Porsche logs more than 4000km with 2016 WEC racer in tyre test

Reigning World Endurance Champions Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley undertook five days of testing aboard the upgraded 919 at the Yas Marina Circuit, which was focused on tyre development with Michelin.

Porsche was trying different construction and compounds of Michelin slick and will make its decisions on which tyres to race this season on the basis of the test and an earlier run in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the month.

Porsche LMP1 team principal Andreas Seidl said: "It is a demanding and important task to make the right choices from the variety of tyres, because we will spend the season on them.

"Consistent conditions are essential to get reliable results: in Abu Dhabi we didn't only have dry conditions, but also constant temperatures."

The 4142km covered by Webber, Bernhard and Hartley this week followed 2059km completed by team-mates Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb at the first test of 2016 for Porsche's P1 squad.

This run in the first week of February was interrupted by a day after the upgraded 919 sustained chassis damage and a replacement monocoque had to be flown in.

The 919 was understood to be very close to the configuration in which it will start the season.

An upgraded powertrain and revised front suspension have been testing since last year.
Porsche will continue its development programme in Europe as it begins endurance testing ahead of the start of the WEC season.