Porsche 911 GT3 R hybrid finishes sixth in debut race

STUTTGART // Porsche had a successful weekend at the opener of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship with its 911 GT3 R taking the top spot on the podium. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid also made its debut with a sixth-place finish. The Porsche 911 GT3 R was fielded by the Manthey Racing team, with drivers Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb (both Germany) and Marcel Tiemann (Monaco). "It is extraordinary to climb to the top of the podium at the first race ever of a new race car," said Bernhard. "It seems the new 911 GT3 R has inherited the reliability of all racing 911," added Lieb. The team came ahead of an Audi RS and a BMW M3. The Hybrid, with its combustion engine supplemented by two electric motors delivering 80hp each to the front axle, came in sixth place in a trouble-free race. Round two of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship is on April 10 with a race duration of four hours.