Four-time Formula One World Champion and great name haver, Sebastian Vettel, is set to take part in a 36-hour test of the Porsche 963 in preparation for the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
While Vettel’s role as a factory driver for the endurance race hasn’t been confirmed yet, the German sports car manufacturer has revealed its intention to field a third factory 963 Hypercar at this year’s event in a bid to enhance its prospects for an overall victory. As of now, only one driver for the car, France’s Mathieu Jaminet, has been formally announced.
For the time being, Vettel says he is just getting to grips with the 963 and hopes to get a better feel for it after having briefly driven it at Porsche’s racing headquarters in Weissach on March 21. He has also spent extensive time in the simulator
Read: Sebastian Vettel Takes E-Fuel-Powered F1 Car Around The Nurburgring
At the 36-hour test run, he will get a taste for what endurance racing is really like. The event is being held at Motorland Aragon, a 3.1-mile (5 km) racing circuit, and is being run to prepare the team for the challenges of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“I’ve always followed other racing series and my curiosity for endurance events encouraged me to just give it a shot,” said Vettel. “Now I’m excited about the long run in Aragon, and I’m looking forward to my time behind the wheel.”
At the track, he will be joined by Porsche’s works drivers, who will pilot the first two Le Mans contenders from the German brand. The lineup includes Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, Frederic Makowiecki, Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, and Laurens Vanthoor
“There was no question for us that we’d be thrilled to support his request for an opportunity to test and provide him with extensive preparation and plenty of time to drive our hybrid prototype – there’s no doubt we’ll learn a lot from his valuable feedback,” said Thomas Laudenbach, VP of Porsche Motorsport. “Our 36-hour long run with Porsche Penske Motorsport and our works drivers at Motorland Aragón offers a perfect environment for this.”
While Vettel’s 299 Grand Prix race starts in F1 have made him comfortable behind the wheel of a race car, he has had very little experience racing cars with a roof. In fact, his only other closed-roof racing car driving experience has been limited to demo laps or participation in the Race of Champions.
“It’ll definitely take an adjustment and some getting used to but everyone in the team is very open and helps me. This will be a new experience for me,” he said. “We will then see what happens next in this respect — at the moment there are no further plans for the future.”
