– Commanding: Brit from BWT Lechner Racing spearheads the field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup from start to finish on the Hungaroring
– Overjoyed: First rookie win for CLRT driver Benjamin Paque
– ‘Outstanding’: Ex-Formula 1 driver Timo Glock enjoys his weekend driving the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup VIP car
Harry King clinched his second win of the season at round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. At the Hungaroring, the Englishman took off from pole position at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the BWT Lechner Racing team. Even at two restarts after safety car phases on the Formula 1 track outside Budapest, he defended his lead spot against Dorian Boccolacci. Competing for the CLRT squad, the Frenchman managed to keep Porsche Junior Bastian Buus behind him. The 20-year-old Dane retains his championship lead ahead of the new overall runner-up, his BWT Lechner Racing teammate Harry King.
« 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…