The Race
“I got off the line perfectly and then it was a matter of keeping everything under control and turning one super lap after the other,” said Harry King, summing up his path to claiming his second victory of the season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. In the process, the Englishman also set a new Supercup lap record for the Hungaroring. At times, King’s edge over Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci stretched to over three seconds, only to have two safety car phases cancel out this advantage.
The situation turned gripping again at the end of the second neutralisation, when only one single lap remained. King again kept his cool and took the flag first after a flawless drive. “Today’s victory is the result of our hard work during testing. Let’s see if I can achieve the same performance next weekend at Spa-Francorchamps,” states the 22-year-old as the Supercup heads to the upcoming round next weekend.
“The most exciting part for me was the start – I didn’t get off the line well. In the first corner, I had Bastian Buus in my left wing mirror and my teammate Benjamin Paque in the right. Fortunately, I managed to fend them off,” said Dorian Boccolacci describing the initial phase of the race on the Formula 1 circuit near Budapest. “To be honest, after that, I had no real chance against Harry, so I’m more than happy with second place.”
Porsche Junior Bastian Buus was not happy with the second safety car phase. “I think I could still have overtaken Dorian if the race had run its normal course. I was faster than him in some corners. The safety car probably robbed me of that chance. But I’m heading into the second half of the season as the leader of the standings, which is the most important thing,” explained the Dane. While his lead in the overall standings remains at seven points, Harry King has replaced Larry ten Voorde as the new runner-up in the series. The GP Elite team driver from the Netherlands finished fourth and now ranks third in the drivers’ standings.
Fifth place went to Benjamin Paque. The 18-year-old rounded off the strong effort of the CLRT squad and also won the rookie classification of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup for the first time. “My start was perfect and I even managed to fight with Dorian and Bastian for second place in the first corners. Although I wasn’t able to succeed, I’m overjoyed with my best Supercup result to date,” said the delighted Belgian. Joining him on the rookie podium were Australian Harri Jones (BWT Lechner Racing) and Dutchman Huub van Eijndhoven (GP Elite).
“That was a turbulent race that treated spectators to some great entertainment. One or two duels were pushing the boundaries but all that’s part and parcel of the Supercup,” commented Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. “Congratulations to Harry King on his commanding performance and to Benjamin Paque on his first victory in the Rookie classification. Now the gap between the top four in the overall standings is even closer – that promises an exciting second half of the season.”
Guest driver Timo Glock experiences an eventful race
Former Formula 1 and DTM driver Timo Glock put in a guest appearance at the wheel of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup VIP 911. Taking up the race from P24, the German became involved in numerous midfield duels – including a spin. “I was afraid the guys would leave me in their dust, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. I learned a lot in the duels about how to drive the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup properly. It was definitely an outstanding experience,” summed up Glock, who gained six positions despite the spin. His weekend in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the subject of a documentary by TV station Sky Sport, for which Glock works as a Formula 1 commentator.
Next race already this coming weekend
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup now travels from Budapest directly to Spa-Francorchamps. In one week, the 375 kW (510 hp) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will contest round five of the season from 28 to 30 July 2023 as part of the Belgian Grand Prix support programme. Last year at Spa, the eventual Supercup champion Dylan Pereira from Luxembourg won. Since its 1993 debut season, the 7.004-kilometre Grand Prix circuit in the east of Belgium has been a regular fixture on the Supercup calendar. The circuit is nicknamed the “Ardennes rollercoaster” due to its undulating layout. One corner combination – the Eau Rouge – Raidillon passage – is regarded as one of the most famous in the world.
Results race 4 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Budapest (Hungary)
1. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 29:59.869 minutes
2. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), +0.670 seconds
3. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.993 seconds
4. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), +1.334 seconds
5. Benjamin Paque (B/CLRT), +1.994 seconds
6. Harri Jones (AUS/BWT Lechner Racing), +2.435 seconds
Standings 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after four races)
1. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 64 points
2. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 57 points
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 54 points
4. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), 52 points
Full results and points standings
Qualifying
Harry King tackles round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Hungaroring from pole position. Driving for the BWT Lechner Racing squad, the Englishman lapped the Grand Prix circuit just outside Budapest in a record-setting qualifying time of 1:45.933 minutes.
