THE LESSON FROM AUSTIN: WHEN PORSCHE DOESN’T PUT A FOOT WRONG

The victory of the #6 Porsche at the Six Hours of Austin was no surprise. Just like their extraordinary run at Le Mans, where they single-handedly held off three Ferraris, it wasn’t a coincidence. Nor is it a coincidence that Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor already have a world drivers’ title on their résumé: when an opening appears, they seize it without hesitation.

As soon as the weather forecast in Texas became clear, the thought was immediate: “this is Porsche’s race.” Because regardless of a Balance of Performance that seemed to have stripped competitiveness from the German brand, the rain was the variable that could turn everything upside down. And that’s exactly what happened.

How many crews, under that torrential downpour, managed to race without mistakes? Probably only the #6. Vanthoor and Campbell executed with surgical precision, always staying locked onto the lead pack without taking unnecessary risks. Then came Estre’s decisive stint: an immediate attack on Pier Guidi and an overtake on the Ferrari, followed by a relentless pace that made the difference.

To put it in perspective: at the last restart, with an hour and twenty minutes to go, the #5 Porsche was running fourth and in the fight for the podium. By the checkered flag, after Christensen’s stint, it had slipped to tenth, a minute and sixteen seconds adrift of its sister car. That gap says more than a thousand words about Estre’s performance.

Behind the winner, the #50 Ferrari secured a tidy second place without any real fireworks, partly due to a less incisive Fuoco than usual. Third went to Peugeot, which—like Porsche—used the rain to mask its structural weaknesses. Further back, the #51 Ferrari limited the damage with a fifth-place finish, benefiting from the double retirement of the Aston Martins, which otherwise would have been serious wet-weather threats.

Some regrets remain for the #51: Pier Guidi had the chance to counter Estre’s overtake, especially as the track dried and the 499Ps grew faster. The technical superiority was there, but in endurance racing it’s all about management: some races aren’t won an hour and forty from the end, but they can certainly be lost there.

On the disappointments front: Cadillac was never in contention, hurt by an anonymous qualifying and an equally lackluster race. Toyota looked unrecognizable, undone by BoP choices and too many errors (Lopez above all). Alpine and BMW, finally, looked completely lost in the wet: their road ahead is still very long.

One sour note even for Porsche: the choice to start with Andlauer in the #5 instead of saving him for the final stint didn’t pay off.

A small but important footnote: the triumph of the #83 Ferrari of AF Corse in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams has flown far too under the radar. This is the title reserved for “non-factory” teams in the WEC’s premier class. In the end, it’s the first title brought back to Maranello in endurance’s top category. Specialist media, where are you?

Now all eyes turn to Fuji. It will be Toyota’s moment of truth: if they can’t fight for victory even on home turf, then the message will be loud and clear.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri

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