until everything is signed. My personal program will be decided this week."
Good connection to the new Porsche race director
On the one hand, Neel Jani's experience as a race car driver in various formulas up to Formula E speaks for him. Even though the Swiss has only completed one race weekend with Dragon Racing (exactly one year ago in Hong Kong), he knows a lot about the electric racing series. Especially since he's been interested in it since its launch and has kept himself informed about everything.
On the other hand, the Formula E project is in the hands of former LMP1 head Fritz Enzinger. The latter already thought very highly of the Swiss on the endurance track.
As of January 1, 2019, the Austrian will take over the overall management of Porsche Motorsport. Frank-Steffen Walliser, who has held this position since 2014, will move to the department of the Chairman of the Executive Board, where he will be in charge of the 718 and 911 sports car series in the future.
Focus on GT sport
Porsche Motorsport is focusing on GT racing in 2019 until it enters Formula E in the 2019/20 season. At the 87th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will conclude the year-long WEC SuperSeason next June, the Germans will once again enter four factory cars. The twelve GT works drivers at Le Mans include dual citizens Sven Müller (D/CH) and Patrick Pilet (F/CH).
At the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Manthey Racing will field two new 911 GT3 R cars on a factory contract. Porsche won both endurance classics in the past season.
All works drivers who were part of the line-up in 2018 have also received a contract for 2019. The same applies to all Porsche Young Professionals. The only newcomer to the 24-strong squad is 22-year-old New Zealander Jaxon Evans.
The new Porsche junior is the current champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia. Evans beat out ten other talented drivers from the international Porsche one-make cups in a sifting competition.
New Cayman GT4 at Daytona
The successor to the Cayman GT4 Clubsport will celebrate its world premiere on January 3, 2019, during testing in preparation for the 24 Hours of Daytona ("Roar before Daytona").
The 718 Cayman GT4 CS is the first series-produced racing car to use sustainably manufactured body parts: The front hood, doors and rear wing are made of a bio-composite fiber material.