King shares the front row of the grid with Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci from CLRT. Porsche Junior and championship leader Bastian Buus from Denmark lines up directly behind his teammate King in third place. Ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock planted the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup VIP race car on the 24th grid spot. The 16-lap race with the 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will get underway on Sunday (midday CEST) immediately before the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“Starting from pole position for the first time is exactly the right motivation after my retirement at the previous race in Silverstone,” said a delighted Harry King. “I was fast in qualifying on the first set of tyres and the fastest on the second – this as well as the third place achieved by my teammate Bastian Buus shows that we’ve found a perfect setup for our cars.”
Porsche Junior Buus, who travelled to the Budapest race as the leader of the overall standings in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, took a similar view. “Pole position was possible for me too, but unfortunately I didn’t bring it together. But I can still win from the third grid spot. It’s super important that I’m in front of Larry ten Voorde,” said the 20-year-old Dane, with his eye on the second-placed driver from the Netherlands. Competing for the GP Elite team, the winner of the 2021 Supercup round at the Hungaroring only achieved the sixth fastest time in qualifying.
Dorian Boccolacci separates King and Buus on the grid. The Frenchman also posted a lap time well below the previous qualifying best time. “To be honest, I’m not happy with my best lap,” said the fourth-placed driver in the overall standings. “But my start usually is really good. I reckon I can still win from position two.” The fact that Boccolacci’s CLRT squad were as spot on with the setup of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for the Hungaroring as BWT Lechner Racing’s car is underlined by fourth place for his teammate Benjamin Paque. The Belgian even set the fastest time in practice on Friday.
Guest driver Timo Glock: “Champions League of the one-make cups”
Former Formula 1 and DTM driver Timo Glock claimed the 24th grid spot. At the wheel of the 5,000th Cup 911 ever built, the 41-year-old German was around 1.6 seconds off pole-setter King. “Not even two seconds slower than the fastest time, and you’re that far back – that shows how fierce the competition is in the Supercup. It’s not called the Supercup for nothing, I’m competing in the Champions League of one-make cups here. What surprised me was that the track conditions in qualifying were completely different from those in practice.”
“I suddenly got a lot of oversteer. I suspect it’s because the rubber laid down on the track today was different than yesterday. I lack experience with this. As expected, the whole thing is super difficult for me,” commented Glock, who now works as a Formula 1 commentator for TV station Sky Sport. Nevertheless, he didn’t let his “not optimal” qualifying result spoil his high spirits: “For the race I have to see if I can find a set of front tyres that I haven’t flat-spotted yet.”
TV and internet coverage of round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race held as part of the Hungarian Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday (23 July 2023) at noon CEST and runs over 16 laps. TV channels Eurosport and Sky Sport provide a live broadcast of the race, with the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also televising the race.
Qualifying result, round 4 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Budapest (Hungary)
1. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:45.933 minutes
2. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), 1:45.992 minutes
3. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:46.122 minutes
4. Benjamin Paque (B/CLRT), 1:46.173 minutes
5. Harri Jones (AUS/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:46.227 minutes
6. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 1.46.242 minutes
Preview
A celebrity guest tackles round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as part of the Hungarian Grand Prix (21 to 23 July 2023): Ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock drives the VIP Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of the international one-make cup in Budapest. The German will go up against 29 rivals, including Porsche Junior and championship leader Bastian Buus from Denmark and multiple motorbike world champion Jorge Lorenzo from Spain. The race featuring the 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup runs over 16 laps on the Formula 1 circuit on the outskirts of Budapest.
It has been 19 years since Timo Glock contested a Porsche Supercup race as a guest: in 2004, he clinched seventh place at the Nürburgring. “The moment I started the engine and drove the first few metres on the track, I got that typical Porsche grin on my face again,” says the ex-Formula 1 and DTM driver after a test in the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Next weekend, the 41-year-old German will take the wheel of the VIP car to contest round four of the Supercup season as part of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “It’s been a long time since I drove a rear-engine race car so I had to get used to it again. Keeping up with the experienced Supercup drivers will be a dance at the limit for me. I’m really looking forward to it,” adds Glock. For this occasion, the No. 911 racer is a very special one: it is the 5,000th Cup nine-eleven built by Porsche Motorsport since 1990.
