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 ca. 375 kW (510 PS) 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.
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