Porsche racing history · 2014–2017
Porsche 919 Hybrid: Le Mans Wins, Specs & Records
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The Porsche 919 Hybrid was Porsche's LMP1 prototype in the World Endurance Championship from 2014 to 2017. A 2.0-liter turbo V4 plus a front-axle hybrid system gave it more than 900 hp. It won Le Mans three years running (2015–2017) and six world titles, and the 919 Evo later lapped the Nordschleife in 5:19.55.
The 919 Hybrid marked Porsche's return to the top class of sports-car racing in 2014. The WEC's LMP1 rules capped how much fuel and recovered energy a car could use, not how it made its power. Porsche answered with a compact 2.0-liter turbocharged V4 driving the rear wheels and an electric motor driving the front axle, fed by energy recovered from both the brakes and the exhaust. The first win came at São Paulo, the final round of its debut season.
From 2015 the 919 ran in the highest energy class, 8 megajoules per Le Mans lap. Porsche won the 24 Hours in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and took the WEC manufacturers' and drivers' titles in all three seasons. The factory LMP1 program ended after 2017. Porsche then unleashed a 919 Hybrid Evo with no regulatory limits, which set lap records at Spa and on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2018.
919 Hybrid history, year by year
- 2014 — Debut season in the FIA WEC. The No. 14 car of Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb wins the season finale at São Paulo, the 919's first victory.[1],[2]
- 2015 — First Le Mans win, a 1-2 finish for the No. 19 and No. 17 cars. Porsche also wins the WEC manufacturers' and drivers' titles.[2],[3],[4]
- 2016 — Second Le Mans win (No. 2: Dumas / Jani / Lieb) and a second pair of WEC titles.[2],[4]
- 2017 — The No. 2 car recovers from 54th place to win Le Mans, Porsche's 19th overall win there. A third straight manufacturers' and drivers' double follows, and the program ends after the season.[4],[5],[6]
- 2018 — The unrestricted 919 Hybrid Evo laps Spa in 1:41.770 (Neel Jani, April 9) and the Nordschleife in 5:19.55 (Timo Bernhard, June 29), beating a lap record that had stood since 1983.[6]
Porsche 919 Hybrid specs
| Engine | 2.0 L turbocharged V4 with direct injection, driving the rear axle[7] |
|---|---|
| Engine power | Just under 500 hp (368 kW), per the 2017 car[7] |
| Hybrid system | Front-axle electric motor adding over 400 hp (294 kW); energy recovered from front brakes and an exhaust turbine, stored in a lithium-ion battery[7] |
| System output | More than 900 hp (662 kW); all-wheel drive when the front motor deploys[7] |
| Energy class | 8 MJ of recovered energy and at most 4.31 L of fuel per Le Mans lap[7] |
| Chassis | Carbon-fiber composite monocoque in sandwich construction[7] |
| 919 Hybrid Evo (2018) | 720 hp engine + 440 hp electric motor = 1,160 hp system output[6] |
| Years raced | 2014–2017 (FIA WEC, LMP1)[4],[6] |
919 Hybrid race results and wins
| Year | Event | Result | Car / drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 6 Hours of São Paulo (WEC) | 1st overall (first win)[1],[2] | 919 Hybrid #14 — Romain Dumas / Neel Jani / Marc Lieb |
| 2015 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall (1-2 finish)[2],[4] | 919 Hybrid #19 — Earl Bamber / Nico Hülkenberg / Nick Tandy |
| 2015 | FIA WEC | Manufacturers' and drivers' champions[4] | 919 Hybrid — Timo Bernhard / Brendon Hartley / Mark Webber |
| 2016 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall[2] | 919 Hybrid #2 — Romain Dumas / Neel Jani / Marc Lieb |
| 2016 | FIA WEC | Manufacturers' and drivers' champions[4] | 919 Hybrid — Romain Dumas / Neel Jani / Marc Lieb |
| 2017 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall[5],[8] | 919 Hybrid #2 — Earl Bamber / Timo Bernhard / Brendon Hartley |
| 2017 | FIA WEC | Manufacturers' and drivers' champions[4] | 919 Hybrid — Earl Bamber / Timo Bernhard / Brendon Hartley |
| 2018 | Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record (919 Hybrid Evo) | 5:19.55, 233.8 km/h average[6] | 919 Hybrid Evo — Timo Bernhard |
What made the 919 Hybrid significant
- It gave Porsche three consecutive Le Mans wins (2015–2017). The 2017 win was Porsche's 19th overall at the race.[4],[5]
- After 33 races, Porsche counted 17 wins (including 7 one-two finishes), 19 pole positions and six world championships for the 919.[4]
- Porsche says the 919 was the only prototype in its class that recovered energy while accelerating as well as braking, using a turbine in the exhaust alongside front-axle brake recovery.[7]
- The 919 Hybrid Evo's 5:19.55 Nordschleife lap beat Stefan Bellof's 6:11.13 in a 956 by 51.58 seconds. Bellof's record had stood for 35 years.[6]
- In its 2015 Le Mans win, the 919 recovered and used 2.22 kWh (8 MJ) of energy per lap, at an average race speed of 224.2 km/h.[3]
The 919 Hybrid and Porsche's road cars
The Porsche 919 Hybrid was built to race. For the road cars that share its engineering, history and factory records, start here:
Porsche 919 Hybrid FAQ
How many times did the Porsche 919 Hybrid win Le Mans?
Three times in a row: 2015 (No. 19, Bamber/Hülkenberg/Tandy), 2016 (No. 2, Dumas/Jani/Lieb) and 2017 (No. 2, Bamber/Bernhard/Hartley). The 2017 win was Porsche's 19th overall at Le Mans.
What engine did the 919 Hybrid use?
It used a 2.0-liter turbocharged V4 rated at just under 500 hp, driving the rear wheels. A front-axle electric motor added over 400 hp, for a system output of more than 900 hp. Energy came from front-brake recovery and an exhaust turbine.
How fast was the 919 Hybrid Evo at the Nürburgring?
On June 29, 2018, Timo Bernhard lapped the Nordschleife in 5:19.55, averaging 233.8 km/h. The Evo ran without race restrictions and made a combined 1,160 hp.
What championships did the 919 Hybrid win?
Porsche won both the WEC manufacturers' and drivers' titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017, six world championships in all. The drivers' champions were Bernhard/Hartley/Webber (2015), Dumas/Jani/Lieb (2016) and Bamber/Bernhard/Hartley (2017).
When did the 919 Hybrid stop racing?
Porsche withdrew from LMP1 at the end of 2017, so the 919's last races came that season. The car then went on a 'Tribute Tour' in 2018, which included the Evo's record laps.
Related Porsche race cars and specials
Porsche history, specs and production research
Sources
Dates, production counts, specifications and results on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.
- First win for the 919 Hybrid — Porsche Newsroom
- PORSCHE TEAM - Prize list & statistics — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- Le Mans 2015: facts and figures — Porsche Newsroom
- Porsche secures third straight world championship title with the 919 Hybrid — Porsche Newsroom
- From P54 to P1: Porsche 919 Hybrid wins at Le Mans — Porsche Newsroom
- 5:19.55 minutes – Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo takes record in the "Green Hell" — Porsche Newsroom
- The new Porsche 919 Hybrid — Porsche Newsroom
- PORSCHE LMP TEAM - Prize list & statistics — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
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