“Racing against someone like Timo gives me extra motivation,” says an excited Porsche Junior Bastian Buus as he heads to the 16-lap race at the Hungaroring. Competing for the BWT Lechner Racing team, the Dane won the Supercup race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and now travels to Budapest as the championship leader. “I was fast during our test on Hungaroring, the track suits me. I’m determined to win,” says the 20-year-old with conviction. Seven points separate Buus from second-placed Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands.
The two-time Supercup champion from the GP Elite squad had to walk away from the last race in Silverstone empty-handed when a collision shortly after the start threw him out of the race. “I’m looking ahead: I want to come first in Budapest. I won there in 2021 and ultimately clinched the title,” states the resolute 26-year-old Dutchman. Buus is the only driver of the top three who has not yet scored a victory this season. Moreover, in contrast to ten Voorde, Buus and his British BWT Lechner Racing teammate Harry King – who currently ranks third overall – only know the Hungaroring from test drives.
Alessandro Ghiretti’s goals are similar to Buus’s. The Frenchman from the Martinet by Alméras team beat all other newcomers for the first time at Silverstone and moved to the top of the rookie classification. “Victory, there’s no other option!” says Ghiretti confidently. In the overall standings, he ranks fifth behind his fellow countryman Dorian Boccolacci (CLRT team).
Jorge Lorenzo returns to the Supercup. Since he was busy in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia at the wheel of the 375 kW (510 PS) Cup 911, the five-time motorbike world champion had to skip the Silverstone race. This is the 36-year-old Spaniard’s second season in the Italian one-make cup. In the Supercup, he is a newcomer driving for Huber Racing.
“We’ve now contested three races this season, and each time we’ve had a different winner – that also shows just how competitive it is at the top of the Supercup. Budapest is usually very hot, which throws physical challenges at the drivers. I’m curious to see whether we’ll hear a fourth national anthem at the Hungaroring,” declares Oliver Schwab, the project manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Output of ca. 375 kW (510 PS) and fuel from renewable sources
The 2023 Supercup season marks the third year for the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The output of the six-cylinder boxer engines with around four litres of displacement remains unchanged at 375 kW (510 PS). As was the case in the previous two seasons, the Supercup nine-elevens will be powered by Esso Renewable Racing Fuel, a bio-based, semi-synthetic fuel blend. In addition to the technically identical race cars, the control racing tyres from Michelin also ensure an equal playing field and gripping competition.
TV and internet coverage of round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
The last Supercup race before the midway mark of the season gets underway on Sunday (23 July 2023) at noon CEST and runs over 16 laps. TV channels Eurosport and Sky Sport provide a live broadcast of the race, with the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also televising the race. Media and fans can also follow the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup action on the social media networks Twitter (@PorscheSupercup and @PorscheRaces), Instagram (@PorscheSupercup) and Facebook (@PorscheSupercup).
Hungaroring
The creation of the racetrack on the outskirts of Budapest is thanks to Formula 1’s endeavours to expand into Eastern Europe. The first Grand Prix behind the so-called “Iron Curtain” was contested here in 1986. Today’s 4.381-kilometre circuit is nestled in a valley, with large parts of the track visible from almost all spectator seats. The Hungaroring’s twisty layout – which earned it the distinction of being “like Monaco, only without crash barriers” – offers few overtaking opportunities.
The Porsche Supercup made its first guest appearance at the Hungaroring in its inaugural 1993 season. At that time, the eventual Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen won the race as a guest driver. In 2022, the calendar of the international one-make cup did not include the Hungarian Grand Prix. In 2021, victory went to Larry ten Voorde (GP Elite), who earned points towards claiming the title that year.
Schedule Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Budapest/Hungary (all times CEST)
Friday, 21 July
6:35 – 7:20 pm: Practice
Saturday, 22 July
11:20 – 11:50 am: Qualifying
Sunday, 23 July
Noon: Race (16 laps)
Standings 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after three races)
1. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 47 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 40 points
3. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 32 points
4. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), 32 points
5. Alessandro Ghiretti (F/Martinet by Alméras), 30 points