Feller “Really Enjoying Challenge” of Porsche Switch

Ricardo Feller is “really enjoying the challenge” of adapting to the Porsche 911 GT3 R as the reigning Nürburgring 24 winner prepares to tackle the event with the Stuttgart marque for the first time.

The Swiss racer shares the No. 16 Scherer Sport PHX entry with Patric Niederhauser, Laurens Vanthoor and Patrick Pilet, who was added to the lineup as part of an updated entry list issued on Thursday.

Feller won the N24 with Scherer Sport PHX last year in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II and has remained with the Meuspath-based squad as it went through a partial brand switch for the 53rd running of the event.

The 25-year-old has mainly done Pro-Am racing in his first season with Porsche, joining Lionspeed GP’s Bronze Cup effort in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance and Sprint Cup.

The N24 will mark the first time that he has formed part of a Pro lineup with Porsche in a major event.

Feller spoke positively about the adaptation process as he moves from the mid-engined Audi to the rear-engined Porsche.

“It’s going well, honestly,” Feller told Sportscar365. “I’m really enjoying driving the Porsche more and more.

“I just have to learn two or three details still because to gain lap time on a qualifying lap with the peak of the tire, you maybe need to drive a bit different compared to what I know from the Audi.

“So the adaption is still going on obviously, but I’m really enjoying the challenge enjoying to learn a new car to see it in different tracks and scenarios. It’s good.”

The 52nd edition of the N24 that Feller won last year went into the history books as the shortest-ever in the event’s history, having been red flagged after seven hours and 23 minutes due to fog.

“Obviously I really hope that we will have a clean 24-hour race,” Feller said about his title defense.

“It can be wet, it can be slippery, I have no problem with that but would be just cool for all the teams and all especially the spectators to have a full race.

“Other than that, I’m supper happy that Scherer also switched to Porsche. Super happy with the lineup, with Niedi, one of my best friends, and Laurens, who is super quick in this car.

“I think we can really look forward to this weekend. The preparation races [went] well.”

Scherer Sport PHX enters the N24 weekend having swept the Qualifiers in May, with Vanthoor and Niederhauser having taken both victories with Feller absent due to clashing DTM commitments.

Feller, who competed at NLS3 as part of the N24 preparations, praised the rate at which the team has gotten up to speed with the Porsche package.

“You just feel like these are really good guys and immediately they were on the same page with the Porsche,” said Feller.

“We didn’t have any problems, any technical stuff. Car was just working, car was actually driving really well.

“We have a good engineering crew, we have a good mechanic crew, so they are always up there at the Nürburgring somehow.

“It’s a completely different track, you can’t compare it, but they have the experience and they know what a car needs to be quick on this track. And it doesn’t matter in the end what car it is.”