Amidst the highly skilled engineers and drivers of PPM, a strategic effort prevented what could have been a disappointing outcome in the opening race of the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship season.
Following a problematic debut at Daytona the previous year due to issues with hybrid batteries and gearboxes, the 963 faced relatively smooth sailing this time around, with the exception of the No.6 car being penalized for failing to adhere to controlled powertrain parameters.
Though warnings were issued to other 963s, including customer cars, the necessary software fixes were promptly implemented across all four machines to prevent the recurrence of the issue.
Porsche’s LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle addressed the problem, citing power peaks during charging, particularly near the Bus Stop Chicane, as the culprit. Felipe Nasr managed to secure victory despite the challenges, edging out Cadillac by a slim margin.
The successful outcome allowed Porsche’s Michael Steiner to accept the team’s trophy, marking the marque’s 19th overall victory. Post-race inquiries with PPM’s managing director Jonathan Diuguid and lead race engineer Raul Prados shed light on the situation. Diuguid explained that while the No.6 car encountered issues first, precautions were taken to prevent a recurrence, with solutions applied proactively.
Prados noted that although their car didn’t experience the same problems, they remained vigilant and implemented preventive measures based on the No.6 car’s issues.
The complexity of the systems governing energy regeneration and deployment posed challenges, requiring constant analysis and adjustments to ensure compliance and performance.
Despite the need for adjustments, there was no need to halt the cars or reboot systems, as all necessary software was already integrated. Drivers could select the appropriate settings via steering wheel controls, ensuring compliance with regulations and safety margins.
The intricate functionality of the 963’s steering wheel, as explained by Daytona winner Dane Cameron, underscores the complexity of managing these high-performance vehicles, even compared to Formula 1 standards.
