Makowiecki, Christensen Join Porsche for Portimao, Le Mans

Frederic Makowiecki and Michael Christensen have been named as the third drivers in Porsche’s works GTE-Pro crew for the 8 Hours of Portimao and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Makowiecki will join Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz in the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR-19, while Christensen will team up with his former full-time co-driver Kevin Estre and Neel Jani in the sister No. 92 machine.

The three-driver setup will be used at rounds two and four of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship. The 8 Hours of Portimao is taking place on June 13 while Le Mans has been moved to Aug. 21-22. A round at Monza sits in between the two events.

Makowiecki is set for his fourth time sharing a Porsche GTE-Pro car at Le Mans with Bruni and Lietz. The trio finished second in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the race.

Christensen, meanwhile, won the 2018 edition with Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in a ‘Pink Pig’ Porsche en route to clinching the world drivers’ championship title alongside Estre.

The Dane was replaced in the No. 92 Porsche’s full-season lineup by 2016 outright Le Mans winner Jani but will maintain a presence in the GTE-Pro driving squad for two of this year’s events.

“I’m very much looking forward to our joint outing in the number 92 car at the Portimao race,” said Christensen.

“I also feel particularly fortunate to be able to drive for Porsche at Le Mans this year. It’s the biggest, toughest and most important race on the calendar every year and, if we’re successful, the most wonderful.

“I hope we’ll perform as well as we did in 2018. Another class victory would be a dream come true.”

Porsche’s factory motorsport director Pascal Zurlinden added: “Between them, these six nominated drivers have a total of 59 Le Mans races under their belts.

“This experience is invaluable. There’s absolutely no doubt that we’ll be very well-positioned for the highlight of the year. The eight-hour race of the WEC in Portimao is the perfect complement to our intense preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Porsche has been testing its updated 911 RSR-19 models at Hockenheim ahead of the first race of the new WEC season at Spa on May 1.

From this year the 2019-spec RSR, which is also now available for customer use, sports a rear-exiting exhaust rather than a side-exit piece that featured on the original version of the car.

Sportscar365 understands that Vanthoor and Earl Bamber are set to join Cooper MacNeil in the WeatherTech Racing GTE-Pro Porsche at Le Mans.