Qualifying
In 2021, the reigning Supercup champion also set the best qualifying time in the Principality and went on to win the race. The British BWT Lechner Racing driver Harry King lapped the 3.337-kilometre circuit just 57-thousandths of a second slower than Ten Voorde. The second grid row is occupied by Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci (Martinet by Alméras) and the German Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (SSR Huber Racing). Championship leader Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing) from Luxembourg and the three-time Supercup champion Michael Ammermüller (SSR Huber Racing) from Germany tackle the race from the third grid row. On Sunday at 12.05 pm CEST, the 17-lap race gets underway for the Cup 911 racers.
In high summer temperatures, Harry King was the first driver to top the timesheets. Larry ten Voorde only secured pole position when he switched to a fresh set of tyres. “I took a lot of risks on my flying lap. Once I even scrapped against the barriers slightly – luckily I only got a few scratches on the paintwork,” reported the Dutchman.
Harry King and Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich had less luck with the metal barriers that line almost all of the Monte Carlo circuit: Both had to abandon their final attempt at clocking a top time after accidents. “When I landed after attacking a kerb, one of my tyres pulled off the rim – that sent the rear of my car into a skid but luckily it was in a fairly slow corner. My car only sustained minor damages,” explained Heinrich. Harry King’s race is also not in jeopardy: “Sure, starting from the first grid row in Monte Carlo feels great, but I think I only have a chance to win if I can beat Larry ten Voorde in the sprint to the first corner,” predicts the Englishman.
Le Mans winner Marc Lieb supports the stewards as a driver adviser
Like in football, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has its referees. Three stewards assess contentious situations on the racetrack and impose penalties if necessary. In Porsche’s international one-make cup, the stewards are assisted by a racing driver, a so-called “driver adviser”. This person has the task of representing the driver’s point of view in any discussions with the stewards.
For the Supercup race in Monaco, Marc Lieb has taken on the driver adviser role. In 2016, the 41-year-old German won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Porsche 919 Hybrid; in 2004 he claimed the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title and has also achieved four victories at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. Lieb, who now works as Sports Communications Manager at Porsche, acts as a driver advisor for the first time.
“As a driver, it was always my goal never to be summoned to the stewards’ office. Now that’s where I work, which is an adjustment of course. In any case, after the free practice and qualifying here in Monaco, my appreciation for the work the stewards do has grown considerably,” states Lieb. “These decisions are very complex because the stewards use many cameras along the track and in the Supercup cars to give them objective assistance. My job is to explain any given situation from the subjective point of view of the driver. This is a very good process to make even fairer decisions.”
Qualifying result, round 2 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monte Carlo (MC)
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 1.34.500 minutes
2. Harry King (Great Britain/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.057 seconds
3. Dorian Boccolacci (France/Martinet by Alméras), + 0.103 seconds
4. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/SSR Huber Racing), + 0.192 seconds
5. Dylan Pereira (Luxembourg/BWT Lechner Racing), + 0.227 seconds
6. Michael Ammermüller (Germany/SSR Huber Racing), + 0.570 seconds
The preview
The legendary street circuit of Monte Carlo hosts round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season. This coming weekend (26 to 29 May 2022) the packed grid of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will take on the challenge of the 3.337-kilometre Grand Prix circuit as part of the support programme of this spectacular Formula 1 event. Competing for the BWT Lechner Racing squad, Dylan Pereira from Luxembourg travels to the Principality as the championship leader. The GP Elite driver from the Netherlands Larry ten Voorde – the reigning Supercup champion and last year’s Monaco winner – currently ranks second in Porsche’s international one-make cup.
Thanks to its unique atmosphere, Monaco enjoys a special place on the calendar of the Supercup, which is now celebrating its 30th season. “As there is no practice on Saturday, the whole team usually spends the day exploring this incredible place,” declares Pereira. Running right through the city centre, the racetrack resembles a narrow corridor flanked by crash barriers. It is also the only Formula 1 circuit with a tunnel. For Pereira, Monaco represents one of the biggest challenges of the year. “The slightest error is punished mercilessly. I hope my qualifying goes better than it did last year,” recalls the Supercup leader. In 2021, the Luxembourger had to start from the last grid row after a close encounter with the barriers in qualifying. “This street circuit is great fun, but only if you’re in the lead,” laughs the BWT Lechner Racing driver.
A year ago, a similar incident had more serious consequences for today’s Porsche-Junior Laurin Heinrich: He only managed to compete in the race because his team arranged for a replacement 911 to be sent to the Principality overnight. For this reason, the German SSR Huber Racing driver is somewhat of an outsider in the odds to win. The 20-year-old remains realistic: “Although I’m better prepared than I was last year, I still lack experience. I’d be happy with a top-five result. My goal is to steadily improve over the weekend, because, as always in Monaco, your grid position is crucial and overtaking during the race is extremely difficult.”
Apart from Larry ten Voorde, two other drivers from this year’s grid line-up have experienced the taste of the winner’s champagne on the podium. Dutchman Jaap van Lagen from the Martinet by Alméras outfit won in 2015, and the three-time Supercup champion Michael Ammermüller (SSR Huber Racing) from Germany crossed the finish line first in 2017 and 2019.
“In its 1993 inaugural season, Monaco was only the third race in the newly founded Porsche Supercup – making this demanding racetrack an important chapter in the tradition of the series. The challenging circuit demands the highest level of professionalism from the drivers, engineers and mechanics. “I’m curious to see who will be the best at mastering the difficult task this year,” says Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, as he looks ahead to the first highlight of this season’s international one-make cup. In the very first season of 1993, Formula 1 driver Mika Häkkinen won, with the Finn celebrating his Monte Carlo victory as a guest driver in the VIP-911.
TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
Round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup takes off on Sunday (29 May 2021) at 12:05 pm CEST and runs over 17 laps. Among others, the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com broadcasts the race live. 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).
Schedule round 2 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (all times CEST)
Thursday, 26 May
3:35 – 4:20 pm: Free practice
Friday, 27 May
3:30 – 4:00 pm: Qualifying
Sunday, 29 May
12:05 pm: Race (17 laps)
Points’ standings 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 1 of 8 races)
1. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 25 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 20 points
3. Harry King (GB/BWT Lechner Racing), 17 points
4. Laurin Heinrich (D/SSR Huber Racing), 14 points
2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup calendar (subject to change)
22 – 24 April, Imola (Italy)
26 – 29 May, Monte Carlo (Monaco)
01 – 03 July, Silverstone (Great Britain)
08 – 10 July, Spielberg (Austria)
22 – 24 July, Le Castellet (France)
26 – 28 August, Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
02 – 04 September, Zandvoort (Netherlands)
09 – 11 September, Monza (Italy)