Tandy and team-mate Mathieu Jaminet received two races within the new GTP class this yr and had a 3rd taken away following a technical infraction present in post-race scrutineering at Watkins Glen.
Porsche has recognized the longer-distance races as the place it must focus its efforts and has made quite a few updates aimed toward enhancing reliability with its 963 prototype.
“There’s been tons occurring with the automotive and at [Porsche’s development center in] Weissach,” Tandy advised Motorsport.com. “It’s largely based mostly round reliability.
“We’re attempting to iron out the issues that we’ve present in each software program and {hardware}. Trying again eventually yr on the 4 longer endurance races, together with Daytona and Le Mans, we weren’t that nice, had been we?
“That is the very first thing, we have to end these lengthy races, in order that’s been the principle focus. We’re clearly higher ready from a reliability viewpoint. After all, everybody continues to be going to have some points, all of the automobiles are nonetheless fairly new, but it surely’s positively a greater feeling now.”
Picture by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Photographs
#6: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor
After a deliberate check at Daytona final month needed to be scrapped attributable to resurfacing work close to the Bus Cease chicane, the 2 days of working final week had been the one probability to check the upgrades forward of subsequent month’s Roar check, qualifying and the season-opening Rolex 24 Hours itself.
“It’s the primary time we’ve run the automotive again right here because the race, so we’ve bought a season’s expertise and learnings to place into it,” mentioned Tandy. “The second automotive [the #7] was purely placing mileage to validate stuff, carrying on from what we ran at a personal Sebring check [last month], but it surely’s not simply up to date elements it’s placing every part by the entire course of once more.
“We’re not prepping for a dash race, so that is the right time for reliability testing, and our automotive [the #6] was extra targeted on efficiency, resembling tire testing and normal stuff.
“We had a few points, which had been kinda Daytona particular. Right here you run excessive RPMs for a very long time, in order that’s right here and Le Mans-specific, and also you’re additionally on the banking right here for a protracted length. The excessive lateral load on the automotive is in contrast to wherever else we go, in order that’s fluid surge and excessive suspension hundreds, steering and tires.
“So, there are Daytona-specific check factors that we have to study.”
Picture by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Photographs
#6: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor
Tandy revealed that the issues had been “nothing we haven’t skilled earlier than” and the automotive returned to the observe every time after remedial work.
“We study one thing new each day with this automotive on the observe,” he added. “A few issues we needed to come again to storage for, which isn’t perfect, and it’s the type of factor that may affect your race massively.
“We’re nonetheless not the place we have to be, that’s clear, however we’re working to get there. That is the final level to make that call about what will get prepped for race week at Daytona.
“So, no extra messing round after this week – we get locked in on all our elements and software program technique that we’re going to come back and race with.”
