JOTA Treating Porsche 963 Debut as “Prolonged Test”

Hertz Team JOTA is treating its first race with the Porsche 963 this weekend as a “prolonged test” with realistic expectations, according to team co-owner Sam Hignett.

The British squad received its customer LMDh car from Porsche last Friday, in a shakedown and handover process at the German manufacturer’s racing headquarters in Weissach.

The shakedown, which Hignett said “went without a hitch,” consisted of two 20-lap runs on Porsche’s in-house test track with factory driver Matt Campbell behind the wheel.

JOTA then transported its car, which has since been applied in a Hertz racing gold livery, from Germany to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium where it will take part in the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The event at Spa will offer the No. 38 Porsche over ten hours of track time across multiple sessions and a six-hour race.

“It’s been hectic, but the guys have done a good job,” Hignett told Sportscar365.

“We’re here. Still got a few headaches to deal with, but hopefully we’ll be up and running into the weekend.

“It’s a prolonged test for us, but we’re here to run in the race and compete as much as we can. But the expectations of everybody are realistic.”

Hignett described it as a “big ask” for Hertz Team JOTA to be competing in the thick of the Hypercar field on its first proper outing with the hybrid-powered LMDh.

JOTA geared up for its Hypercar debut by running an Oreca 07 Gibson in the LMP2 category at Sebring and Portimao, and took a class victory in the season-opener.

Hypercar drivers Antonio Felix da Costa, Yifei Ye and Will Stevens were involved in those preliminary appearances, along with Silver-rated David Beckmann, as JOTA kept its No. 38 crew active while waiting to receive the new Porsche.

“The goal is to get the experience of the car and for the drivers to get the experience,” said Hignett. “So let’s see what we can do. Who knows.

“We’re all learning. [Porsche] are learning how to support us and we’re learning about how to be supported, so it’s a learning process.”

Hignett added that the short gap between the car’s first shakedown and its race debut on Saturday has been a particularly busy time for the crew members.

“There were late nights to get the car fitted, but it was fairly sensible this week,” he said.

“But now it will be late nights in this weekend, getting everything done. But it is what it is: we’re here to show our colors and do the best we can.”