Porsche close to deciding which hybrid class to run in with new 919

The re-designed 919 Hybrid completed its second major test with a five-day run in Bahrain, during which more than 5000km were completed.

It will now study the data accrued in Bahrain and a test at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi last month before deciding on whether to move up from the six megajoule hybrid class to 8MJ ahead of the homologation of the car at the end of this month.

Porsche LMP1 vice-president Fritz Enzinger said: "The next step is now the homologation at the end of February.

"Then, we will also make our final decision which megajoule class will be the most efficient for us in the 2015 season."

Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb, Nico Hulkenberg, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber, who was driving a 919 for the first time since his accident in the 2014 WEC finale at Interlagos last November, shared driving duties over the five days of running in Bahrain.

Andreas Seidl, team principal of the LMP1 squad, revealed that Porsche tested until 2am on one day in order to find favourable track conditions.

"The strong, sand-blowing winds were a disturbing factor and made it difficult to draw clear conclusions from the set-up work," he explained.

"Because at night the conditions were a bit more consistent, we changed our operating hours and once we even drove until two o'clock in the morning."

Seidl described the results of the test as "encouraging but not meaningful enough yet".

He said that the five drivers who tried the car in Bahrain agreed with those who took part in the Abu Dhabi test that the new 919 is more driveable than its predecessor.

The mid-corner understeer problem that was the original car's major weakness is understood to have been overcome.