Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative

Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative

      JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER

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      Even before entering, it's easy to notice that the Porsche Penske Motorsport garage at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans has an environment reminiscent of an ant farm. Individuals move with purpose in and out, while Porsche-branded ATVs towing trailers filled with racing tires weave through the crowd, as fans dressed in Porsche Motorsport gear stand in the sun like statues, hoping to spot their favorite driver. This excitement is well justified, as Roger Penske employs some of the best talent in the industry.

      Throughout the weekend, a security guard monitors the garage entrance, and authorized visitors must sign a digital waiver to obtain a plastic badge before their initial entry. Once inside, the experience varies greatly depending on where you are and what activity is taking place on the track. The ambience shifts from cramped to spacious, from chaotic to tranquil, and from dim to brightly lit. There’s no music or entertainment; it’s entirely focused on racing. For this global organization, racing is a business, competing in the major racing series such as NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, and notably, WEC.

      The Porsche facility is surprisingly expansive; it resembles a small town. Closest to the entrance is a room where Porsche keeps three spare battery packs for its 963 Hypercars (one for each car). This area is restricted to those with special credentials, as the team hopes these batteries will remain untouched throughout the race. Replacing one can take around 45 minutes, marking it as one of the more labor-intensive tasks in the pits.

      “The mindset for this race is not to give up,” Timo Bernhard, who secured victory in a Porsche 919 Hybrid in 2017 alongside Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber, explains. “It’s not a short race; unlike an F1 race, if you face an issue, you're not immediately out of the competition.”

      Bernhard draws from his own experiences. In 2017, his car unexpectedly had to make a pit stop due to a malfunction with the front axle’s electric motor. Changing the part took just over an hour, and the 919 re-entered the track in 54th place, 19 laps down, with more than half of the race still to go. Securing a spot on the podium must have seemed impossible, yet that same vehicle went on to win the race.

      I lost track of how many people entered and exited the Porsche compound while Bernhard explained the reasoning behind carrying three spare battery packs. He then guided me into the next room, which he humorously referred to as “a Porsche supermarket.” This area houses many smaller components that might fail during a day-long race, such as oil lines and coolant hoses, as well as necessary liquids for repairs, such as engine oil and brake cleaner.

      Porsche stores three spare transaxles in a separate room, and as I entered, something immediately caught my eye. Each axle had a large, silver-colored ring around it. Did it just get married? No, that's not it. It’s a sensor used by FIA officials to measure the car’s power output in real-time to ensure compliance. This is mandatory on every car, and if it malfunctions, it must be replaced right away.

      Tires are also closely monitored. In the Hypercar category, each vehicle is permitted 14 sets of slick tires for the race (rain tires are unlimited). Each tire is tracked via a QR code, enabling Porsche and FIA officials to quickly check parameters like mileage and other factors. “It’s a significant part of the organization,” Bernhard points out.

      Interestingly, Porsche does not own the tires used by the 963; it essentially leases them from Michelin. During the race, a Michelin engineer inspects each tire before they are mounted on the car and again after they are removed at the end of a stint. The engineer assesses wear and marks any concerning or unusual findings with chalk; they label the tires and document the process with photographs. This practice extends to every garage at Le Mans, not just Porsche’s. Although the Michelin engineer for Porsche doesn't share information with the one for BMW, all used tires are eventually sent back to Michelin’s headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

      Tires occupy a massive amount of space in the pits, while brake parts from AP Racing are much less frequently seen. The 963 utilizes large carbon-ceramic rotors that are intended to endure the entire race, which is quite remarkable given the heat they encounter. Being a hybrid, the 963’s brake energy recuperation system helps extend the life of the rotors. The brake pads are replaced once during the race.

      The Porsche complex is extensive, spanning multiple levels. Upstairs, there's a lounge for mechanics and management to relax, along with an office where at least a dozen individuals are focused on computer screens. They

Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative

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Inside the Astonishing Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Initiative

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