Faster Than An F1: Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo Smashes Spa-Francorchamps Lap Record

The one-off Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo has just set a new outright lap record at Spa-Francorchamps.

With factory driver Neel Jani behind the wheel, the unrestrained and unrestricted 919 Hybrid Evo lapped the circuit in 1:14.770 minutes, a hefty 0.783 seconds quicker than the record-setting pole lap set by Lewis Hamilton at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.

What’s equally remarkable about this time is that it is 12 seconds faster than the pole-setting lap set by the ‘regular’ 919 last year.

During the lap, Jani reached a top speed of 216.8 mph (359 km/h) and had an average speed of 152.6 mph (245.61 km/h). Remarkably, Porsche is apparently targeting an ultimate lap time of 1:36 minutes around the famed circuit.

This 919 makes current Formula 1 cars seem slow

The Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo started life as last year’s Le Mans-winning prototype. Free of technical regulations, its turbocharged V4 engine now delivers 720 hp and the hybrid system provides an additional 440 hp. A plethora of modifications have also seen downforce rise by 53 per cent over the ‘regular’ 919. All up, it produces more downforce than a Formula One car and weighs just under a ton with Jani on board.

Things won’t stop here for the 919 Hybrid Evo. The car will complete a ‘demo lap’ at the Nurburgring on May 12, make appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Festival of Porsche in Brands Hatch, and later participate at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion in Laguna Seca in late September.

Speaking about the record lap, vice president of Porsche’s LMP1 program Fritz Enzinger said, “This was an absolute fantastic lap – an outstanding drivers’ performance from Neel and the result of great engineering. Today’s track record impressively proves the ultimate performance of the most innovative race car of its time. Our target was to show what the Porsche 919 Hybrid is able to do when we loosen the restrictions that normally come from the regulations.”