Lotterer: We’re in a good spot, but there’s still a job to do
The experienced #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport driver is ideally-placed to win a second FIA WEC Drivers’ title in the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain (October 31 - November 2).
André Lotterer is looking to add a second FIA World Endurance Championship title to his rich record of achievements, 12 years after clinching the inaugural crown with the Audi R18. The 42-year-old German, along with team-mates Laurens Vanthoor and Kévin Estre, holds a 35-point lead at the top of the Hypercar Drivers’ standings over the #50 Ferrari AF Corse trio (Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen) and 37 in-hand over Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries at the wheel of the #7 Toyota.
With a total of 39 points at stake in the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, the finale of the 2024 WEC season, the #6 Porsche crew holds all the cards. “In the worst-case scenario where the Ferrari takes pole and wins, we’ll have to finish P8 at least,” Lotterer told fiawec.com. “But we shouldn’t let that distract us too much. A lot can happen in an eight-hour race. We’re in a good spot, but there’s still a job to do.”
The three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner with Audi (2011, 2012 and 2014) believes it would be counter-productive for Porsche Penske Motorsport to adopt a deliberately cautious approach this close to the goal. “If we’re driving casually but suffer a technical problem, we would have had more margin to fix it if we’d pushed. In endurance racing, there is no mentality to take more or less risk. You just don’t take unnecessary risks or waste your car’s performance or make mistakes.”
Lotterer and his team-mates have made very few mistakes so far in 2024. The #6 Porsche trio have not finished a race lower than sixth, and are the only crew to have tallied five podium finishes and multiple victories in the Hypercar category. “We’ve always done a good job of finding the best set-up for each track this year. We really understood what the car needs for each circuit,” he explains.
“I couldn’t see myself in this situation”
That pattern was corroborated at the 6 Hours of Fuji, round seven of the season, where the #6 German Hypercar broke Toyota’s hegemony on the Japanese manufacturer’s home turf, much to Lotterer’s delight. “I lived in Japan for 15 years. I think I won more races at Fuji than anywhere else during my career there, but I’d never won a WEC race at Fuji, so it was such a joy!”
Following this success at the foot of Japan’s peak, Porsche Penske Motorsport found itself at the summit of both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ rankings – a situation that Lotterer would probably never have imagined last year, during the maiden campaign of the German-American alliance. “Honestly, I couldn’t see myself in this situation,” he underlines. “We badly struggled with the car’s set-up. It wasn’t easy to drive, and we drivers were complaining about the same issues. Changes were made and other engineers began to better understand the car and put it in a better set-up window. In terms of strategy, our team always made the right decisions and now we’re managing to get the most out of our package. It proves that hard work pays off.”
The #6’s remarkable campaign also carries the mark of Roger Penske. At the age of 87, the ‘Captain’ could win his 46th motorsport title – the first beyond American borders. “With his support and determination, no detail is left to chance. He puts his heart, soul and resources into it, as it’s his passion. I hope he will celebrate this.”
Lotterer believes a world crown in WEC’s Hypercar class would be all the more prestigious given the increased competition and the commitment of the biggest car brands. “It’s great; it’s what we’ve always wanted. The Hypercar platform allows a lot of manufacturers to come to WEC on an equal footing. Now, if you make a mistake, you’re not on the podium and, if you work well, there’s no reason not to race at the front. It does the championship a world of good and the fans are happy.”
